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I seem to have struck a chord with my post on Apple’s image, and I got a lot of really good points in the comments that I hadn’t really thought about. I’m gonna go ahead and bring those to the front page.
First, though, let me clarify that I don’t really dislike Apple. People tend to think that since I prefer to use PC’s, I’ve got some sort of death-wish for Macintosh, and that’s simply not true. Anyways, here’s my two (more) cents:
I dissagree. I don’t see how naming a the operating system after cats is “posh� or euphemistic. Its just a branding/marketing choice that is no different than Ford naming their cars with “f� names: Focus, Fairlane, Fiesta, etc. or, say, horse names: mustang, maverick, pinto. What’s the big deal? I see no pretentiousness in the cat names.
- tommyboy
They seem pretentious to me because of the way Apple presents itself. I see Apple as the “designer brand” of computers–owning an apple (laptops especially) is like wearing the Armani or the Gucci of the computing world. Apple products are clearly branded and made to look trendier, and in my opinion gaudier than most other computers. While there’s an aspect of cool to this, I think there’s also an aspect of faux-cool to it as well–just as with the clothes. So yes, the names are just a branding/marketing choice. I just disagree with the marketing, I guess.
Hey Jason, I enjoyed reading your viewpoint. Though, I think you might be mistaken about the use of the word euphemistic. Dictionary.com says this:
euphemistic
adj : of an inoffensive substitute for offensive terminology; “`peepee’ is a common euphemistic term� [syn: inoffensive] [ant: dysphemistic]
Perhaps a better way to phrase it might be “Apple has a tendency for hyperbole.� Or Apple is so pretentious.
-Van Secrist
Yes, this is correct–now that I read it again, I’m pretty sure “euphemistic” wasn’t at all what I was trying to say. I would now choose “I tend to pick on Apple because they’re more image-centric.”
I believe the ‘marketing names’ are to help distinguish between ‘versions’ of Mac OS X.
A single point upgrade in Classic Mac OS wouldn’t warrant $129. Who would pay to upgrade from 8.5 to 8.6?
-M
This is a really good reason to have names like this, I hadn’t thought of it. Despite the fact that the OS kernel did undergo significant changes, I think a lot of people wouldn’t feel too inclined to shell out for a .1-.2 style upgrade. But once again, while this warrants version names, it doesn’t mean they should call it “Panther.”
And what would you name an OS? Rock? Paper? Elephant? Please post an interesting alternative.
-Robert R. Fox
Naming things is very definitely not my specialty. It took me over a month to come up with Flicker Gaming, but I’ll give it a shot. How about, for the latest innovention:
Mac OS X: Dashboard
This name would reflect the most significantly flashy new feature, and in my mind it avoids the pitfall of seeming “shallow” or pointlessly “artsy.” (time: 5 minutes! a new record for something I liked!)
{ 2 comments }
Ben 07.28.05 at 3:00 am
Jason, I don’t mean to be too blunt about this, but I think you’ve gotten to the point where you’re just being whiny. You’re being nitpicky about so much stuff that, really, doesn’t warrant such a full frontal assault.
Re: “Designer brand”
Of course it’s the designer brand of computers. But comparing it to Armani and Gucci doesn’t really work — there are occasions for which designer clothing brands are appropriate, and they sell well because they’re both fashionable and well made. For example, I happen to know you wear Rainbow sandals. Why? They cost way more than a pair of Old Navy flip-flops. But they’re made well and last forever. Trendy? Sure. But do they pull their weight? Absolutely. What would you have them do? Keep a top-notch OS and just start designing ugly computers? I think I know you well enough to know that you understand how important image can be.
Re: “Image-centric”
Sure, Apple is image-centric. But at the same time, they’re performance-centric and stability-centric and ease-of-use-centric. If you’ve got those bases covered, why not make something that’s purty, too?
Re: “Mac OS X: Dashboard”
So you’re suggesting they pick one (of many) new feature and make that the entire title>?! That’s like remodeling your entire kitchen and calling it, “The Preston Kitchen: New Subzero.” While Dashboard is certainly an important new feature in Tiger (oooh! I said it!), naming the entire OS after that one feature doesn’t really showcase the many areas in which Tiger’s improved upon things (assuming, of course, you agree Tiger improved on things, aside from adding Dashboard).
You’re a very no-nonsense person, I think. You’re not a big fan of flashiness or show or anything else. You’re a meat-and-potatoes-with-white-bread guy. You like things simple, clean, and free of frill. While, in my opinion, this is reason enough for you to indeed like Apple (have you seen how simple their style is?), you’ve classified their style as “shallow” and “artsy,” thereby making it anti-you. Nevertheless, understand that some people like things to be easier and more stylish, even if it means paying more money. Others appreciate Apple’s stability or clean bill of virus-health. I guess my point is this: you can rant about Apple’s names or design or anything all you want, but you’re not going to change the fact that Macs are better choices for some people.
Consider the soapbox stepped off of. And yes, a preposition is what I ended that sentence with.
Jason 07.28.05 at 12:11 pm
I have never once said that it is a bad choice to purchase or use a Mac, nor am I going to.
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I have not even said that other people should not prefer to use Macs, or (I don’t think) ever said that anyone is actually *wrong* to prefer them. Please understand that all I am doing is trying to explain why I find new OS names annoying (yes, Vista is crap too).
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I think that, if anything, I’ve steadily grown to dislike macs throughout this summer simply because every time the topic comes up, someone says:
“Jason, you hate macs. How come you don’t recognize their ‘easier and more stylish’ interface and the fact that every one of them is the most powerful computer in the world?”
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The way computers are today, the largest difference between brands is product support. Most computers will do most things you’d want them to, so picking what you use is essentially a matter of preference.
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In fact, I think I might just close the subject, because one of the things that’s most annoying to me is when other people tell me that my preference is wrong. And the more I hear, the more I hate.
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