Apple Trademarks 'Mac Pro'

[oskar]

IMHO companies (especially in music software/hardware) slap the word "Pro" on anything they can. It's lame and overdone and is just a way to get certain customers to feel they "need" to have this or that in order to accomplish what they want to do. If you have to call it "Pro" it probably isn't.

I know. Final Cut Pro, DVD Studio Pro, Sountrack Pro, and Logic Pro are nowhere near professional apps. I guess I'll stick with iDVD, iMovie, iTunes, and iPhoto. These last four apps can accomplish much more.

Mac Pro makes perfect sense no matter how crappy it may seem to some of us. We'll get used to it. iBook has to change because Jobs said they wanted to have "Mac" in their computer's names. MacBook would make perfect sense as well, especially since we all know that iBooks and PowerBooks were never all that different. For $1000 dollars more your laptop is Pro, made of aluminum and has a better screen.

The iMacs are one of a kind as are the iPods. Renaming them at this point makes no sense at all.
Mac Pro would just go in line with Mac mini and anything else they could put in between which is very unlikely.

 

[Xapplimatic]

I hate it. I'd rather hear "ProMac" (sounds like Professional Mac).. than the backwards sounding "Mac anything" names.. Luckily an iMac is still and iMac and not a Mac i !!!!

You got it backwards Apple! Switch it around.. ProMac.... ProBook.. iMac, iBook.. now THOSE make sense and don't sound as um... ebonics.

 

[negz]

This is my first post, been lurking for a few weeks, but I feel the unusual urge to force my opinion on the new namings upon you all.

I've never had any problem with the new MacBook Pro name, though I liked Powerbook as well. I cringe every time someone suggests the iBook will become the MacBook as if it were the gospel truth. (Yes, I know, the whole wanting 'Mac' in the product names thing. Admittedly I've not watched the keynote video yet, but I suspect people may be reading a little far into that statement.)

I personally think they will go with MacBook Pro and Mac Pro for the pro machines and retain iMac and iBook for the consumer models. Perhaps the iBook will become the iMacBook - at least that's a more obvious difference from MacBook Pro than simply the 'Pro' distinction. I very much like the idea of a 'back to the roots' naming convention - the flagship would simply be a 'Mac' with a Pro modifier so people don't get it confused with the original Macintosh.

However, after all that, what interests me most is where the Mac Mini fits in. Assuming the Mac Pro and MacBook Pro names were confirmed, the Mac Mini fits in that line both aesthetically (silver/metallic) and name-wise, but it is obviously not a professional computer. Perhaps with a core solo/duo it will be positioned as more of a compact Powermac than an entry level machine. And for all those having subnotebook fantasies - MacBook Mini?

Hrm, that was a little rambly, but I had to get it all out.

Edit - petej's take sounds good too.

 

[Platform]

Why not

Well I guess I have just a "Mac" then.....just fine with me

 

[neolenguage]

Maybe:

- iMac
- Mac Mini
- iBook

keep their names.

Everybody knows iBook by this time, it'd be a bad stategy change the name. It's possisioned and has a defined market.

And if you have two products with almost the same name (MacBook and MacBook Pro) this could be difficult for the consumer.

Mac Book Pro - New name. Ok, go away Power PC.

AND:

It'll sound extrange. But I think the name *Macintosh* will come back.

Definitly the name will not be MacPro. I think just:

The Apple Macintosh G6.

(Remember, it's Apple iPod too)

(yes, this is waste of time.)

​

 

[(L)]

Mac Pro is the stupidest name ive ever heard. WTF is wrong with the name PowerMac?

The "Power" part. I can't see how it could get any more obvious!

 

[artisan002]

I think you are dead wrong, and everybody else that thinks the iBook name will stay needs to wake up. There are two goals for the new names. Remove "Power" from all product lines because the PowerPC will no longer be used. The second is to add "Mac" to the entire computer line as Steve Jobs mentioned. iBook is gone because there is no "Mac". They will become iMacBook, I personally prefer iMacBook rather then MacBook to keep the i for consumer products i.e. iMac, iMacBook, iLife, iMovie, iTunes, iWeb, iPhoto, iWeb, iWork, iPod etc.

I love the new product line names!

Desktop:
Mac mini
iMac
Mac Pro

Portables:
MacBook mini (Oh Please 10" Widescreen )
iMacBook (13.3" Widescreen)
MacBook Pro (15.4" & 17")

Is it not possible that people are being a bit too literal, here?
iBook is a pretty well established name at this point.

That whole lower case "i" thing is just about as much an Apple thing as "Macintosh"... So, why change it, especially with it being readily identified as an Apple product? It's not like we're going to see a MacPod coming soon. I understand what you're saying. I just don't think he's being as literal as you assume him to be. And, yes, I read your qote of what he said. Besides.., iMacBook? Eww. That's entirely too close to MacBook Pro and sounds clumsy. One must remember that the core theme of marketing -- on this particular level -- is to avoid confusion for the easily confused customer with the wallet. And we have to admit that a good number of Mac and PC users are precisely that. But, they still buy computers. I've done ISP tech support for Mac and Windows before; and I've met the demographic. Hell, I still see people puzzle over the iMac, looking for the tower case that goes with that fancy monitor. Plus, in conversation (i.e. the subconscious), the suffixing word "Pro" is going to be dropped by a good chunk of the average consumers out there. It will be erroniously called the MacBook. In fact, I've already seen it happen, in person. So, converting the iBook up to iMacBook is just too close for comfort. Now, iMac Portable or iMac Pro or something -- that I can live with. But, of course, the iBooks haven't been particularly big sellers and may well be siphoning a bit of the market away from the PowerBooks and now the Mac Book Pro. That having been said, what's to keep them from 86ing the iBook altogether and just introducing a more well defined bottom rung (entry level) Mac Book? Mac Book Mini isn't a half bad idea (and I've always liked the Mini's name). But, that small a screen, as you're hoping/suggesting? No thanks. And there's the fact that rumors are circulating once again about a tablet based Mac... Now, that'd be cool. I still remember the PenMac prototype from '96. What a disgusting shame they didn't build it. And that leads to another thought. Maybe they'll just eliminate the iBook and make the next generation of iMac detachable into a portable tablet unit. Heh, a gigantic Newton. It wouldn't be too different from how they've introduced the public to new steps in development before. And it'd make sense along the 2 year roadmap. Get the chips in place and zing 'em with a new twist on an old friend. Granted, this is just as much conjecture as anything anyone else has proffered here. But, I think it would be cool.

 

[artisan002]

The real complaint people seem to have is that the "Mac Pro" isn't as streamlined a name as "Powermac." It's harder to move your mouth from the "ac" sound to the "p" sound than it is from "er" to "ma," and the vowel sounds are in Powermac are more sympathetic than the new title.

Despite that the new names make sense, it's not as pleasing to hear or speak them.

Well, I know I'm not too bothered by the new name.
But, I would prefer Macintosh Pro

 

[artisan002]

They should call it "Willy."

The iBook could be "Ted"

The MacBook Pro goes to "Maurice" with the Merom chip

Mac mini becomes "Howard"

iMac becomes "Janet"

That way there can be no confusion.

There needs to be one named "Nathan"!
Maybe Stu and Mitch...

John, George, Paul and Ringo..? Maybe? While we're at it, what about The Mac Plato and Mac Socrates? Ha ha! Make a tablet Mac and call it the Mac Moses...

 

[artisan002]

Maybe:

- iMac
- Mac Mini
- iBook

keep their names.

Everybody knows iBook by this time, it'd be a bad stategy change the name. It's possisioned and has a defined market.

And if you have two products with almost the same name (MacBook and MacBook Pro) this could be difficult for the consumer.

Mac Book Pro - New name. Ok, go away Power PC.

AND:

It'll sound extrange. But I think the name *Macintosh* will come back.

Definitly the name will not be MacPro. I think just:

The Apple Macintosh G6.

(Remember, it's Apple iPod too)

(yes, this is waste of time.)

​

Okay, G6 is out of the question entirely.
That's already an existing chip.

It's going into the Nintendo Revolution. And it's made by IBM. Plus, I don't want these things being associated with a Pontiac sedan with a ventian blind for a sunroof... I'm pretty sure it's just going to be as simple as "Mac Pro". You don't divide identification between your top tier products. They'll have to pic a naming convention and stick to it. They've already started with "MacBook Pro". So, they'll have to keep to that basic convention for the upcoming top tier desktop machines. Regardless, I still think (much like you're saying) the full name of "Macintosh" would be cool to see again.

 

[MacinDoc]

People don't seem to understand the reasons behind the namechanges. Every third post seems to get it wrong.

Steve Jobs: "It's a new name because we're kinda done with 'Power' and because we want 'Mac' in the name of our products."

So PowerMac is gone because it has power in it. iBook is gone because it doesn't have 'mac' in it. Simple.

Actually, it sounded like Jobs said "...we want 'Mac' in the name of our product." I listened to that section of the keynote several times, and I could not hear the plural "products", which makes sense, because he was just referring to the name of the MBP, not the entire product line.

 

[danielwsmithee]

Is it not possible that people are being a bit too literal, here?
iBook is a pretty well established name at this point.

I don't think it is being too literal to apply it to the entire computer line! Obviously they will not be applying it to the iPod. I'm sure they have thought the new names out long before the introduction of these products and it just seams really really lame to have a "MacBook Pro" and an "iBook". What is the point then of adding the "Pro". By itself it makes no sense, however with another portable "MacBook" or "iMacBook" it makes perfect sense and gives plenty of differentiation. iMac's and iMacBook's are white like the iPod, while the Mac Pro and MacBook Pro are aluminum.

About the 10.4" screen. That is essentially the size of a screen if you took the current 12" PowerBook and coverted it to a widescreen with the same width. It would still have the same size keyboard as the current 12" models just a shorter chin and track pad area.

I would personally like to see the Optical Drive be external, to make the thing slimmer, but I'm sure a lot of people would not like that.

 

[illegalprelude]

Man: what do you edit on?
Me: PowerMac (POWER keyword)

Man next year: what do you edit on?
Me: Mac Pro
Man: I like whoppers better but Big Macs ok too
Me: No...I edit on a Mac Pro
Man: oohh...you work there.
Me: No dude, I edit on it
Man: Hey, i make videos and call it an art, you make sandwitches and call it an art, its cool

: :

 

[MacQuest]

So we'll have MacBook, MacBook Pro, and Mac Pro. I wonder how long iMac will stay around.

I'm sure they'll just drop the "i" from iMac quietly in the same way that they dropped photo from iPod photo.

Now they just gotta capitalize the "M" in mini for the Mac Mini for all the product names to be consistent.

Unless the fact that it's mini justifies the lowercase "m".

Oooh, the dilemma...

 

[iAlan]

If Apple wants to use 'Mac' in all product naming...

...and the new 'pro' machines are around the same size, why not call them 'Big Mac'

 

[artisan002]

I don't think it is being too literal to apply it to the entire computer line! Obviously they will not be applying it to the iPod. I'm sure they have thought the new names out long before the introduction of these products and it just seams really really lame to have a "MacBook Pro" and an "iBook". What is the point then of adding the "Pro". By itself it makes no sense, however with another portable "MacBook" or "iMacBook" it makes perfect sense and gives plenty of differentiation. iMac's and iMacBook's are white like the iPod, while the Mac Pro and MacBook Pro are aluminum.

About the 10.4" screen. That is essentially the size of a screen if you took the current 12" PowerBook and coverted it to a widescreen with the same width. It would still have the same size keyboard as the current 12" models just a shorter chin and track pad area.

I would personally like to see the Optical Drive be external, to make the thing slimmer, but I'm sure a lot of people would not like that.

I agree with Macindoc on this...
I don't think Jobs is pluralizing.

Besides, if he were going to comment about the whole line of computers, his typical form would be to make a more magnanmous statement than to just drop it in like that. But, this is all a matter of opinions rather than proven facts.

And the point of adding the "Pro"? To differentiate their two tiers of products as much as possible. Color of the shell is not enough. In fact color is proven to be somewhat irrelevant to a large portion of the buying public. Same said for names. So, cover your bases properly by differentiating both and more... As for the Mac Pro, we'll have to wait and see what really comes of it. No one here has any actual insider tracks. And I rather like it that way. I like to be mildly surprised with what Apple finally does release. And I'd like Apple (most any company, really) to maintain product confidentiality, if for no other reason than to see the competition actually fight to develop something on their own.

And I figured on how you were factoring the 10" screen for your suggestion on a MacBook Mini. I just can't stand small screens. Hence a simple "no thanks" remark. It's a personal thing. They make me squint too much and I have a "lensing" blind spot almost in the middle of my left eye. So, by default I need and prefer a larger screen. Nothing more than that. If it must be something more than a personal preference, I'd argue that nobody else's tiny laptops of that size sell worth a damn. And if Apple were going to go that small, I'd rather see them jump into an updated Newton instead. In fact, I'm a little surprized the iPod hasn't morphed completely into something of that calibre. Of course, with the addition of video functions, maybe we'll see that next. I know I'm banking the next iPod to be all screen on the front. Certainly a bigger one with cinema screen layout, at the very least.

 

[BlueRevolution]

new naming convention, following the wisdom of past name developments:

PowerBook -> MacBook Pro
Power Mac -> MacMac Pro
iMac -> MacMacDesktopBook Personal
iBook -> iMacMacDesktopBook Personal Portable
Mac Mini -> Mac Syphilis



I'd also like to add that MacBook Pro could indeed be a way of making differentiation between the iBook and the MacBook easier - without the Pro what potential switcher can tell which is the higher cost/spec one? not that I'm happy with the trend to Pro as a naming convention...

while we're off topic, I think artisan002 hit the nail on the head with the all screen iPod. imagine an iPod of the same size as the current iPod Video, but with the entire front replaced with a (scratch resistant ) touchscreen. then when you want to navigate, you simply press a button on the side and a click wheel appears. I guess they'd have to work out some sort of tactile feedback so you can navigate without looking, but it could work nicely. plus it would be widescreen, and rival the PSP for screen real estate.

mmmm that would be sacrilicious.

 

[artisan002]

new naming convention, following the wisdom of past name developments:

PowerBook -> MacBook Pro
Power Mac -> MacMac Pro
iMac -> MacMacDesktopBook Personal
iBook -> iMacMacDesktopBook Personal Portable
Mac Mini -> Mac Syphilis

Dude, you are a sick sick person...
Quite naturally, I approve.

 

[fearless]

Where's New Zealand again?

Nice of Apple to make use of New Zealand's public offices to secure its worldwide IP.

Odd to choose a country which it deems of too little significance to offer access to an iTunes Store, where we're billed in Australian dollars for .Mac and QuickTime Pro despite having a perfectly good currency of our own... I guess we're good for something.

 

[Mitch1984]

Ah yes.. The Mac Pro.. the 34th name on the "What should we call the new macs" list.

Perhaps next year we'll see a new TAM, Thirty Anniversary Mac

That's what I thought, I can't beleive you said it 1st. I reckon it will be a 30th Special Anniversary Edition Black iMac!!

 

[pknz]

Why New Zealand of all places?

 

[DeVizardofOZ]

Is it all in a name...?

For all you fans of Mac Pro, MacBook Pro, and whatnot, you can keep them.

I much prefer the grace and smoothness of Powermac, Powerbook, and iBook - the same smoothness that Apple computers have over their Windows and Linux competitors.

While names have nothing to do with the performance of the hardware, to say they bear no relationship to the overall attractiveness of the product is as 'correct' as saying a Maserati would be just as attractive with the name 'Fast Italian Car.'

Well, I think you have a very valid point there. Names make products! The association of a name to a superior product is the best that can happen to a company. PowerMac suggested POWER and quality (at least that's what less than 95% of the computer owners thought... ).
Of course the understanding for the new label has to be given a chance. And it will.
I just read, that DELL and others are now getting the same CORE DUO chips. Let the sane minds of buyers decide which one is really the best product.
I firmly believe, that QUALITY CONTROL and SUPERIOR SERVICE/SUPPORT, as well as FIRST CLASS SOFTWARE will in the end make up a SUPERIOR PRODUCT.

CIAO
DeVIZARDofOZ

 

[DeVizardofOZ]

64Bit CoreDuo is...

That's what I thought, I can't believe you said it 1st. I reckon it will be a 30th Special Anniversary Edition Black iMac!!

The next step for APPLE's computers is Intel's 64Bit Mehron(?) or Meron(?).
I am sure this powerhouse of achip will go into both, the 17" MacBook and as quattros into the desktop units. BUT, it will also be sold to other makers of hardware... [/QUOTE]

I see a bright future for APPLE. Buy their stock!

CIAO
DeVozardofOZ

 

[Forced Perfect]

I'm sure this has been pointed out already, but I didn't read all the posts (hey, I gotta go to work soon, dammit!) but why does this smell of the PowerBook G3 naming stupidity again?

Just wait, we'll have 30 new models all called the Mac Pro and they'll all be completely different. haha

 

[bugfaceuk]

I really couldn't care what their new products names are as long as 3 things

1. Its not embarrassing to say
2. It runs Mac OS X
3. Has the nice apple look

All hail the voice of reason!

Seriously, Mac Book, Mac Pro, they don't feel as strong as PowerMac or PowerBook, but I'm not sure that is really going to affect "Joe Bloggs"... I'm mean,

DELL 3360

Is hardly awe inspiring is it?