What does 'ipaq' stand for?

[Trimac20]

This may seem like a stupid question, but I was wondering if 'ipaq' stands for anything? When Compaq coined the term about four years ago was it just an interesting-sound name or does it have a deeper meaning? On the topic, why do many products nowaday begin with 'i': for example, ipod, imac (itunes.etc would be a spinoff of this 'i' trend), iriver.etc.etc.

[jneely]

I could be wrong, but I think the "i" prefix was tacked onto all kinds of product branding to associate things with the "internet" and the resulting flurry of excitement that started during the dot-com blow-up. It was hip and cutting edge and on the other hand a completely uncreative and robotic way to brand new things. The same thing preceded it to some extent with the "e" for "electronic", as in e-mail.

Ever since there have been countless iSoft, eBanking, iLife, eThis, iThat attempts at grabbing the attention of the Internet generation. It must be working, because you still see new i and e prefixed brands hitting the market...

[Anthony Caruana]

Although the brand iPAQ is almost synonomous with Pocket PCs, Compaq had a broader range of devices with the iPAQ brand, From memory they had small office netwrok devices like wireless APs and legacy free desktop PCs.

Like many things from Compaq, the last three characters are a derivative of the Compaq name. And, as jneely said, the "i" was tacked onto all manner of things during the 90's

[Wiggster]

Compaq's thinking:
i + Compaq - i = iPaq!
Possibly the "Com" was taken off since it's not so much a COMputer as a PDA.

Also, Apple went on full throttle with the iThing. That's why so many of their products continue the legacy. iMac, iPod, iTunes, iDVD, iMovie, etc. Perhaps Apple's 'i' stands for 'innovative'.

[Aerestis]

yeah, my teacher has a poster (I'm sure he made it) for his macs and it says

innovative
intense
internet

imacs

Don't ever try to tell him the mac just crashed... BECAUSE YOU BROKE IT! He is a nut case.

edit: I don't even like the name iPaq. Am I the only one? They should have called it 'Mobius' or Tadpole or nymbus or something cute or cool. Mobius sounds all mobile, people like that sort of thing. Why ipaq? It's just not cool. :)

[manywhere]

I've always thought of iPAQ as in "I pack" or:
"I pack" my life and schedule into this thing
"I pack" only this little device instead of a friggin laptop when going on trips
"I pack" packs a punch! :lol:
And the list goes on... :D

[dMores]

Don't ever try to tell him the mac just crashed... BECAUSE YOU BROKE IT! He is a nut case. hehe, that's funny.

having turned a mac-user and -liker, i try to stay out of the usual "macs are better than pcs" discussions. i actually prefer to work on a mac now, but my powerbook has crashed and hung and just gone bezerk on me on numerous occasions.
anyway that's OT.

iThink ;) that HP should have renamed the iPaq when they acquired compaq. the new ipaqs are better, smaller and prettier than the old ones, so they should have broken with the old.

[Aerestis]

they could always rename it to the hewpaq i-go go. Or Hand-go go.

hewpaq-hand-go go.

I wonder if hp would respond to an e mail with info on what ipaq means.

[Jon Westfall]

Compaq loves the 'paq' ending: Service releases are Softpaq's, and I believe my warrenty is known as a Servicepaq.

[Wiggster]

iThink ;) that HP should have renamed the iPaq when they acquired compaq. the new ipaqs are better, smaller and prettier than the old ones, so they should have broken with the old.

But they evolved from Compaq's line, they weren't sponanteously better. To me, the iPaq's have been the best models overall for years. And it's got a great customer base.

How many of you bought the HP Pocket PCs before they bought Compaq? :wink:

[JustinGTP]

No, Ipaq is actually the name of the top secret and quite confidential terrorist watch group that was founded four years ago. It was an attempt to track and monitor certain keywords and terrorist slangs used around the devices, which would then activate the special recorder on the Ipaq. This would then transmit the information to the Bush Administration in the United States via a direct satellite up link with your PDA. The Ipaq name was coined by Bush himself; a lousy copy of the country, Iraq. The Ipaq and HP are part of the "Terrorist Justice and Implementation of Capture" code written in disappearing ink in the Declaration of Independence.

Bush and company have expected incredible sales of these new "Terrorist Watch" devices in many countries, possibly giving them leads to the whereabouts of Osama Bin Laden and his terrorist crew. In many missions, Bush has been able to conquer Terrorism in the United States and in Iraq. Your PDA is not just a Personal Digital Assistant, it is a tactile device used for the infiltration of personal privacy and used for the documentation of others ("non" whites) for the capture and sentencing of implied criminal acts. Your Ipaq is also capable of sending transmissions to the nearest helicopters and squads of highly qualified guards with the latest in combat gear to take the necessary action.

This message will self destruct when everybody has read it. For further copyright information of this "Implied" Terrorist Capturing Technology, please visit the Bush administration website. Also, Ipaq is a registered trademark of "Hewlett Packard" in the United States and various other countries where the product is sold. If you have any complaints regarding this included technology, it is too bad; Bush authorized it.

[KenClunk]

I'm
Perfect
And
Qualified

[kosmicki]

I agree with some of the former comments, iPAQ being a blend of internet and Compaq. However no one said so far, that its just a catchy sorta cool name. Marketing came up with it, so what people think of the name is important. Stuck in my mind. And HP did not rename is, because at the time (and I think still) its the most well known and prased pocket PC. It would be like someone buying Honda then changing the name of the Accord.

[GoldKey]

Although the brand iPAQ is almost synonomous with Pocket PCs, Compaq had a broader range of devices with the iPAQ brand, From memory they had small office netwrok devices like wireless APs and legacy free desktop PCs.


Exactly, see this site for details on the ipaq line

http://www.n0de9.com/portfolio/ipaq_.html