Apple and Microsoft were lucky from the moment of their inception to incorporate with cleverly simple names. Hardly. Apple was originally called "Apple Comput

Apple and Microsoft were lucky from the moment of their inception to incorporate with cleverly simple names. Hardly. Apple was originally called "Apple Computer" and, if you recall, they changed that in 2007 to be more general (http://www.engadget.com/2007/01/09/apple-drops-computer-from-name/ http://www.engadget.com/2007/01/09/apple-drops-computer-from...) unlike what 37Signals has done here. Moreover, "Microsoft" is hardly a clever or simple name -- it began as descriptive -- software for microcomputers -- but it's obscure enough in its construction and they've been willing to build strong sub-brands (e.g.: XBox) so its worked. The point is that neither reflect the strategy taken by 37Signals here -- one that I believe will cause them problems in the future. Who else has done what they've done? One name definitely comes to mind -- RIM becoming "Blackberry". I'm sure there are others, but saying more about RIM would just be cheap shots -- but suffice to say it didn't do them any favors.