How 10 Iconic Tech Products Got Their Names

lgmac writes "Think Windows Azure is a stupid name? Ever wonder how iPod, BlackBerry and Twitter got their names? Author Tom Wailgum goes inside the process of creating tech product names that are cool but not exclusionary, marketable, and most of all, free of copyright and trademark gotchas. Here's the scoop on ten iconic tech products and how they got their monikers, plus a chat with the man responsible for naming Azure, BlackBerry, and more. (What's the one he wishes he'd named but didn't? Google.)"

Comments

Re:MSFT

[lysergic.acid]

backwards compatibility doesn't cause bloat. unnecessary features and poor implementation do. since backwards compatibility isn't an unnecessary feature to most people, as long as it's implemented correctly it's not considered bloat.

what are generally considered bloat are things like:

• a 76 MB web browser--this is just the full size install of IE6. IE7 takes up about 145 MB of disk space including all updates.
• bundled cruftware, such as Outlook Express, NetMeeting, MSN/Windows Messenger, Comic Chat, Windows Media Player, etc.
• useless components like Microsoft Agent, Active Desktop/Channel, Active Scripting, Microsoft Script Debugger, Windows Indexing Service, ActiveX, System Restore, Files and Settings Transfer Wizard, Windows Messenger Service, SQL Server, ClipBook Viewer, not to mention all the integrated DRM.
• unnecessary/unwanted features, like Remote Assistance/Desktop/Registry, Windows Error Reporting, WGA & other system tray "security" alerts, etc.

there's a ton of crap in Microsoft's desktop OSes that can be considered bloat, but backwards compatibility isn't one of them.