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October 15, 2009

Barnes & Noble's New eBook Embraces Feminine Product Naming, Sort Of...

So the news is out: Barnes & Noble has a new eBook reader that is set to rival Kindle.

Its name? Athena. As in the goddess of wisdom and war.

amazon-athena.gifGizmodo leaked the photos earlier this week but did not reveal the name, claiming it was "freaking terrible."

Despite Gizmodo's opinion of the name, others feel Athena will be a success.

For instance, the USA Today blog wonders if this is the "Kindle Killer." And PC World says this might mark the moment when eReaders actually become a mass market product.

Even Kindle gives it due respect.

But is the name really as bad as Gizmodo says?

Athena, Greek goddess of wisdom, of household arts and crafts, of spinning and weaving, of textiles. Inventor of the flute, the plough and the ox-yoke, the horse bridle and the chariot. Athena, goddess of war, guardian of Athens, the city named for her; defender of heroes, champion of justice and civil law.

Now, I like the name, but I do have one small reservation - do female names work when it comes to high-tech gadgets?

Previously I've commented on gadgets with feminine names, like the Blackberry Pearl and Curve vs. the Bold, because they seem to face challenges in the marketplace no matter how alluring the actual products appear to be.

However, with Athena, the goddess of wisdom and war, the guardian of Athens, there are some innate associations with power and strength. Despite being the name of a goddess, it carries strong connotations that may rival more masculine sounding product names.

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Posted by William Lozito at October 15, 2009 9:30 AM
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