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When do you think Apple will kill the Mac?

When will Apple kill the Macintosh

  • Total voters
    121
Zwhaler said:
Knowing Apple, I don't think they will kill the "Mac". I voted never, but I thought this thread was based on when apple will kill the Macintosh Computer, you might want to make it more clear that the poll is about the name, not about the actual computer.

Edit: im confused, are we talking about the computer or the name?
Click to expand...

It's rather clear to anyone who actually read the first post...
 
balamw said:
There's a whole generation of school kids in the 70s and 80s that will always remember the Apple ][, ][+ or //e as the first computer they ever encountered.
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That's me. It's always funny when people see my Blackbook, ask how long I've been a "Mac" user, and I try to explain that my first "Apple" was a ][+ in '79.

If/when they kill the Mac name, I nominate Granny Smith as the replacement.
 
I don't know...and I don't **really** care...because it just the name, the computer they make will still kick arse.

I'll be interest if it ever happens...but it won't effect me to the point it will make me buy a new Apple computer that day(unless its really a new upgrade) or make me never buy a Apple Computer again/
 
i say it will be killed off perhaps in the 22nd century or when apple goes under (hopefully we won't be here to see it though). but barring something really weird, the mac will be going for a long time to come.
 
80% think Apple (the company) and Mac (the product) will be around for at least 20 more years?
And over 50% is confident that Apple and Macs will outlive almost every MacRumors member?

A big Vista Wow !!!
:D
 
Blasphemy and heresy!!! To the Inquisition with you and the...comfy chair!

spanish_inquisition.jpg


In all seriousness however, I'm going to argue synonymonisity (new word, trademarked :D ): Apple and Mac(intosh) are now more than ever synonymous with each other, especially with the growth in brand recognition. I think it would be difficult from a marketing/branding standpoint to kill the name. I couldn't see myself buying an Apple "Red Delicious" or "Granny Smith" computer... :p
 
I think it'll be quite some time before the term, "Mac" becomes obsolete or neglected by Apple. I mean, their newest machines show a shift from other terms toward and emphasizing the "Mac" name. iBook> MacBook. PowerBook> MacBook Pro. PowerMac> MacPro. I'm just glad the iPod hasn't become the MacPod. Just seems wrong somehow. :eek:
 
I can't see it in the near future. Apple and Mac are synonymous. Much like Microsoft and Windows.

I think both will evolve just as they did with earlier products (Apple 2?). But Apple will indeed produce an incredible machine that will be reflective of modern design values and good performance.
 
Funny question to ask when it doesn't seem that long ago that Apple made sure that all of its computers have Mac in the name.
If it's retired it won't be for a long time. Everyone just refers to them as Macs. They might not know there's an iMac or Mac Pro but they'll be familiar with the general term.
 
mrkramer said:
The name Macintosh has already been discontinued in favor of just using Mac, but I don't think that there will be any changes for a long time if ever, the Mac brand is too strong to kill off.
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I can see it eventually getting shortened to M. It can then be shortened to N and then finally | or something equally brief. In fact, from now on I'm not going to call it |, I'm going to simply blink when referring to Macs.
 
Never. I know, I know, people said that about switching to Intel, about Windows running on a Mac, but there are some things which you just do not talk about!

Mind, pigs have been known to fly near Cupertino...
 
I think that the name will stick, but the products will be completely different in 20 or so years. Sort of like what Sony did with the Walkman name—at first it was just portable tape players, but as technology progressed, they just applied the Walkman term to personal CD players, then to MP3 players. So the Mac will be some sort of amazing amalgam of new technology, with little resemblance to the Macs of today.
 
d_and_n5000 said:
I think that the name will stick, but the products will be completely different in 20 or so years. Sort of like what Sony did with the Walkman name—at first it was just portable tape players, but as technology progressed, they just applied the Walkman term to personal CD players, then to MP3 players. So the Mac will be some sort of amazing amalgam of new technology, with little resemblance to the Macs of today.
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Very interesting concept, I didn't think about that.

I do believe that the Mac name will die though, in 20 or 30 years, when it is worn out.

Unless "Mac" becomes synonymous with the term "computer" it will eventually die.
 
d_and_n5000 said:
I think that the name will stick, but the products will be completely different in 20 or so years. Sort of like what Sony did with the Walkman name—at first it was just portable tape players, but as technology progressed, they just applied the Walkman term to personal CD players, then to MP3 players. So the Mac will be some sort of amazing amalgam of new technology, with little resemblance to the Macs of today.
Click to expand...


maybe this rationale is correct but instead of using the Mac brand, they'll use the iPod brand.

iPod PC
iPod Desktop
iPod Desktop Pro
iPod Box
...
or any other insulting names for those who like Apple Computer inc. and aren't crazy about Apple, inc. :D
 
Cassie said:


Very interesting concept, I didn't think about that.

I do believe that the Mac name will die though, in 20 or 30 years, when it is worn out.

Unless "Mac" becomes synonymous with the term "computer" it will eventually die.
Click to expand...

I don't think that's necessarily fair. Brand names tend to die when they contradict the goals of the company. If you look at other durable goods, you see brand names lasting for many, many years -- for example Whirlpool,

I see a few scenarios where the Mac name might go away:

- Apple creates a new line of computers using something sufficiently radically different that they co-exist for some time (i.e. the transition from the Apple II/III lines to the Mac). I honestly don't see this happening again, though, with the maturity of computers as a concept. I don't see a situation arising where there's a need to start over in quite such an abrupt way.

- Alternatively, Apple creates such a new product that it wants a different name solely for buzz purposes, and the different name sticks.

- Convergence really happens and Apple's computer offerings drift out of what is traditionally called a computer today -- this seems somewhat slim, but not out of the question in 30 years. Certainly, in 30 years, how we use computers probably will be dramatically different than it is today.

- Apple gets fractured and its brand names start to suffer, and so it consolidates under the well-known Apple name (e.g. because people aren't clear that the same company makes iPods and Macs).

One of those things might eventually happen. But so many brand names have been around for decades, so I don't think it's necessary that it will happen.
 
I feel the "Mac" name is way to valuable and has to much brand recognition to just drop the name. Same reason why Apple changed all their computer products to use the Mac name. Mac vs PC has become the defacto names for computers. I don't see Apple getting rid of it any time soon.

jon
 
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