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I also don't really follow why for the iPad it was good that they dropped numbers but for the iPhone it was good that they kept the numbers. Definitely hypothes

I also don't really follow why for the iPad it was good that they dropped numbers but for the iPhone it was good that they kept the numbers. Definitely hypothesis fitting.

coldtea 13y ago
With or without numbers, the bottom line is: keep your product line simple and give it memorable lines. That's what Apple does. iDevice N or iDevice Foo is simple enough. Sony MK200 HVK-iZD (plus 10 simbling models released throughtout the same period) is not.
- freehunter 13y ago
  Sony's model numbers in your example mean something, though (if only to Sony themselves), and tech isn't the only place you'll find this. Take BMW for example. I could buy a BMW 328i or a BMW 760Li. What the hell does that mean? Well the first number is the series of the car (the 3 series). The next two numbers are the engine displacement (2.8L). The i means it's fuel-injected. The 700 series has a 6.0L engine, the L means it's a long wheelbase, and the i again means it's fuel-injected (d would indicate diesel, x indicated all-wheel-drive, etc). But BMW, like Apple, has a line-up of simple names that hold very premium status over their complicated line of consumer models: the M Series. Simple names like the M3, M5, or M7. Is it confusing to people trying to find a BMW to buy? Perhaps. Does it make for more informed consumers? Sure, because the consumer has to know exactly what they're looking for. If you're looking for all wheel drive, you're going to ignore anything without an X in the name. And by mentioning the name to other informed consumers, people will instantly know what you have. It's not just a BMW 3 series, it's a BMW 328si. It's not just a Lenovo Thinkpad, it's a Lenovo Thinkpad T530 (T series, 15" screen, model number 30). To anyone who knows the name, that instantly conveys a lot more information in a more succinct phrasing. It's not a 14" (that would be the T430). It's the newest generation, because it's not the T520. Confusing? Yep. Useful? If you're willing to put the time in to research it.

I also don't really follow why for the iPad it was good that they dropped numbers but for the iPhone it was good that they kept the numbers. Definitely hypothesis fitting.

coldtea 13y ago

With or without numbers, the bottom line is: keep your product line simple and give it memorable lines. That's what Apple does. iDevice N or iDevice Foo is simple enough. Sony MK200 HVK-iZD (plus 10 simbling models released throughtout the same period) is not.

freehunter 13y ago
Sony's model numbers in your example mean something, though (if only to Sony themselves), and tech isn't the only place you'll find this. Take BMW for example. I could buy a BMW 328i or a BMW 760Li. What the hell does that mean? Well the first number is the series of the car (the 3 series). The next two numbers are the engine displacement (2.8L). The i means it's fuel-injected. The 700 series has a 6.0L engine, the L means it's a long wheelbase, and the i again means it's fuel-injected (d would indicate diesel, x indicated all-wheel-drive, etc). But BMW, like Apple, has a line-up of simple names that hold very premium status over their complicated line of consumer models: the M Series. Simple names like the M3, M5, or M7. Is it confusing to people trying to find a BMW to buy? Perhaps. Does it make for more informed consumers? Sure, because the consumer has to know exactly what they're looking for. If you're looking for all wheel drive, you're going to ignore anything without an X in the name. And by mentioning the name to other informed consumers, people will instantly know what you have. It's not just a BMW 3 series, it's a BMW 328si. It's not just a Lenovo Thinkpad, it's a Lenovo Thinkpad T530 (T series, 15" screen, model number 30). To anyone who knows the name, that instantly conveys a lot more information in a more succinct phrasing. It's not a 14" (that would be the T430). It's the newest generation, because it's not the T520. Confusing? Yep. Useful? If you're willing to put the time in to research it.