IT Professionals

It’s Called A Netbook, People

Posted by on Jun 3, 2009 | 2 Comments

Sometimes I cannot help but wonder where Microsoft comes up with some of the most confusing ideas I have ever heard of.  I mean, the idea of renaming netbooks to “low cost small notebook PC.” I suspect this will be about as successful as renaming podcasts to netcasts and PCs to Windows boxes. In short, not going to happen, folks.

But this is brought to you from the same company that thought that the once used Clearification campaign for Vista would interest potential users by striking a chord with the Generation Y users.

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Uh, all that made me want to do is rush out and promote home schooling if this is what’s making sense to kids today, yikes. And what does this nonsense have to do with Vista? At least the Seinfeld commercials were “remotely” related to the Vista OS, sort of. If nothing else, it is pretty funny what with the Platinum Clown Card and all.

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But coming back full circle to the idea of  Microsoft trying to rename the netbook, they clearly do not have the PR magic to even dream of pulling this off. Despite some entertaining pieces from the past…

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Microsoft needs to work on its software and quit trying to remake already logical standards into something more complicated than they need to be. Besides, it’s a whole lot easier to do a commercial for Windows 7 on a netbook than “Windows 7 on a low cost small notebook PC.” It’s so obvious, but maybe this is why Microsoft’s commercials generally don’t do that well anymore these days? Who knows?

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  • Rob Keiser

    Could it be that Microsoft is not interested in being pulled into a lawsuit by Psion over the use of the trademarked Netbook name that causes them to use a more descriptive phrase? Since it is also trademarked in the EU, I’m sure MS doesn’t want to give them any ammunition for more fines either. Psion has been actively defending the term Netbook since the end of 2008 and the Trademark office has rejected 3 trademark requests with the netbook term in it since then.

  • GlenH

    @Rob – If what you say is true, it certainly lets the steam out of this blog post/rant.

    It might also have something to do with the confusion surrounding the netbook/notebook/laptop terminology. Seems like the lines between have been seriously blurred.

    From a marketing perspective, when Grandma goes shopping, she might not know what a “netbook” is, but if she sees “low cost small notebook PC” then the lights go on.

    My 2 cents.