PC World: "What's In a Name?"

[Janak Parekh]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.pcworld.com/resource/article/0,aid,121184,pg,1,RSS,RSS,00.asp' target='_blank'>http://www.pcworld.com/resource/art...,RSS,RSS,00.asp</a><br /><br /></div><i>"When you buy a Palm-based PDA or a Pocket PC, what do you expect to get? A handheld of some kind, yes--but also, I suspect, a specific operating system that can run a specific set of applications. So what happens when a company wants to divorce the hardware from the OS? It's not an academic question. In the last few weeks, we're heard that the Palm OS is going away (well, at least the name Palm OS), and that Microsoft is trying to make the name Pocket PC vanish, in favor of the wordier Windows Mobile-based PDA. It's spring, and a marketer's fancy turns to rebranding. But should you care? Will these changes make buying a PDA more--or less--confusing?"</i><br /><br />Some good thoughts here from Yardena Arar of PC World. I'm not a huge fan of either recent rebranding strategy, but at least the Microsoft one makes some sense to me.

[alabij]

Well! I get that with 'Windows Mobile' Microsoft is trying to keep in line with the desktop version. Hence when longhorn comes out and people see how powerful it is they'll also consider the 'windows mobile' version to be just as powerful.

On another note I'm kind of suprised that they are dumping the Pocket PC name. Especially since Microsoft is know for it's smart generic names. ie Word, Excel, Access, Visual, Office, Internet Explorer and my favourite 'Outlook'. These names just stick. You are more likely to remember and relate to them unlike 'Quattro' or 'Lotus' or 'Eudora' or even 'Netscape.

[Gerard]

Nah. Since 4+ years using (and hardly advertising at all) the 'Pocket PC' name failed to generate true mass awareness, they probably figured a change couldn't hurt and might actually help. As recently as 2 months ago I have had "is that a Palm Pilot?" from an otherwise computer-aware person. This comes all the time from people with perfectly good eyes, in spite of the fact that my Dell X5 says 'Pocket PC' right on the front and Dell in two places. Windows Schmobile, whatever... until they decide to actually advertise on a significant scale the mainstream market will remain blissfully ignorant. Teensy, cheezy displays in out-of-the-way corners of Future Shop do not constitute advertising. And Pocket PC was a good name, nothing wrong with it, as it signified the greater breadth and depth of potential computing functions compared to other PDA-type devices.

Palm going with the 'Palm' name, on the other hand, is a smart move in my opinion. Palm had fantastic brand-name recognition, and completely blew it when they became pa1mOne and PalmSource. What a pile of crap that was, and they've finally acknowledged the mistake (well, not out loud, but you know what I mean) and made it right again. Sad that they've also opted for the Microsoft-esque long naming scheme with their new flagship device though. What's it called again? Oh yeah, the Palm Life-Drive Personal Business Media Center Contraption with iPod-Like Capability©

[Paragon]

Dropping the name "Pocket PC" may seem a bit perplexing to some at the moment, but I think it makes sense when you look forward. Pocket PCs, and Smartphones are evolving considerably. We have standard Pocket PC, Phone Edition devices, and Smartphones, and the lines between them are becoming very blurry, especially when we now have devices like the JAM which is Smartphone in size, but PPC in abilities, or the upcoming HTC Universal which is a Pocket PC, but very much a "Handheld PC" in form. The name "Pocket PC" is now very confining. Too structured. I don't think any of us have a solid idea of what they will evolve into, so dropping Pocket PC, and using the broader term "Windows Mobile"allows for much more flexibility. At least that's the way I see it. ;)

As for Palm....A Palm by any other name is still a Palm....and I'm sorry but everytime I say the word Palm I think of my old IIIC.

Dave

[Gerard]

You're in rather safe territory there Dave. I mean, who here is really going to argue that a Palm by any name still smells funny? ;) But hey, they had their purpose and their day in the sun. I'd not be entirely surprised if one day we who like powerful, versatile devices look back on the days of the whole PPC/WM thing and wince a little. That's a pun there. WinCE... that's always bugged me a little. Not quite so blatant as POS, but still.

[Don't Panic!]

Introducing the WMPE devices. Windows Mobile Phone Edition! The only OS proud to be Wimpy. :roll:

[Paragon]

You're in rather safe territory there Dave.

Yeah, that's me, always being safe. Never wanting to offend anyone. ;)

Bobby, speaking of Wimpy, you still haven't been assimilated have you?

Dave

[Steve Jordan]

Most of these labels and rebranding efforts don't mean much, to the average user, or to the expert. In both cases, you just want to know what your device is compatible with. So it's either a Palm thingy, a Windows thingy, or someone else's thingy (i.e. proprietary).

Microsoft's marketing stragedy has always been pretty obvious: Get our stuff out there in so many places that you don't even remember there's anything else. Their strategy isn't so much about identifying their partners, as it is about blatantly identifying that Windows is in it. Look carefully at the posts before this one, and you see what I mean: Whatever the stance, everyone says "Windows" in there somewhere. M$'s job is done.

So what's in a name? In this case, nothing at all. When standing in front of Antonio Banderas and Anthony Hopkins in identical Zorro masks, it's still easy to see which is which.

[Don't Panic!]

You're in rather safe territory there Dave.

Yeah, that's me, always being safe. Never wanting to offend anyone. ;)

Bobby, speaking of Wimpy, you still haven't been assimilated have you?

DaveBut I'm getting closer now that live TV is a possibility. The only problem is Phone Edition devices keep getting samller. I want a full size Pocket PC with phone capabilities. A screen 3.5 to 4 inches would definitely spark my interest but I seem to be alone in this desire. No body seems to want to put type II CF on thier devices either. I used to carry a 3850 with the Dual PCMCIA Expansion Sleeve on my belt for goodness sake. How big would a Dual Slot PPCPE device be. It couldn't be bigger.

I guess that as long as manufacturers keep going after the elusive Enterprise market Uber-Consumers like myself will have to wait.

Someday my phone will come...

[Gerard]

Count me in on that device. Make it a 5" screen, once CF and two SD slots, and I'll be in PPCPE heaven, or WiMPE heaven, or whatever that place is going to be called. Just leave off the thumboard - those things are wude. Stylus and folding external keyboard are the way to go.