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"we’ve come to expect precise and sequential product naming from Apple - the iPhone, followed by the iPhone 3G, 3GS, 4, and 4S." I think Apple is correcting a

by jaxn 14y ago

"we’ve come to expect precise and sequential product naming from Apple - the iPhone, followed by the iPhone 3G, 3GS, 4, and 4S." I think Apple is correcting a mistake that they made. Most Apple laptop owners have no idea what generation product they have. I own a MacBook Air. Before that I owned some Macbooks, MacBook Pros, and Powerbooks. The same with iPods, though there was differentiation based on features (remember the iPod Photo?). I suspect that the next iPhone will just be "the new iPhone" as well. There will be another "new iPad" released and then another "new iPhone". When you want an iPad or an iPhone, go buy one. It will be new unless it is used. "Because of this precise naming, it’s easy to identify and buy them used on secondary markets like eBay and Craigslist. However, if you’re looking to buy the latest iPad, are you really just supposed to type “the new iPad” into a search box and reliably get results for the 3rd generation model?" Yes, if buying a new iPad you should just be able to go to Apple.com or BestBuy.com and type in iPad to buy the newest one. As for buying them used or from unauthorized dealers, I can imagine Apple caring about that problem anytime soon.

ChuckMcM 14y ago
This. The mistake wasn't calling the latest iPad 'the new iPad' the mistake was calling the previous one 'iPad 2'. Case in point, look at the iPod. There are the 'Touch', 'Shuffle', 'Nano', and 'Classic' models. Except that the device for each model name has undergone a series of changes and upgrades throughout its life. I would hazard a guess that the model numbers on the phone are an anomaly that is brought to you in part because of FCC licensing restrictions. The FCC is a lot less forgiving about licenses and model names/numbers. Going forward there may be an iPad 'mini' (and then the iPod touch could get rechristened the iPad nano, and no, there won't be an iPad Maxi :-) But I doubt we'll see the numbers come back.
- JadeNB 14y ago
  > The mistake wasn't calling the latest iPad 'the new iPad' the mistake was calling the previous one 'iPad 2'. Case in point, look at the iPod. There are the 'Touch', 'Shuffle', 'Nano', and 'Classic' models. Except that the device for each model name has undergone a series of changes and upgrades throughout its life. But the different versions of each model have had 'distinct' names, right? I distinctly remember seeing the first 'tiny' iPod Shuffle called the Shuffle 2G (which caused me, and I am sure others, no end of confusion given its 1 GB of storage). Maybe it just wasn't officially called that by Apple?
  - ChuckMcM 14y ago
    But the different versions of each model have had 'distinct' names, right? They have distinct model numbers which generally represents a configuration, but they don't have distinct 'names'. I believe the 'Shuffle 2G' was in fact the Shuffle "second Generation" and yes some folks called it the 2G and that did confuse even more folks. Now I don't condone this sort of naming, but I understand where Apple is coming from.
majormajor 14y ago
Any time I've bought a memory upgrade for a MacBook I've been annoyed by that strategy. At least back in the day "Lombard" or "Pismo" or "Wallstreet" was more memorable than "Early 2011." Additionally, the iPhone and iPad seem poorly suited for this strategy due to the way they sell old models side by side with new ones. Will they just sell the "iPad" next to the "new iPad" with "new" moving along to the newest one? What if they go back another generation like with the 3GS currently?
- jaxn 14y ago
  Now that information is available in the About This Mac -> More Info screen.
georgemcbay 14y ago
While I appreciate the reasons Apple wants to step away from version-marking their devices, it causes massive confusion in a few important areas, at least assuming they aren't ready to lock down form-factors and connector cable formats forevermore. eg: "Does this case fit my new iPhone, or does it fit the old new iPhone or the old old new iPhone?" I guess one way to deal with this would be for the aftermarket industry to start working with model years as is done with cars. If you're going to buy aftermarket add-ons for your Apple devices, know the year model, and then have the case/cable/etc people publish year model compatibility.
- nuclear_eclipse 14y ago
  I think Apple would love to solve that "confusion" by just having you step into an Apple store with your device and ask the helpful employees for whatever accessory you want, and let them deal with figuring it out for you. Apple doesn't want the consumer to have to care about that at all.
  - georgemcbay 14y ago
    That works great if every [potential or current] Apple customer lives near one of the 364 Apple stores, but the vast majority of people in the world do not.
    - polynomial 14y ago
      It also works great if you don't mind burning all that time having to make the appointment, get to the store and then wait in line, just to end up dealing with someone who can't actually tell you which device you have, because his company never bothered to name it correctly in the first place. Apple part matching in this scenario becomes much like the famous definition of obscenity- I don't know what it is, but I know it when I see it.
      - greedo 14y ago
        So, I take it you haven't actually been in an Apple Store, since you don't need a reservation to make a purchase, or to ask a question of one of the employees. Nor is there a queue to have a clerk assist you. And the clerk not knowing which device you own is laughable. Pretty sure I've just been trolled, but whatever.
kenrikm 14y ago
With the iPod it was never "iPod 3" it was just "iPod" same for Macbooks, iMacs etc.. The reason Apple got messed up was that the iPhone 4 was not 4G.. iPhone > iPhone 3G >iPhone 3Gs > iPhone 4G... the 3G and 3Gs were named due to the radio tech, the 4 should have been named with the radio tech as well.
mikhael 14y ago
While I think this makes sense, I've often had the feeling that there's a keeping-up-with-the-Jones' aspect to having an iPhone, driving people to get the new models based on comparison -- "Which iPhone do you have? 3G? Oh, mine is 3GS." How would this play out without labels? "Oh, you have a new iPad? Mine is new, I bought it 6 months ago. Oh, is yours a new new iPad?"
dmbass 14y ago
I think the iPhones are named so as to be easily tiered. Right now Apple sells iPhones at 3 price points (minus extra storage models for the highest end). 3GS at $0, 4 at $99, and 4S at $199. The 5 will likely bump the 4 out and move the 4S in to take it's place at the $99 tier.
- alttab 14y ago
  No, what is more probable is that the hardware was different enough to need to change it. iPhone3g and iPhone 3GS had different hardware and software that some apps Bly worked for the 3GS. Going to the iPhone 4 had retina display which makes a big difference. iPad 2 had 2 cameras and FaceTime which changed the experience of the device. The mistake they made wih the ipad3 was that it came we a better display and that is what people wanted but they didn't signify he difference in the product name. The reason this wasn't as important for the MacBooks is your everyday layman end user couldn't tell large differences between iterations other than body style which doesn't really change its capability all that much. Apple doesn't emphasize mobile specs so those differences wouldn't stand out as much as hardware and feature set.

by jaxn 14y ago

ChuckMcM 14y ago

This. The mistake wasn't calling the latest iPad 'the new iPad' the mistake was calling the previous one 'iPad 2'. Case in point, look at the iPod. There are the 'Touch', 'Shuffle', 'Nano', and 'Classic' models. Except that the device for each model name has undergone a series of changes and upgrades throughout its life. I would hazard a guess that the model numbers on the phone are an anomaly that is brought to you in part because of FCC licensing restrictions. The FCC is a lot less forgiving about licenses and model names/numbers. Going forward there may be an iPad 'mini' (and then the iPod touch could get rechristened the iPad nano, and no, there won't be an iPad Maxi :-) But I doubt we'll see the numbers come back.

JadeNB 14y ago
> The mistake wasn't calling the latest iPad 'the new iPad' the mistake was calling the previous one 'iPad 2'. Case in point, look at the iPod. There are the 'Touch', 'Shuffle', 'Nano', and 'Classic' models. Except that the device for each model name has undergone a series of changes and upgrades throughout its life. But the different versions of each model have had 'distinct' names, right? I distinctly remember seeing the first 'tiny' iPod Shuffle called the Shuffle 2G (which caused me, and I am sure others, no end of confusion given its 1 GB of storage). Maybe it just wasn't officially called that by Apple?
- ChuckMcM 14y ago
  But the different versions of each model have had 'distinct' names, right? They have distinct model numbers which generally represents a configuration, but they don't have distinct 'names'. I believe the 'Shuffle 2G' was in fact the Shuffle "second Generation" and yes some folks called it the 2G and that did confuse even more folks. Now I don't condone this sort of naming, but I understand where Apple is coming from.

majormajor 14y ago

Any time I've bought a memory upgrade for a MacBook I've been annoyed by that strategy. At least back in the day "Lombard" or "Pismo" or "Wallstreet" was more memorable than "Early 2011." Additionally, the iPhone and iPad seem poorly suited for this strategy due to the way they sell old models side by side with new ones. Will they just sell the "iPad" next to the "new iPad" with "new" moving along to the newest one? What if they go back another generation like with the 3GS currently?

jaxn 14y ago
Now that information is available in the About This Mac -> More Info screen.

georgemcbay 14y ago

While I appreciate the reasons Apple wants to step away from version-marking their devices, it causes massive confusion in a few important areas, at least assuming they aren't ready to lock down form-factors and connector cable formats forevermore. eg: "Does this case fit my new iPhone, or does it fit the old new iPhone or the old old new iPhone?" I guess one way to deal with this would be for the aftermarket industry to start working with model years as is done with cars. If you're going to buy aftermarket add-ons for your Apple devices, know the year model, and then have the case/cable/etc people publish year model compatibility.

nuclear_eclipse 14y ago
I think Apple would love to solve that "confusion" by just having you step into an Apple store with your device and ask the helpful employees for whatever accessory you want, and let them deal with figuring it out for you. Apple doesn't want the consumer to have to care about that at all.
- georgemcbay 14y ago
  That works great if every [potential or current] Apple customer lives near one of the 364 Apple stores, but the vast majority of people in the world do not.
  - polynomial 14y ago
    It also works great if you don't mind burning all that time having to make the appointment, get to the store and then wait in line, just to end up dealing with someone who can't actually tell you which device you have, because his company never bothered to name it correctly in the first place. Apple part matching in this scenario becomes much like the famous definition of obscenity- I don't know what it is, but I know it when I see it.
    - greedo 14y ago
      So, I take it you haven't actually been in an Apple Store, since you don't need a reservation to make a purchase, or to ask a question of one of the employees. Nor is there a queue to have a clerk assist you. And the clerk not knowing which device you own is laughable. Pretty sure I've just been trolled, but whatever.

kenrikm 14y ago

With the iPod it was never "iPod 3" it was just "iPod" same for Macbooks, iMacs etc.. The reason Apple got messed up was that the iPhone 4 was not 4G.. iPhone > iPhone 3G >iPhone 3Gs > iPhone 4G... the 3G and 3Gs were named due to the radio tech, the 4 should have been named with the radio tech as well.

mikhael 14y ago

While I think this makes sense, I've often had the feeling that there's a keeping-up-with-the-Jones' aspect to having an iPhone, driving people to get the new models based on comparison -- "Which iPhone do you have? 3G? Oh, mine is 3GS." How would this play out without labels? "Oh, you have a new iPad? Mine is new, I bought it 6 months ago. Oh, is yours a new new iPad?"

dmbass 14y ago

I think the iPhones are named so as to be easily tiered. Right now Apple sells iPhones at 3 price points (minus extra storage models for the highest end). 3GS at $0, 4 at $99, and 4S at $199. The 5 will likely bump the 4 out and move the 4S in to take it's place at the $99 tier.

alttab 14y ago
No, what is more probable is that the hardware was different enough to need to change it. iPhone3g and iPhone 3GS had different hardware and software that some apps Bly worked for the 3GS. Going to the iPhone 4 had retina display which makes a big difference. iPad 2 had 2 cameras and FaceTime which changed the experience of the device. The mistake they made wih the ipad3 was that it came we a better display and that is what people wanted but they didn't signify he difference in the product name. The reason this wasn't as important for the MacBooks is your everyday layman end user couldn't tell large differences between iterations other than body style which doesn't really change its capability all that much. Apple doesn't emphasize mobile specs so those differences wouldn't stand out as much as hardware and feature set.