5 ms·

So, they called the third Xbox the Xbox One, they called the ninth Windows (or, at least, the version of Windows after Windows 8) Windows 10. Lest you think it'

So, they called the third Xbox the Xbox One, they called the ninth Windows (or, at least, the version of Windows after Windows 8) Windows 10. Lest you think it's just Microsoft, Nintendo is calling their new 3DS device "New 3DS", and this is after a minor disaster with WiiU where a lot of potential customers thought it was just a new controller for the existing Wii. Is there some new paradigm in marketing circles where giving a product a confusing name is believed to increase sales?

ethomson 12y ago
Sadly, it's not new. The former Sun Microsystems was the king of this insanity. Like how Java jumped from 1.4.2 to 5, except that it was still sometimes 1.5. Or worse, the SunOS renaming fiasco, where SunOS was also concurrently Solaris. So that SunOS 4.1.1 was also Solaris 1.0. Except that, crazily, so was SunOS 4.1.1.1. Eventually, SunOS 4.1.4 (aka Solaris 1.1.2) was the last of the old BSD-based SunOS line and Solaris 2.0 came out, which was mostly SysV and different enough that most everybody started calling it Solaris. (Except that `uname` still reported SunOS 5, of course.) And then everything was sane again. At least until Solaris 2.7, aka SunOS 5.7, which they started calling Solaris 7. So, Microsoft has a ways to go before the names are completely ridiculous. (ObDisclaimer: Microsoft employee.)
- rbanffy 12y ago
  > Microsoft has a ways to go before the names are completely ridiculous. Ceasing to be meaningful is not the same as being ridiculous. Remember the Windows XP family lineup? From Starter Edition, Home, Professional, Ultimate and all the Server editions?
- mgkimsal 12y ago
  Java got so bad they had a 'Java Naming Help Desk': javanaming@sun.com
sytelus 12y ago
Apple currently takes a cake in branding mess. iPhone 6 is not called iPhone Air (like iPad-supposed-to-be-3). Watch is not called iWatch. If they want to be consistent, they would need to rename iPad to "Apple Pad" or iPhone 6 Plus to "Apple Phone Air Plus".
basch 12y ago
Windows 8.1 bumped the kernel version. Not skipping 9 is even more confusing.
- deciplex 12y ago
  Ah yes, your average Windows user will definitely intuit that. "Windows 10? What happened to Windows 9- oh they bumped the kernel version in 8.1 of course, that makes sense." If Microsoft is targeting people who care about kernel version numbers in their marketing strategy, they're even more off base than I thought.

ethomson 12y ago

Sadly, it's not new. The former Sun Microsystems was the king of this insanity. Like how Java jumped from 1.4.2 to 5, except that it was still sometimes 1.5. Or worse, the SunOS renaming fiasco, where SunOS was also concurrently Solaris. So that SunOS 4.1.1 was also Solaris 1.0. Except that, crazily, so was SunOS 4.1.1.1. Eventually, SunOS 4.1.4 (aka Solaris 1.1.2) was the last of the old BSD-based SunOS line and Solaris 2.0 came out, which was mostly SysV and different enough that most everybody started calling it Solaris. (Except that `uname` still reported SunOS 5, of course.) And then everything was sane again. At least until Solaris 2.7, aka SunOS 5.7, which they started calling Solaris 7. So, Microsoft has a ways to go before the names are completely ridiculous. (ObDisclaimer: Microsoft employee.)

rbanffy 12y ago
> Microsoft has a ways to go before the names are completely ridiculous. Ceasing to be meaningful is not the same as being ridiculous. Remember the Windows XP family lineup? From Starter Edition, Home, Professional, Ultimate and all the Server editions?
mgkimsal 12y ago
Java got so bad they had a 'Java Naming Help Desk': javanaming@sun.com

sytelus 12y ago

Apple currently takes a cake in branding mess. iPhone 6 is not called iPhone Air (like iPad-supposed-to-be-3). Watch is not called iWatch. If they want to be consistent, they would need to rename iPad to "Apple Pad" or iPhone 6 Plus to "Apple Phone Air Plus".

basch 12y ago

Windows 8.1 bumped the kernel version. Not skipping 9 is even more confusing.

deciplex 12y ago
Ah yes, your average Windows user will definitely intuit that. "Windows 10? What happened to Windows 9- oh they bumped the kernel version in 8.1 of course, that makes sense." If Microsoft is targeting people who care about kernel version numbers in their marketing strategy, they're even more off base than I thought.