tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13296248.post8863024379456693924..comments2024-02-12T00:47:08.699-08:00Comments on David Weiss: iPhone User Guide: The Anthropomorphic iPhoneDavid Weisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00629153569649264575noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13296248.post-15067361558834370452008-05-06T13:22:00.000-07:002008-05-06T13:22:00.000-07:00I believe Iván has it right: i.e. that it has to t...I believe Iván has it right: i.e. that it has to trademark issues and trying to avoid it becoming a <I>genericized</I> trade-mark by using iPhone as a noun<BR/><BR/>by omitting "the" then iPhone may be more clearly a proper-noun i.e. proper name<BR/><BR/>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genericized_trademark<BR/><BR/>quote: "One risk factor which may lead to genericide is the use of a trademark as a verb, noun, plural or possessive..."<BR/><BR/>I'm no trademark lawyer, so this is just my guess. but coincidentally a newsletter from our lawyers on the very topic of trademarks and brand genericide just arrived in the mail :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13296248.post-64802873468729088042007-07-09T12:52:00.000-07:002007-07-09T12:52:00.000-07:00Do not taunt iPhone.Do not taunt iPhone.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13296248.post-71285537380771728762007-07-08T11:52:00.000-07:002007-07-08T11:52:00.000-07:00>Why the difference?One's a name for a specific in...>Why the difference?<BR/><BR/>One's a name for a specific instance (your Safari is the same "thing" as the Safari on any other Mac), the other's a product (or "category") name, so the specific instance is different (your iPhone is a different "thing" as somebody else's, but the same category of things). Apple wants to use iPhone more like a human name to make it feel more personal.<BR/><BR/>>referring to it as simply iPhone is grammatically incorrect. <BR/><BR/>No, it's not. It's somewhat weird, because it means iPhone is used like an "instance name" instead of like a "category name," but it's correct.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13296248.post-44925212612465142412007-07-07T04:26:00.000-07:002007-07-07T04:26:00.000-07:00Plus, it's easy to find-and-replace "the iPhone" w...Plus, it's easy to find-and-replace "the iPhone" with just "iPhone" in Microsoft Word!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13296248.post-65310038983372952052007-07-06T15:08:00.000-07:002007-07-06T15:08:00.000-07:00Yup, they have done the same thing with the iPod, ...Yup, they have done the same thing with the iPod, but with the iPhone it creeps me out a little. No doubt its a marketing thing as someone mentioned. You know, the iphone experience vs. just a thing, but still its kind of creepy when you practice that nomenclature !! It gives it a "living" quality of sorts. Its like we're talking about it as an entity rather than a product. Thus, I refuse to refer to the iPhone as iPhone. I'm not some stupid drone who just mouths along with whatever Apple thinks is the right way to refer to it when I think its creepy. I will get my greedy little hands on one of those thingies as soon as I can :), but refer to it the way Apple marketing wants me to ? F*ck them. Now that IS the true spirit of iPhone, I mean *the* iPhone !crowleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08996580043240101467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13296248.post-52547622940376373062007-07-06T13:01:00.000-07:002007-07-06T13:01:00.000-07:00Y'all are silly discussing this. Anyway, referring...Y'all are silly discussing this. Anyway, referring to it as simply iPhone is grammatically incorrect. The Steve can do what he wants though -- it's his puppy.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13296248.post-74048467737700741362007-07-06T10:08:00.000-07:002007-07-06T10:08:00.000-07:00Actually, I have found that adding the definite ar...Actually, I have found that adding the definite article to the beginning of product names increases the joy of saying it. For example, I'll say "I was watching the ESPN last evening, and...". Far funnier than simply saying "watching ESPN".<BR/><BR/>-Ken (co-host of "The Definite Article", a defunct podcast from KDUP radio in Portland, OR)Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16704625124575333579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13296248.post-87689354893709649672007-07-06T09:18:00.000-07:002007-07-06T09:18:00.000-07:00The grammatical structure is odd; ordinary people ...The grammatical structure is odd; ordinary people (not lawyers/marketers) just don't speak like that. The iPhone, the keyboard, the Apple Cinema Display, etc. "Joe bought <I>a</I> MacBook and <I>an</I> iPod." "I can't afford <I>an</I> iPhone." But people do speak like that about software: "I got MS Word," not "I got <I>the</I> MS Word;" "I use Safari," not "I use <I>the</I> Safari." Why the difference?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13296248.post-19071427133178416332007-07-06T08:56:00.000-07:002007-07-06T08:56:00.000-07:00I've read lots of software manuals that do this wi...I've read lots of software manuals that do this with the product name, and I'm sure I've seen this in hardware before, as well. This is nothing new.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13296248.post-64023553139092313522007-07-06T08:27:00.000-07:002007-07-06T08:27:00.000-07:00"No one talks this way"Reminds me of The Jimmy on ..."No one talks this way"<BR/><BR/>Reminds me of The Jimmy on Seinfeld...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13296248.post-56546511247837459522007-07-06T08:23:00.000-07:002007-07-06T08:23:00.000-07:00I wrote about the lack of the definite article at ...I wrote about the lack of the definite article at the time of the iPhone keynote:<BR/><BR/>http://www.adaptivepath.com/blog/2007/01/22/whats-in-a-definite-article/petermehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04592865075209472216noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13296248.post-42446722872745069242007-07-06T08:14:00.000-07:002007-07-06T08:14:00.000-07:00A blog post in which the David wonders about an ag...A blog post in which the David wonders about an age-old practice. :-)Gordonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12996391242723420301noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13296248.post-54807238310366009892007-07-06T07:38:00.000-07:002007-07-06T07:38:00.000-07:00Anybody remember when "Internet" was popular in me...Anybody remember when "Internet" was popular in media, as opposed to "the internet," or, as of late, "the internets" or "series of tubes"?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13296248.post-6783298752931916612007-07-06T07:36:00.000-07:002007-07-06T07:36:00.000-07:00Apple do this with all their products. Nothing new...Apple do this with all their products. Nothing new. Xserve, Mighty Mouse, Mac Pro, the lot.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13296248.post-15540586726433136832007-07-06T07:01:00.000-07:002007-07-06T07:01:00.000-07:00Think about iPhone vs. "The iPhone" another way. A...Think about iPhone vs. "The iPhone" another way. Adding an article kinda neuters the cool, much as in the same way as saying, "the Google," or, reaching way back, "the Wordperfect."Nathan L. Wallshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13603555231058485125noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13296248.post-1462116524506031572007-07-06T06:49:00.000-07:002007-07-06T06:49:00.000-07:00See? Dom and Trey didn't say, "the" Quicktive VR. ...See? Dom and Trey didn't say, "the" Quicktive VR. Ha!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13296248.post-39536049690721736822007-07-06T06:41:00.000-07:002007-07-06T06:41:00.000-07:00Car companies have done this for ages. It's not "a...Car companies have done this for ages. It's not "a Corvette" or "The Camry", it's "Corvette" and "Camry". <BR/><BR/>As far as keeping trademark rights from the scourge of generic status, it's usually treating the name as a VERB that gets you into real trouble. Behold "to xerox" <BR/><BR/>I personally think getting rid of the pronoun is designed to shock us a little bit and convey that this isn't just ANY productAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13296248.post-43442431035793983922007-07-06T05:16:00.000-07:002007-07-06T05:16:00.000-07:00This is nothing new. It always annoyed me, though,...This is nothing new. It always annoyed me, though, when car companies do it. Your neighbor will say, "I bought *a* Mustang" but the commercial will say "you can buy Mustang for just..."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13296248.post-18166058404115122062007-07-06T04:29:00.000-07:002007-07-06T04:29:00.000-07:00And don't forget:"Do not eat iPod Shuffle."And don't forget:<BR/><BR/>"Do not eat iPod Shuffle."natehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11096862209150658930noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13296248.post-75789515141106711052007-07-06T02:08:00.000-07:002007-07-06T02:08:00.000-07:00That immediately makes me think of "Do not taunt H...That immediately makes me think of "Do not taunt Happy Fun Ball."<BR/>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happy_Fun_BallAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13296248.post-89752557650863310332007-07-05T23:58:00.000-07:002007-07-05T23:58:00.000-07:00I'm right there with you Dave.I'm <A HREF="http://justinblanton.com/2007/06/iphone-personification" REL="nofollow">right there with you</A> Dave.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13296248.post-75469421962728020912007-07-05T23:48:00.000-07:002007-07-05T23:48:00.000-07:00Apple has always done that. Mac, Newton, iPod, iPh...Apple has always done that. Mac, Newton, iPod, iPhone... Welcome to the party :-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13296248.post-37894719415521034722007-07-05T23:21:00.000-07:002007-07-05T23:21:00.000-07:00Reminds me of that line from "The Good Shepherd":I...Reminds me of that line from "The Good Shepherd":<BR/><BR/><I>I remember a senator once asked me. When we talk about CIA why we never use the word "the" in front of it. And I asked him, do you put the word "the" in front of God?</I>Younghusbandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02703714496386618164noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13296248.post-37824594225340728882007-07-05T22:53:00.000-07:002007-07-05T22:53:00.000-07:00Watch the "Guided Tour" video again and you'll hea...Watch the "Guided Tour" video again and you'll hear that the guy says both "the iPhone" and "iPhone." Both.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13296248.post-75177014093532156292007-07-05T06:28:00.000-07:002007-07-05T06:28:00.000-07:00Dom and Trey,I have a .Mac account and I uploaded ...Dom and Trey,<BR/><BR/>I have a .Mac account and I uploaded the QTVR movie file to my public folder then linked to it from my blog. It was that easy.<BR/><BR/>David WeissDavid Weisshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00629153569649264575noreply@blogger.com