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Operating System Names...Hmm...


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Okay, it's getting weird out there.

 

There never was a Windows 9; Windows went to Windows 10 and apparently, has taken up residence with that name for the long haul. But you can't just call it "Windows 10," because if you need tech support, they'll have no idea whether it's vintage Windows 10 or the latest version. So now we have a supplementary four-digit number, based on the YYMM release date, which means we have Windows 10 YYMM. So why not just call it "Windows 1909" or whatever? What purpose does the 10 serve, other than to say it's not Windows XP? But we'd know that from the four digit name anyway.

 

Then we have Mac OS X, which is supposed to stand for Mac OS 10, and so like Windows, Mac has been on Mac OS 10 forever. Do they just keep incrementing the version number, or are we going to see Mac OS XX - the which everyone will call the "Mac Dos Equis" OS? Or the Mac OS XXX release - and I'm not going to get into what people would call that!

 

As to the code names...Apple using cats was cool. They're sleek, smart, run around jungles, and do interesting things. I mean, "Snow Leopard" or "Panther" are just plain cool cat names (although I am disappointed there was never a "Hello Kitty" OS). But now, as an almost symbolic summing up of what's happening with Apple computers, we have names based on stationary objects that don't do anything particularly interesting, like mountains, deserts, and islands.

 

And don't get me started on Android, with the sweet food names. It won't be long before we have Android OS "Tarte Tatin Avec Crème Fraiche." Ooh la effing la.

 

Seriously, can't marketing come up with something better?

 

 

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Then we have Mac OS X, which is supposed to stand for Mac OS 10, and so like Windows, Mac has been on Mac OS 10 forever. Do they just keep incrementing the version number, or are we going to see Mac OS XX - the which everyone will call the "Mac Dos Equis" OS? Or the Mac OS XXX release - and I'm not going to get into what people would call that!

 

As to the code names...Apple using cats was cool. They're sleek, smart, run around jungles, and do interesting things. I mean, "Snow Leopard" or "Panther" are just plain cool cat names (although I am disappointed there was never a "Hello Kitty" OS). But now, as an almost symbolic summing up of what's happening with Apple computers, we have names based on stationary objects that don't do anything particularly interesting, like mountains, deserts, and islands.

Officially, it's now "macOS" to parallel iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS⦠That being said, the version numbers are 10.[big upgrade].[smaller update]. So the "10." prefix will likely be around for a while.

 

Apple is naming the macOS upgrades after California landmarks. Meh. Not a state I've been really high on. Nice place, but I'm not gaga about it. I'm glad they're happy with it though.

"I'm so crazy, I don't know this is impossible! Hoo hoo!" - Daffy Duck

 

"The good news is that once you start piano you never have to worry about getting laid again. More time to practice!" - MOI

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I still have a Mac Classic running System 6.7. I could never upgrade to System 7 because MOTU performer 3.5 wasn't compatible.

Dan

 

Acoustic/Electric stringed instruments ranging from 4 to 230 strings, hammered, picked, fingered, slapped, and plucked. Analog and Digital Electronic instruments, reeds, and throat/mouth.

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This is only a guess, but I can imagine that the people coming up with the cooler names (almost always Apple) took a cue from military or similar operation code names, e.g., Desert Storm, Overlord, Falcon, and so on. Except, of course, the OS is a thing for sale, not a secret operation. But still, the troops (i.e. the employees and developers) have some symbol to rally around, get excited about. I mean all the gamer computer gear comes with dramatic or cinematic or military or sci-fi monikers. It's just a cultural thing, right?

 

nat

 

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Apple is naming the macOS upgrades after California landmarks. Meh. Not a state I've been really high on.

 

Given that you're talking about California...is that a Freudian slip? :)

 

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Apple is naming the macOS upgrades after California landmarks. Meh. Not a state I've been really high on.

 

Given that you're talking about California...is that a Freudian slip? :)

:puff:

"I'm so crazy, I don't know this is impossible! Hoo hoo!" - Daffy Duck

 

"The good news is that once you start piano you never have to worry about getting laid again. More time to practice!" - MOI

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Apple does great in the marketing department.

 

After Operating Systems called System 1 through System 9 Apple follows with "OS X" instead of system 10.

 

Why?

 

This forces everyone to say "OH ess SEX" - subliminal marketing at it's best.

 

Then it names it's versions after pussycats. I gotta admit, it's genius.

 

Windows is also a great OS, but the guys at MS have never been as creative in the marketing department as Steve was.

 

Insights and incites by Notes

 

 

Bob "Notes" Norton

Owner, Norton Music http://www.nortonmusic.com

Style and Fake disks for Band-in-a-Box

The Sophisticats http://www.s-cats.com >^. .^< >^. .^<

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I haven't studied advertising from an academic viewpoint, but I've sure seen/heard countless ads like we all have - plus I know a lot of business owners which gives me some bit of perspective on advertising.

 

My point being is that ads are not always 100% geared to the potential buyer. They are often geared to inspire workers and/or to gratify the egos of the business ower(s). Believe me, it's not crystal clear in many, many market situations, what the return on investing in advertising comes to. The decision whether to advertise or not - and how much to budget for it - is laced with irrational and/or non-marketing considerations.

 

There's a dynamic where someone, say the Controller or CFO, will question the need for the level of spending on advertising. The stats just aren't there to clearly prove that the ads are measurably moving the bottom line. But the Board or CEO will invariably counter with, "studies show that ads create simple name familiarity and public image identification which pays off in the long run." Well, this "public image" thing sometimes works and sometimes doesn't work and there's no way to really quantify the whole process for the vast majority of companies. The entire discussion is something of a game - neither the financial types (concerned about costs) nor the owners/faces of the business types (concerned with many irrationalities besides profits) always, and in some cases, ever, have solid stats to make or break their point. So, like most things in life - in the absence of rational, quantifiable guidance, you see various irrationalities and gut feelings and tradition and sheer egotism take over the decision-making process.

 

Well, some business-types do seem to have some intuitive, visionary abilities, that's pretty well proven. Of course, they could just be in the right place at the right time and lucky. But what businessperson (or politician) will pass on the chance to claim all the credit for luck-driven temporary success? And the average company is most emphatically not run by one of these unusual visionary types.

 

All this to say - as consumers, we tend to assume that marketing skills are what lie behind advertising and branding. Good marketing = good ads = successful campaigns and vice versa. But I just want to make the point that, from my direct observations over decades of familiarity with businesspeople, that businesses are far less rational and purely profit-driven when it comes to how they make decisions (such as whether to and how to advertise) than what they are credited for. And that ads can also be a way to firing up your worker base. Oh, they will always say they serve nothing but the value of the company to shareholders, but all day long they juggle their options based on all sorts of considerations that may or may not bear relevance to the goal of profit-seeking.

 

nat

 

 

 

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I honestly do not care what any products are named!!!

 

The only context I can think of that would make a difference is if I were to find myself writing advertising jingles.

I can probably come up with a few more rhymes for "Catalina" than I can "Mojave." If I got stuck, there are rhyming dictionaries.

 

Cheers, Kuru

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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All this to say - as consumers, we tend to assume that marketing skills are what lie behind advertising and branding. Good marketing = good ads = successful campaigns and vice versa. But I just want to make the point that, from my direct observations over decades of familiarity with businesspeople, that businesses are far less rational and purely profit-driven when it comes to how they make decisions (such as whether to and how to advertise) than what they are credited for.

 

All excellent observations. But, there are those who showed real genius (dare I say artistry?) in creating ads that moved the needle. "Have You Driven a Ford...Lately?," "We Try Harder," "Think Different," "Don't Leave Home Without It," "Got Milk?," and many others that became part of the culture.

 

I think Notes is on to something with "This forces everyone to say "OH ess SEX" - subliminal marketing at its best. Then it names it's versions after pussycats. I gotta admit, it's genius."

 

BTW, having been involved in marketing off and on since forever, I can't help but wonder about how people come up with names for products. I bet some of the folks who came up with the names for the deodorizing cakes in urinals got into fistfights about what to call it :)

 

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BTW, having been involved in marketing off and on since forever, I can't help but wonder about how people come up with names for products. I bet some of the folks who came up with the names for the deodorizing cakes in urinals got into fistfights about what to call it :)

 

If I manufactured those little cakes, I'd call them Yur In Clover.

 

nat

 

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Okay, it's getting weird out there.

 

There never was a Windows 9; Windows went to Windows 10 and apparently, has taken up residence with that name for the long haul. But you can't just call it "Windows 10," because if you need tech support, they'll have no idea whether it's vintage Windows 10 or the latest version. So now we have a supplementary four-digit number, based on the YYMM release date, which means we have Windows 10 YYMM. So why not just call it "Windows 1909" or whatever? What purpose does the 10 serve, other than to say it's not Windows XP? But we'd know that from the four digit name anyway.

 

Then we have Mac OS X, which is supposed to stand for Mac OS 10, and so like Windows, Mac has been on Mac OS 10 forever. Do they just keep incrementing the version number, or are we going to see Mac OS XX - the which everyone will call the "Mac Dos Equis" OS? Or the Mac OS XXX release - and I'm not going to get into what people would call that!

 

As to the code names...Apple using cats was cool. They're sleek, smart, run around jungles, and do interesting things. I mean, "Snow Leopard" or "Panther" are just plain cool cat names (although I am disappointed there was never a "Hello Kitty" OS). But now, as an almost symbolic summing up of what's happening with Apple computers, we have names based on stationary objects that don't do anything particularly interesting, like mountains, deserts, and islands.

 

And don't get me started on Android, with the sweet food names. It won't be long before we have Android OS "Tarte Tatin Avec Crème Fraiche." Ooh la effing la.

 

Seriously, can't marketing come up with something better?

 

 

This assumes that anybody can know what is going to "hit." I think you do literally have to "throw it at the wall and see what sticks."

At the same time, changing the name of your product until you find a name that works is very poor strategy.

So if you blow it on the big rollout, you are basically hosed for some time to come.

The infinite number of small factors that make something "go big" are impossible to quantize with certainty.

 

How to explain Chevy's "Like a Rock" campaign? It was great for Bob Seger but I guarantee you he was not trying to write a jingle for pickup trucks when that record came out.

Gangham Stlye? It makes no sense at all that it would become one of the most viewed videos in history, if not the most.

Jenna Marbles? Where did that come from?

Friday by Rebecca Black?

Fail videos?

Cats vs Dogs?

 

I could go on...

 

The highest paid minds in advertising completely missed all of those hits (except maybe Like A Rock and it was probably a gamble that paid off more than a "sure thing").

The huge advantage of an advertising campaign is it can have a short lifespan if it doesn't hit. So there isn't as much at stake.

Some of it is just random. Ford did not have to shorten their name. Chevrolet became Chevy, first because that's what everybody called them and then when the marketing team went with it.

 

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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There are websites with bots that will create your product logo for you - for free! Why pay those Mad Men, right?

 

I typed in "synthesizer" - here's the first page of great ideas! (I've put a few of my favorites in bold)

 

We generated 1,076 slogans containing synthesizer

 

Inspired By Synthesizer.

Our Synthesizer Is Bigger!

Synthesizer, Where Success Is At Home.

Have A Synthesizer And Smile.

Synthesizer As Sure As The Sun Shines.

Synthesizer, To Hell With The Rest.

Does She Or Doesn't She? Only Her Synthesizer Knows For Sure.

Don't Worry, Synthesizer Takes Care.

Synthesizer, Satisfies The Need.

Do You Eat The Synthesizer Last?

It's Synthesizer Time.

A Tough Synthesizer To Follow.

Synthesizer - Your Personal Entertainer.

Synthesizer Solves Your Problems.

Synthesizer Is Good For You.

The World Waits For Synthesizer.

Snap! Crackle! Synthesizer!

Synthesizer Shows Good Taste.

Food Or Synthesizer? I'll Have Synthesizer.

Don't Say Brown, Say 'Synthesizer'.

Good To The Last Synthesizer.

Can You Tell Synthesizer From Butter?

No-One Does Chicken Like Synthesizer.

A Synthesizer Works Wonders.

We'll Leave The Synthesizer On For You.

If You Like A Lot Of Chocolate On Your Synthesizer, Join Our Club.

Synthesizer... Whatever You Want.

Next To The Breast, Synthesizer's The Best.

Synthesizer When You're Out Of Time.

Synthesizer Keeps Going And Going.

Kick Ass With Synthesizer!

Grab Life By The Synthesizer.

Don't Play With Fire, Play With Synthesizer.

Women Love Synthesizer.

Synthesizer - Xtending Service.

Snap Into A Slim Synthesizer.

Synthesizer Chews 'Em Up And Spits 'Em Out.

Halleluja, It's A Synthesizer.

Synthesizer, Does The Job.

Schhh... You Know Synthesizer.

Hey, Have You Tried Synthesizer?

Moms Like You Choose Synthesizer.

The Right Synthesizer At The Right Time.

Once Synthesizer, Always Synthesizer.

Synthesizer, The Original.

Super Synthesizer Is Almost Here.

Synthesizer The Time Is Now.

Prolongs Active Synthesizer.

Synthesizer, You'll Love It!

You Can On A Synthesizer, Can Do!

 

nat

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I find it interesting that the OS upgrades (at least for Mac) are now freebies. As I recall, the OS upgrade used to be an expensive experience that required great fiscal consideration.

 

The OS upgrades for Windows are freebies as well. The strategy for both companies is to hook you into their ecosystem so that you'll buy the accessory services that will be rolling out in the years ahead, which will suck you further into their ecosystem.

 

Think of it this way: if you bought a bunch of cool apps for an iPhone, would you be likely to switch to Android, and have to buy them all over again - assuming they're available on that platform? Similarly, if you have Apple TV, Apple music, extra iCloud storage, Logic Pro, etc., it's unlikely you'll switch to Windows.

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I find it interesting that the OS upgrades (at least for Mac) are now freebies. As I recall, the OS upgrade used to be an expensive experience that required great fiscal consideration.

 

The OS upgrades for Windows are freebies as well. The strategy for both companies is to hook you into their ecosystem so that you'll buy the accessory services that will be rolling out in the years ahead, which will suck you further into their ecosystem.

 

Think of it this way: if you bought a bunch of cool apps for an iPhone, would you be likely to switch to Android, and have to buy them all over again - assuming they're available on that platform? Similarly, if you have Apple TV, Apple music, extra iCloud storage, Logic Pro, etc., it's unlikely you'll switch to Windows.

 

 

Yep, it's the razor/blade marketing strategy updated for modern times.

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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<,...snip....> BTW, having been involved in marketing off and on since forever, I can't help but wonder about how people come up with names for products. I bet some of the folks who came up with the names for the deodorizing cakes in urinals got into fistfights about what to call it :)

How about "Arrivederci Aroma" :D :D :D

 

Insights, incites and lame humor by Notes

Bob "Notes" Norton

Owner, Norton Music http://www.nortonmusic.com

Style and Fake disks for Band-in-a-Box

The Sophisticats http://www.s-cats.com >^. .^< >^. .^<

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I find it interesting that the OS upgrades (at least for Mac) are now freebies. As I recall, the OS upgrade used to be an expensive experience that required great fiscal consideration.

I think both Apple and Microsoft took a lesson from Google/Chrome and found that voluntary spyware and adware generates more consistent money than trying to sell upgrade after upgrade that really doesn't offer that much value to you.

 

Remember, if it's free, you aren't the customer, you are the product.

 

Insights and incites by Notes

Bob "Notes" Norton

Owner, Norton Music http://www.nortonmusic.com

Style and Fake disks for Band-in-a-Box

The Sophisticats http://www.s-cats.com >^. .^< >^. .^<

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I find it interesting that the OS upgrades (at least for Mac) are now freebies. As I recall, the OS upgrade used to be an expensive experience that required great fiscal consideration.

I think both Apple and Microsoft took a lesson from Google/Chrome and found that voluntary spyware and adware generates more consistent money than trying to sell upgrade after upgrade that really doesn't offer that much value to you.

 

Remember, if it's free, you aren't the customer, you are the product.

Pfft. Apple makes money on selling hardware*. And show me one piece of spyware or adware that comes with an Apple product. (In fact, I doubt Microsoft does either, but the hardware vendors do last I checked. It's been a while though.)

 

*Well, Services now, too.

"I'm so crazy, I don't know this is impossible! Hoo hoo!" - Daffy Duck

 

"The good news is that once you start piano you never have to worry about getting laid again. More time to practice!" - MOI

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<,...snip....> BTW, having been involved in marketing off and on since forever, I can't help but wonder about how people come up with names for products. I bet some of the folks who came up with the names for the deodorizing cakes in urinals got into fistfights about what to call it :)

How about "Arrivederci Aroma" :D :D :D

 

Dude, you have a future in marketing!!

 

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