[TriLUG] OT: Computer Product Brand Names...

[Shane O'Donnell]

Product naming is pretty much a black art -- if you can find one that
reads "positively" to the marketing types and doesn't infringe on
trademarks, you've done pretty well.  To try to avoid anything that
could be morphed into a negative by a user is damn near impossible.

I'm reminded of a story I heard years ago about a couple who wanted to
give their newborn daughter a name that other kids couldn't make fun
of.  After months of agonizing, they finally settled on "Amber". 
After she was born, the father loaded up their five-year-old to go see
his new little sister.  "Say 'Hi' to your little sister, Jimmy..."

"Hi, Amburger".

I don't think you can avoid creating names that can be mocked.  The
trick is to create a product that customers don't want/need to mock.

Shane O.

On 12/7/05, Israel J Pattison <pattison at usa.com> wrote:
> The conversation about TRS-80 and PS/2, I had to point out that the computer
> industry seems plagued by brand names that are easily parodied.  I wonder
> why these companies don't think about the nicknames their products will
> acquire once they reach the end user.  Here are a few I can think of:
>
> DB/2, PS/2, OS/2:  Half a {computer, database, operating system}
> PS/2:  Piece of Snot/2
> TRS-80:  Trash-80
> Thinkpad:  Stinkpad
> Intellistation:  Repellistation
> Aptiva:  Craptiva
> Logitech:  Logiwreck
>
> Can you think of others?
>
> --
> Israel J. Pattison
> Raleigh, NC
> Email: pattison at usa.com
> Web: http://www.fanana.net
>
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> human heart."  -- Dr. E. Urner Goodman
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--
Shane O.
========
Shane O'Donnell
shaneodonnell at gmail.com
====================