[Gerard]

Amen to that! Many of us were puzzled at both the decision to drop the 'Pocket PC' name, and the timing of that change. Pocket PC as an identifiable brand was finally sinking into the public awareness generally, if still not quite as completely as had Palm before it. Then whoosh! We were told PPC was no more, and all these WM flavours were to replace it. Not a smart move, imo.

[Gerard]

Amen to that! Many of us were puzzled at both the decision to drop the 'Pocket PC' name, and the timing of that change. Pocket PC as an identifiable brand was finally sinking into the public awareness generally, if still not quite as completely as had Palm before it. Then whoosh! We were told PPC was no more, and all these WM flavours were to replace it. Not a smart move, imo.

[Jason Dunn]

Originally Posted by Hal Goldstein

To be clear, I approached the subject 3 or 4 times over the past three years with Microsoft. I was basically told that Microsoft lawyers were extremely reticent to let anyone use "Windows" and "Windows Mobile" and that I would probably have to pay a very stiff licensing fee if I wanted to use it. I did not think the effort was worthwhile, but if I persisted, Microsoft may or may not have relented.

That's more or less what I've been told about using Windows Mobile Thoughts as a site name. It seems like the marketing people are a bit afraid of me actually asking the lawyers, but I've pondered going all the way up to Ballmer to ask for permission to use the name, under a free license. He always says he want to hear from his MVPs, so...

Originally Posted by Hal Goldstein

However, I don't think "Windows Mobile" has the appeal or even the name recognition as "Pocket PC" or "Smartphone". "Windows Mobile" is in a sense an abstraction. "Pocket PC" and "Smartphone" are names of devices and concrete and more appealing on newsstand.

Indeed - Windows Mobile as a brand is unknown in the market as a whole, but people have heard the term "smartphone" before. This is the exact problem I'm having with what will happen to Pocket PC Thoughts and Smartphone Thoughts. Do I use Windows Mobile Thoughts, even if I were to get permission? Or do I use Smartphone Thoughts as the singular site for the merged PPCT + SPT site?