Dell Copies iPhone 'Pro', 'Pro Max' Naming Strategy for New PC Lineup

[warriors2017]

Apple need to bring back Mac Plus and Mac SE 😂

 

[Spock]

I was pretty partial to the naming of my work laptop, the Dell Latitude 5340 2-in-1. Kinda just rolls off the tongue...

 

[macfacts]

This is all I have to say.

View attachment 2469935

Apple having pro and max names was just copying 90s video games like Capcom's super Street fighter 2 turbo hyper fighting.

 

[jonnysods]

Dang so I head over to the Dell website to see the laptop lineup.

Pro, Plus, Premium... If you were looking for a new computer, how could you tell which is which? There is a Pro 14 Plus and a Pro 16 Plus. What does Plus even mean??

 

[Madhatter32]

It goes something like this:

 

[drrich2]

They can revise the old t.v. commercials.

Dude, you're getting a Dell Apple knock-off!'

 

[vantelimus]

Easier for who? The “boomer parents” I know are very familiar with the Dell XPS and Inspiron lines.

The "boomer parents" created the industry and are now great grandparents. Millenials are becoming grandparents. "Parents" now include people from Gen Z. Ageism is really tiring.

Dell is making a smart move. Made up branding names are confusing even to tech savvy people. Remember Apple's horrible product name choices under Scully? Power (meaning either high-end or later PowerPC), Centris, LC, Performa, Quadra, etc. With lots of overlap between them. You had to examine the specs and ignore the branding.

Note: Dell could easily screw up and have lots of overlap in their new naming scheme, making it mostly meaningless. I wouldn't put that past any marketing department. It's a sleazy way to steer people's choices to higher profit-margin products.

 

[vantelimus]

It goes something like this:

View attachment 2470049

This is perfectly consistent with what is taught in marketing classes about the Paradox of Choice and the Rule of Three. There are three model choices. For each model, there are three option choices. It makes things nice and easy for the consumer to select what they want (and to direct consumers to the models and configurations you want them to buy).

 

[Rogifan]

In general I'm in favor of a proper systemic naming scheme like Dell is introducing here, the problem is the names they've settled on are just going to end up being confusing with names like "Dell Pro Max Premium" now being a thing, had they gone with something like "Workstation" instead of "Pro Max" it would have made a bit more sense.

Pro, Max, Ultra names are so stupid. Just have consumer and professional or workstation. And don’t have a ton of overlap between products.

 

[Rogifan]

Dang so I head over to the Dell website to see the laptop lineup.

Pro, Plus, Premium... If you were looking for a new computer, how could you tell which is which? There is a Pro 14 Plus and a Pro 16 Plus. What does Plus even mean??

View attachment 2470041

I assume the screen size?

 

[Eso]

Don't forget that each one also has sub categories of base, plus, and premium

 

[ds2000]

Pro Max sounds dumb when Apple uses it. It sounds completely ridiculous when someone else copies it.

Thats my take too, its a terrible naming strategy

 

[drrich2]

The "boomer parents" created the industry and are now great grandparents. Millenials are becoming grandparents. "Parents" now include people from Gen Z. Ageism is really tiring.

Recent generations almost had to acquire basic computer usage knowledge and skills, such as doing 'NTI' work on some of what used to be 'snow days' for school.

Baby Boomers needed literacy but could get by illiterate at the blue collar level, with some difficulty. Gen. X (mine) need a high school diploma, literacy and ideally the ability to touch type. Expectations and requirements for computer competency went up from there.

Some Baby Boomers (like my Dad) embraced computerization and learned basic usage skills. Some (like my Mom) only engaged with it when they had to, in the workplace, often dealt with proprietary systems and/or had 'hand-holding' from other staff, and never really got fluent or even comfortable with it.

My point is, some elderly people are quite technically adept at computer-related concerns, but some are very much not. While I expect there are similar examples among the young (after all, some are functionally illiterate), I suspect it's a smaller percentage.

My point is, I don't think it's ageism to believe there's a larger (than in recent generations) fraction of the > 65 segment that's not proficient and comfortable with computing. It's a segment that's dying off pretty quickly, though.

Note: To be fair, a number of skills common in their generation are not nearly so now. Men capable with auto repair, basic carpentry and electrical work, women capable with cooking and clothing repair, etc... (yes, it was a time when gender roles were more a thing, and who knew what reflected that).

 

[freekorps]

Great artists steal.

 

[Techwatcher]

Yeah, they copied and it's lazy and blatant. But it is 10000000% better than optiplex and Latitude and XPS and whatever 90s style naming they latched onto all this time.

I'm in.

 

[ThomasJL]

If you’re going to quote Jobs, at least get it correct.
“i” was for consumer devices, “Power” was for professional devices. Not “Pro”.
And as he said a short eight years later at Mac world 2006, after they first announced the initial Apple computers powered by Intel, “We’re kinda done with Power”.
Seriously people, go on and on about how great Steve Jobs was and can’t even get things he said correct.

When Jobs switched the Mac line from PowerPC processors to Intel processors, he simultaneously switched the name "Power" to "Pro" in the Mac line (which was the only product line to use those words). So the PowerMac became the Mac Pro, and the PowerBook became the MacBook Pro. So the "Pro" name was meant for professional products, just like the previous "Power" name.

I know all of that is too hard for someone as mediocre as Tim Cook to understand because he is practically only focused on pleasing shareholders. Which is precisely why Cook is similar to Michael Dell. Just reread that infamous Dell quote in my previous message where he says the word "shareholders."

 

[ellpee]

These companies should be required by law to disclose what makes these products “professional” or not use this deceptive marketing.

 

[Jeeve Stubbs]

One constant trend in human history is the emulation of the successful. From people to organizations, from cultures to nations, from languages to technologies, we're often inspired (consciously or unconsciously) by those who have succeeded best.
Apple is an impressive success story, so it's no wonder many competitors adopt similar strategies or product lines.

 

[seggy]

These companies should be required by law to disclose what makes these products “professional” or not use this deceptive marketing.

It definitely is for Apple 🤣

 

[Madhatter32]

It definitely is for Apple 🤣

My understanding is that the Dell is for regular consumers (think Inspiron), Dell Pro for prosumers (think XPS) and Dell Pro Max is enterprise/workstations.

 

[seggy]

My understanding is that the Dell is for regular consumers (think Inspiron), Dell Pro for prosumers (think XPS) and Dell Pro Max is enterprise/workstations.

yes, and it actually makes sense in Dell's case

 

[falainber]

Dang so I head over to the Dell website to see the laptop lineup.

Pro, Plus, Premium... If you were looking for a new computer, how could you tell which is which? There is a Pro 14 Plus and a Pro 16 Plus. What does Plus even mean??

View attachment 2470041

Names never meant much (either in Apple or Dell lineup). Just look at the specs. It's not that difficult (well, for certain products with Apple sometimes it is difficult but not with Dell). Dell has dozens of models. Whatever naming scheme they choose, selecting the right model for you will be somewhat of a challenge. Retail buyers won't be as confused since many Dell models do not go into retail (they are for enterprise).

 

[AppleTO]

Right, so their new consumer product line:

Dell 3000 Series: 13, 14, 15, 16, 17
Dell 3000 2-in-1 Series: 13, 14, 15, 16, 17
Dell 5000 Series: 13, 14, 15, 16, 17
Dell 5000 2-in-1 Series: 13, 14, 15, 16, 17
Dell 7000 Series: 13, 14, 15, 16, 17
Dell 7000 2-in-1 Series: 13, 14, 15, 16, 17
Dell Pro 3000 Series: 13, 14, 15, 16, 17
Dell Pro 3000 2-in-1 Series: 13, 14, 15, 16, 17
Dell Pro 5000 Series: 13, 14, 15, 16, 17
Dell Pro 5000 2-in-1 Series: 13, 14, 15, 16, 17
Dell Pro 7000 Series: 13, 14, 15, 16, 17
Dell Pro 7000 2-in-1 Series: 13, 14, 15, 16, 17
Dell Pro Max 3000 Series: 13, 14, 15, 16, 17
Dell Pro Max 3000 2-in-1 Series: 13, 14, 15, 16, 17
Dell Pro Max 5000 Series: 13, 14, 15, 16, 17
Dell Pro Max 5000 2-in-1 Series: 13, 14, 15, 16, 17
Dell Pro Max 7000 Series: 13, 14, 15, 16, 17
Dell Pro Max 7000 2-in-1 Series: 13, 14, 15, 16, 17

and then x2 for AMD processors.

edit:
3000 = base
5000 = plus
7000 = premium

🤨

 

[dampfnudel]

It’s a mistake to get rid of the XPS branding.

 

[sevoneone]

And next up, the Fresh Prince of Dell Air

There's no imagination anymore.

If there was not at least one employee in Dell’s marketing department brave enough to stand up and suggest “Dell Taco“ as a naming scheme for a line of folding laptop computers, then it’s time for a new marketing team.

Consumers unable to understand “Dell Pro Max Premium” will understand “Crunchy Monster Dell Taco Locos Supreme” is better than the “Mini Dell Street Taco”.