Why It Will Be iBook and Not MacBook
So when Apple announced the new Intel-based Mac portable, the MacBook Pro, many jumped to the conclusion that the iBook would be dubbed the “MacBook” sans the Pro. But if you stop and think about what else was announced at Macworld (the Intel-based iMac), you can start making sense of it all and realize why it will remain iBook and won’t be MacBook.
Without even factoring in some of the latest rumors and trademark names recently being filed by Apple, we can apply some logic to the naming scheme set forth using what we know so far. If you think the iBook will be re-dubbed the MacBook then it stands to reason that the iMac should’ve been renamed just “Mac”. Tired as it may be, the lowercase “i” preceding hardware and software names is used by Apple to signify its consumer-level offerings. On the other side of things, “Power” for hardware and “Pro” for software were tacked on to names of professional-level offerings. I think Apple is merely attempting to tidy up it’s naming conventions for it’s professional software and hardware products as it has ended up with its consumer-level wares.
Plus think of the confusion having two distinctly different Mac portables out there in the wild, where the only difference in their names is the abbreviated word “Pro”. Have you ever been in an Apple store and listened to what some of the less enthusiastic users ask? I usually can stand being in an Apple store for about ten to fifteen minutes because of this. I think it would go something likes this… Apple employee: “No wait, you want a MacBook, not a MacBook Pro, right?” Customer: “What’s the difference again? I mean, besides the word Pro?” Store employees would be pulling their hair out.
Lastly, consider the recent trademark filing by Apple for the name “Mac Pro”. This to me sounds like the successor to the old “PowerMac G5″ and aligns quite nicely with “MacBook Pro”. So with all that in mind, here’s what I see the 2006 Mac lineup ending up being named:
Consumer
- iMac → iMac
- iBook → iBook
- Mac mini → (?) Mac mini with Front Row 2.0
Professional
- PowerMac → Mac Pro
- PowerBook → MacBook Pro
Yeah, the Mac mini is the unknown factor in all this but the one I’m probably most interested in. The thought of a DVR-enabled Mac that I can pop my 5G iPod in to sync up is really what dreams are made of. What do you think? Let me know in the comments.
5 Comments
Michael Vizzina on February 7th, 2006
I agree that name changes will only come to products that carry “Power”. That’s basically what Steve said.
Noah Guyot on February 7th, 2006
I suspect you’re right, but I still wonder about the “Pro” modifier… why not just go with MacBook for the professional portables? Maybe Apple’s product grid is going to expand to include the much rumored micro portable, could that be the MacBook? So we’d end up with iBook, MacBook & MacBook Pro.
I’m still grumpy that they killed off the PowerBook name…
The whole “It doesn’t use a PowerPC chip now” argument doesn’t hold water for me. When the PowerBook was introduced Apple was using the 680xx family of chips, they kept the name with the switch to PowerPC, and they should have kept it for the switch to Intel… oh well.
MacBook to Arrive in May at Creative Toolbox on April 7th, 2006
[...] Looks like I may have been completely wrong with about Apple keeping the iBook moniker. But it does make sense for them to roll up the 12″ PowerBook with the two flavors of iBooks into one offering where you can select the processor (Solo or Duo) and not concern yourself with the screen size. [...]
MacBooks Released at Creative Toolbox on May 16th, 2006
[...] So it appears I was wrong with my original assessment that the iBooks would keep their name. But this was before I read the rumor that Apple’s intent was to consolidate the iBook and PowerBook 12″ line under the MacBook name. This makes a whole lot of sense and not only does away with two choices (12″ vs. 14″) in the iBook line, but eliminates having to choose between a 12″ iBook and a 12″ PowerBook. Which until now was really becoming difficult to differentiate between them. The new MacBooks include a 13″ glossy, widescreen display and comes in black or white. [...]
Computerworld Blogs on February 7th, 2006
What’s in a MacName?…
Okay, so now I get it. Count me among those a bit put off by Apple’s decision last month to rename its professional line of laptops with the coming switch to Intel chips. Out went PowerBook, in came MacBook Pro. I figured all along that Apple just wan…