What's in a name - iPhone?
In considering the recent unveiling of Apple's iPhone and the excitement surrounding it, I believe Apple has made a misstep.
First, Apple now has a continuing legal battle with Cisco, as Cisco had announced their own iPhone several weeks prior and had owned rights to the name 'iPhone' for even longer.
Second, and perhaps most perplexing, is Apple's abandonment of the 'iPod' moniker. Well, perhaps abandonment is too harsh. Apple isn't phasing out 'iPod.' But in Steve Jobs own presentation, he pointed out that Apple's new product is at least a third iPod. As he put it: an iPod, a web device, and a phone.
So, what I wonder is, why not call it, 'iPod phone?' It would follow in the same line of current iPod naming conventions: iPod nano, iPod shuffle, e.g. It would eliminate any worry about litigation with Cisco's iPhone. It also would fit in a logical way with the rest of the iPod line.
One of the best things about the name 'iPod' was the foresight involved with it's naming. At first, it was primarily a music player, and no one would have thought twice if the name for it had been iPlayer or iListen or iBox, etc. But Apple had the prudence to realize that there was room for growth for the device. And thus, iPod was actually an appropriate name as the device grew to include photos, video, games, contacts, calendars… and you would suppose phone capabilities.
Instead Apple is abandoning iPod as part of it's phone's name, and it leaves me saying 'iWonder.'
First, Apple now has a continuing legal battle with Cisco, as Cisco had announced their own iPhone several weeks prior and had owned rights to the name 'iPhone' for even longer.
Second, and perhaps most perplexing, is Apple's abandonment of the 'iPod' moniker. Well, perhaps abandonment is too harsh. Apple isn't phasing out 'iPod.' But in Steve Jobs own presentation, he pointed out that Apple's new product is at least a third iPod. As he put it: an iPod, a web device, and a phone.
So, what I wonder is, why not call it, 'iPod phone?' It would follow in the same line of current iPod naming conventions: iPod nano, iPod shuffle, e.g. It would eliminate any worry about litigation with Cisco's iPhone. It also would fit in a logical way with the rest of the iPod line.
One of the best things about the name 'iPod' was the foresight involved with it's naming. At first, it was primarily a music player, and no one would have thought twice if the name for it had been iPlayer or iListen or iBox, etc. But Apple had the prudence to realize that there was room for growth for the device. And thus, iPod was actually an appropriate name as the device grew to include photos, video, games, contacts, calendars… and you would suppose phone capabilities.
Instead Apple is abandoning iPod as part of it's phone's name, and it leaves me saying 'iWonder.'
Labels: apple, technology
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