Perhaps more speculated than the design of the much-vaunted Apple Consumer Portable is the name Apple will bestow upon the machine, to be introduced at the upcoming MacWorld Expo in New York. The following names have been batted around by the usual suspects: WebMate, MacMate, eMac, eBook, iMate, and iBook.
Using a little common sense, we've narrowed it down to one choice we personally think has the best chance of being silkscreened onto Apple's new consumer creation. Think back to when you took the SAT (If you were unlucky enough to be subject to that). Remember those word associations? Let's try a couple and we'll even answer the first for you.
Question 1
Professional Macs:
PowerMac--->PowerBook
Question 2
Consumer Macs:
iMac--->_________
You did guess 'iBook,' right? It seems like the obvious choice. Let's examine why some of the others aren't going to make the cut. For one eBook is already a product. iMate just doesn't seem likely at all. Apple has no reason to use eMac either, it's too similar to iMac. So it comes down to iBook, MacMate and WebMate.
By now you've realized all this is highly speculative. Conceivably, Apple could make the decision right up to the week before MacWorld New York, and only a few employees will know even then. One rumor suggests that WebMate or MacMate may be the educational versions of the Consumer Portable, though those names could just as soon be reserved for Apple's forthcoming rumored Palm computing collaboration product.
Some of you will try to look at domains, and where they go to try to gain some clues. www.macmate.com points at apple.com, while www.webmate.com points nowhere, but is owned by a company in Massachusetts called WebMate Technologies, according to InterNIC records. www.emac.com is owned by Enterprise Mortgage Acceptance Company LLC, and www.imate.com is owned by Intermate International.
So we'll focus on our best choice in our opinion, iBook. www.ibook.com points to a certain Family Systems site. But, when checking the trademark record for iBook you can clearly see Apple Computer has a pending trademark. That 'pending' is very important. But wait, this tale is not over yet, our old friend Family Systems has also filed to register the trademark. So what now? Who gets it? Currently a lawyer has been assigned to examine the two companies' cases. If Apple wins the trademark, they may also get ibook.com in the deal, as some court cases have awarded domains to those who own the trademark.
So, like many rumors with Apple, we'll just have to see. If Apple wins the examination of the trademarks, the favorability of iBook as a name jumps considerably. Even if they win, but can't use ibook.com, we don't think Apple would go for it. But, trademarks and domains aside, using our common sense approach, iBook just looks like the perfect name. Got your own opinion? We want to hear it. Also, join us for the PB Zone chat tonight, June 8th from 9:00 to 10:00 PM CDT. For details on getting to the discussion, go visit our IRC page.
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Written/Edited/Published by Doug B. Landry
Logo by Jon Iverson
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©1998 Doug B. Landry. All rights reserved. All or part may not be reproduced or distributed without prior consent.
Coded on a Apple Macintosh Powerbook G3 Series from Baton Rouge, LA
