TooMuchSexy.blog

During Steve Jobs’ keynote at the Macworld Expo he announced a new Intel iMac and the new MacBook Pro. The MacBook Pro is the new name for Apple’s professional portable computer (formerly known as the Powerbook).

My first reaction to the name was not pleasant. The Powerbook branding is long in its history and while it may have initially been routed in the PowerPC processor, I can’t understand why changing the processor would really force Apple to re-brand their product line.

Beyond rebranding their product it also seems like there will be a non pro line of the MacBook. Will the iBook be re-branded as MacBook? If this is the case what will happen the the pro line of desktop computers? Will PowerMacs become MacMacs? Will the iMac name vanish as well?

You might be thinking that speculation is getting silly. The iMac name is too important to throw away, but I guess days ago people would have said that about PowerBooks.

At least this is something for people to talk about instead of how well the new Intel chip will work and whether their applications will still run. Perhaps that was Apple’s whole idea.

P.S. Confidential to Apple: You forgot to redirect apple.com/powerbook/ to apple.com/macbookpro/. :wink:

Nate ‧ Posted 2 years, 10 months, 1 week, 3 days, 9 hours, 11 minutes ago

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Comments

1. There’s still the 12inch and 17inch Powerbooks to sell.

   — James 

1. Actually, if you look at the online store, Apple is apparently still selling all three PowerPC-based powerbooks and all the PowerPC-based iMacs alongside the Intel iMacs and the “Mac Book Pro.“

   I’ve stopped questioning Apple on things like this because every baffling move they’ve made in the past three or so years has turned out pretty successful.  That being said, I’m really glad I don’t sell the damn things anymore.

   — KayJayWhy 

1. “The Powerbook branding is long in its history and while it may have initially been routed in the PowerPC processor, I can’t understand why changing the processor would really force Apple to re-brand their product line.“

   The PowerBook line was not initially routed in the PowerPC processor at all. The first PowerBook was introduced in 1991 featuring a Motorola 68000 processor. The PowerPC didn’t even enter the picture until mid 1995.

   That’s why this ridiculous name change makes even less sense to me.

   — Brian Christensen 

1. I really don’t care what the name of the computer is, really. Besides, after a few months, if that, most people will just get over the name and own the thing anyway.

   I, for one, don’t need a MacBook Pro, so I won’t be buying one. I will, however, be getting the new intel iMac. Clearly, that name won’t be going away.

   — Gabe 

1. I just think it’s silly to drop a product name with such a big history behind it. I guess they’re going for Mac branding at this point. iMac, Mac Mini, Mac OS X, MacBook…

   — Nate 

1. powerbook and ibook are the only apple products that can run OS X that do not have “mac” in their name. it seems like an alignment of product names, though powerbook does have a history, and a better ring to it than macbook.

   — Jeff Foster 

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