[WayzataXC05]

It seems like the two terms apple and mac are interchangeable yet at the same time not... "I'm going to buy a mac" , "i just got an apple Ipod" Apple Inc. What's the deal with the two names? What's the history behind the two names? Was Macintosh the original name and the Apple was the logo, but somehow the two combined? We don't call Nike interchangeablly with swoosh. Just wondering if anyone knows the answer. Thanks

[wataru]

Apple is the company. Mac is the line of products. Just like Ford is a company and it has lines of products with various other names. It's really not that hard to figure out.

[andreas_g4]

Yeah, I always have to put myself together when someone comes into the store and want's to buy an Apple from Mac.

"Do you have this or that from Mac?" Grrrr...

[CharlesS]

Apple == company.

Mac == a product from Apple.

iPod == another product from Apple.

[spauldingg]

www.folklore.org

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by wataru

It's really not that hard to figure out.

Apparently, it is

-t

[SpaceMonkey]

Originally Posted by what_the_heck

Apparently, it is

-t

What?! I thought I-POD was the company?????????????????????????????

[Kevin]

I used to work at a ISP and we'd get calls all the time informing us Netscape was down.

[Helmling]

Too many of us Apple/Mac snobs make a big deal out of this. For the last twenty years, Apple computer's primary product has been the Mac. So the two have become relatively synonymous.

If Ford only made the Mustang, then they'd probably become interchangeable too.

[Salty]

Macs run Mac OS. If you are a Mac user you use Mac OS. There are a lot of people here who call Apple Mac... it annoys me.

[Miniryu]

Just a history lesson for the people new to Apple products- there once was a computer actually named the "Apple". Then there was an "Apple II" and an "Apple IIe" (and I think some more variations. Then in 1984 they released the Macintosh (nicknamed the "Mac"). And most computers made since have been versions of the Macintosh, such as the Power Macintosh (aka PowerMac) or the iMac (which originally stood for "internet Macintosh"). The portable computers were called just books (i.e. "Powerbook" or "iBook").

I'm not quite sure if computers such as the Performa were officially "Mac" computers. But the operating system was called the Mac OS (as mentioned above), which probably caused the confusion when people talked about Windows vs. Mac OS or PC vs. Mac.

[Miniryu]

Originally Posted by Kevin

I used to work at a ISP and we'd get calls all the time informing us Netscape was down.

You worked for ISP? That's the company that makes the internet, right?

[greenamp]

I thought it was MAC ?

[production_coordinator]

I like it when people state outlandish inaccuracies (or horribly outdated facts) regarding Apple.

- Microsoft owns Apple
- Macs can't read Windows files
- Apple is about to go under
- Websites don't work on a Mac.

I just can't believe what some people accept as truth.

[Spliff]

Originally Posted by Kevin

I used to work at a ISP and we'd get calls all the time informing us Netscape was down.

[Miniryu]

Originally Posted by greenamp

I thought it was MAC ?

Is that a networking joke or are you serious?

[harrisjamieh]

Looking at the green stars by his name, I think its safe to say it was a joke

Originally Posted by Miniryu

Is that a networking joke or are you serious?

You have to ask?

[SpaceMonkey]

Originally Posted by Miniryu

You worked for ISP? That's the company that makes the internet, right?

That's ISP Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of GoreCo.

[Kerrigan]

There's nothing wrong calling a product by the company's name. For example, people frequently say "Check out that Cadillac" rather than say "Check out that CTS". Either way is acceptable.

Same goes for boats, TVs, computers, etc.

The problem with Apple is that their branding is a bit odd. Apple is a difficult name to market, and so the company has always tried to keep the Mac brand seperate from the Apple name, because the name Apple doesn't sit well with electronics customers.

The result is that Mac puritans are interminably fretting over the distinction between the names Apple and Mac, and customers have a hard time figuring out just what exactly Apple is, and how it relates to its products.

[fixxord to prevent anymore bimmer bitching]

[harrisjamieh]

Originally Posted by Kerrigan

"Check out that 3-series".

Fixed

[©öñFü$íóÑ]

Originally Posted by Miniryu

I'm not quite sure if computers such as the Performa were officially "Mac" computers. But the operating system was called the Mac OS (as mentioned above), which probably caused the confusion when people talked about Windows vs. Mac OS or PC vs. Mac.

I'd like to think that the Performa was and still -is- a 'Mac' computer... i've got one and in runs 'Mac' programs. heck, it even says 'Macintosh' on the case!

Note the beautiful silver (or lead... ) Apple, uncovered after scraping the rainbow paint from the case.... (fits nicely with my original intent to run OS X on it..)


Here's some other beauty shots....
The whole set-up.
Sonnet-Powered! (used to say "PowerPC" but i decided to put the included Sonnet sticker over it after everyone started switching to Intels....
Black Keyboard- ADB hehehe.... custom paint-job...

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by Kerrigan

"Ewww, a 3-series".

Fixeded

[goMac]

I've actually gotten some private emails from Apple in which they refer to themselves as "Mac". Given that the emails were from the Mac division, I've never been extremely surprised by them, but they're odd none the less.

[slugslugslug]

Originally Posted by Miniryu

Just a history lesson for the people new to Apple products- there once was a computer actually named the "Apple". Then there was an "Apple II" and an "Apple IIe" (and I think some more variations...

There were the Apple //, the Apple ][+, the Apple //e, the Apple //c, and the Apple IIGS (where the "GS" part was spelled in small caps). I keep thinking there was some other rev. of one of those models, but I don't remember if it had a distinct name. I think there were beige and grey versions of the //e, and they might have switched between the "//" and "][" orthography for the Roman numeral two in the names of those. I'm pretty sure I've got the type correct for the + and the c, but this is all off the top of my head. I'm sure a visit to some Apple history site will sort it all out.

Just didn't want to leave this thread alone with talk of only 2 Apple II models..

Originally Posted by Kerrigan

There's nothing wrong calling a product by the company's name. For example, people frequently say "Check out that Cadillac" rather than say "Check out that CTS". Either way is acceptable.

Would you say "Check out that General Motors". Or "Is CTS coming out with any new cars this year?"

Originally Posted by slugslugslug

Just didn't want to leave this thread alone with talk of only 2 Apple II models..

Don't forget the ill-fated Apple /// and the Lisa - later renamed to Mac XL.

[SpaceMonkey]

Originally Posted by hayesk

Would you say "Check out that General Motors". Or "Is CTS coming out with any new cars this year?"

"Did you guys see the new episode of Viacom last night?"

[Kerrigan]

Originally Posted by hayesk

Would you say "Check out that General Motors". Or "Is CTS coming out with any new cars this year?"

If Cadillac never associated its name with the CTS, then I'd say 'yes' to your second question.

The reason people get so confused about Apple and its relation to Mac is because Apple doesn't associate its name with its products in a way that makes sense to customers.

You guys are blaming this on customers, who you say are too dumb to figure out the brand association. But the reality is that these are the same customers who have no trouble figuring out the relation between Dell and its computers or Sony and its electronics. Why not just accept the status quo and admit that Apple has a weak brand identity?

[SpaceMonkey]

Originally Posted by Kerrigan

If Cadillac never associated its name with the CTS, then I'd say 'yes' to your second question.

The reason people get so confused about Apple and its relation to Mac is because Apple doesn't associate its name with its products in a way that makes sense to customers.

You guys are blaming this on customers, who you say are too dumb to figure out the brand association. But the reality is that these are the same customers who have no trouble figuring out the relation between Dell and its computers or Sony and its electronics. Why not just accept the status quo and admit that Apple has a weak brand identity?

I don't understand. People call their PC "my Dell" all the time. If someone is calling their Mac "my Apple," how is that a weaker brand identity? And I haven't really seen any bitching about people calling their computer "an Apple" aside from this thread, in which andreas_g4 mentioned his irritation at hearing "buy an Apple from Mac," which is just wrong in a way that "buy an Apple" is not. The more common complaint is against people who call it their "I-MAC," or their "I-POD," which is pretty clearly the result of people's inability to read what is right in front of them.

[Kerrigan]

People never call Macs "Apples", that's the problem. People think 'Mac' is the company that makes the computers because the name Apple is not strongly associated with the Macintosh product.

Also I'm willing to bet that most iPod and iTunes customers have no idea what Apple is.

[slanoue]

man i'm in the wrong forum... the shade my wife bought doesn't match her face.

[Gamoe]

Originally Posted by Helmling

Too many of us Apple/Mac snobs make a big deal out of this. For the last twenty years, Apple computer's primary product has been the Mac. So the two have become relatively synonymous.

If Ford only made the Mustang, then they'd probably become interchangeable too.

Long-time and knowledgeable Mac users find this confusion very frustrating, and I think for good reason. It's inaccurate and it denotes ignorance, which is okay for someone just finding out about Apple or the Mac, but gets rather old quickly when it is repeated time and time again by the same person, which is exactly why it should be pointed out and corrected as soon as possible.

And though it may be confusing to new users (or those who like to make such inaccurate statements as "my Internet is down") the correct relationship between the "Apple" and "Mac" brands are really not difficult to understand, as it is the same as virtually any other company that makes more than one product.

Another example: Canon PowerShot G6

Apple's naming scheme is actually slightly simpler now, as they've combined the Mac brand and the computer model into one model name instead, simply adding "Pro" to particular models. Maybe Apple should even print out "Apple [MacBook, iMac, etc.]" to make it more clear, though you'd think the shiny Apple logo atop would be a dead giveaway.

Originally Posted by goMac

I've actually gotten some private emails from Apple in which they refer to themselves as "Mac". Given that the emails were from the Mac division, I've never been extremely surprised by them, but they're odd none the less.

That's odd. Maybe the Macintosh division just sees itself differently, like they are the (spirit of the) Mac itself, which I suppose they are in many ways. or maybe they'd just like to rename the company "Mac" to ensure its survival and overthrow all the other non-Mac products.

Regardless, I think we can all agree that "buying an Apple" or "buying a Mac" is okay, but not "buying an Apple from Mac".

Originally Posted by slugslugslug

There were the Apple //, the Apple ][+, the Apple //e, the Apple //c, and the Apple IIGS (where the "GS" part was spelled in small caps). I keep thinking there was some other rev. of one of those models, but I don't remember if it had a distinct name. I think there were beige and grey versions of the //e, and they might have switched between the "//" and "][" orthography for the Roman numeral two in the names of those. I'm pretty sure I've got the type correct for the + and the c, but this is all off the top of my head. I'm sure a visit to some Apple history site will sort it all out.

Yep, that's right. The IIe models did have a few changes to the "II" in their model name and came in different colors depending on the generation. There is some debate about whether the GS was "IIGS" or "IIgs", depending on who you ask. If you want to refresh your memory...

Oh, and let's also remember the Apple Newton.

Originally Posted by Kerrigan

Why not just accept the status quo and admit that Apple has a weak brand identity?

Uhm... probably because year after year Apple is near the top of the list of the most recognied brand identities in the world.

[greenamp]

This concludes the anal retentive Mac owners meeting. Thank you all for attending.

[Kerrigan]

Originally Posted by hayesk

Uhm... probably because year after year Apple is near the top of the list of the most recognied brand identities in the world.

Ya right. I highly doubt that the average consumer could identify Apple as the company that makes iMacs or even iPods.

[Gamoe]

Originally Posted by greenamp

This concludes the anal retentive Mac owners meeting. Thank you all for attending.

You can now close your Internet on your MAC and go listen to your MAC I-POD.

[greenamp]

Originally Posted by Gabriel Morales

You can now close your Internet on your MAC and go listen to your MAC I-POD.

I'm on a MACbook, not a MAC.

[Gamoe]

Originally Posted by greenamp

I'm on a MACbook, not a MAC.

Is that the one that I-POD makes, or is that the other way around?

[loki74]

Originally Posted by Kerrigan

Ya right. I highly doubt that the average consumer could identify Apple as the company that makes iMacs or even iPods.

uhhh... pretty much everyone and anyone ive spoken with (read: pc users, and non "computer savvy" people) knows full well that Apple makes the iPod. I mean, it only flashes the Apple logo evey time you turn the thing on, and it only has the Apple logo and the words "Designed by Apple in California" on the back of every unit.

nah, its really not clear at all that Apple makes the iPod.

Really though, I don't think there is anything wrong with politely informing people when they mess up the names. (Personally, the MAC thing bugs me more) I mean, people really sound stupid when they say that--youre doing them a favor! It's like politely correcting someone when they make a grammatical error.