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January 29, 2007
The Palm OS X Product Name is Dead, Long Live Garnet OS... Or Not
The Palm OS product name will be replaced by Garnet OS, which was originally the code name used by PalmSource for Palm OS 5.4.
The renaming is part of an overall revamping of the Palm brand name. PalmSource itself, will soon be named after its owner ACCESS and the very word Palm is set to disappear from both products and software.
As noted in earlier product naming blog posts, anything relating to Palm is Byzantine in its complexity and skullduggery. This new development is no exception to the rule.
David Beers writes, quite convincingly, that this is actually the "rebirth" of the Palm brand name thanks to the naming agreements between ACCESS and PalmSource.
Good thing, because the blogosphere is full of complaints regarding this latest move to eliminate the Palm OS name.
Not least is the problem that we are sure to be given PDA software with clumsy brand names like Daily Quote for Palm OS and Garnet OS. Others call this OS "FrankenGarnet." And, ironically for those of us who might miss Palm OS, "The Garnet Host" on Linux will be called "GHost."
Just to add some more confusion to matters, there is an inaccurate rumor that PalmSource has a "secret third business" involving a yet-to-be-seen product codenamed Sherlock that may be introduced as Foleo.
It is amazing after all the permutations the Palm name has gone through (PalmSource, Handspring, PalmOne), that it still resonates with consumers.
Doing away with it would be a mistake. It is always possible that a groundbreaking brand name that is associated with the original, imaginative products in a field can make a big comeback after years of languishing and corporate infighting.
Just ask Apple.
Technorati Tags: Palm, Access, Garnet, Smartphone, PDA, Treo, Mobile, Wireless, OS, Operating System
Posted by William Lozito at January 29, 2007 12:11 PM
Posted to Brand Naming
| Product Naming
| Technology
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Corrections:
"Just to add some more confusion to matters, there is an inaccurate rumor that [PalmSource :should be: Palm] has a "secret third business" involving a yet-to-be-seen product codenamed Sherlock that may be introduced as Foleo."
Palm has the third business. Palm is the hardware, PalmSource (now ACCESS) is the software (Garnet OS).
To add to the last part of the blog post. There is also speculation that Palm, now having certain rights to the Palm OS (Garnet OS now), may continue the Palm OS name. This is just rumor, and something that seems fit to me. There is already brand name recognition to the PalmOS and Palm, why change it? Palm made this mistake in 2004-2005 by becoming palmOne. It would be foolish (in my opinion) for Palm not to brand its changes to the Garnet OS as the Palm OS.