Sources have told MacDailyNews that “marketing types” within Apple Computer have discussed skipping the “G6” moniker or ending the “G” CPU naming scheme with the “G5” due to the potential confusion and/or dilution caused by the recent debut of General Motor’s Pontiac G6, otherwise known as “The Oprah Car.” 276 Pontiac G6s were given to surprised audience members on The Oprah Winfrey Show to celebrate the start of her 19th season on September 14, 2004.
Apple first starting using the “G” moniker with the November 1997 introduction of the Power Macintosh G3, with featured a “generation three” or “G3” PowerPC 750 processor. The “G4” made its debut in September 1999 in the “Power Macintosh G4” which featured a PowerPC 7400. The “Power Mac G5” debuted in June 2003 with a PowerPC 970.
According to sources, the final decision, which would presumably be Steve Jobs’ decision, has not yet been made. Of course, Apple has time, as “G5” is very young in its product lifetime and has found it’s way only into Power Mac G5 and iMac G5 desktops so far, with PowerBook, eMac, iBook, and “future” products still to go.
MacDailyNews Take: General Motors’ Pontiac make is hardly known as a “premium” brand and the Pontiac G6 is a fairly “cheap” car as far as the sticker price goes (base MSRP: US$21,300) – an entry-level sedan. Apple might not wish to associate or confuse its future flagship, high-performance CPU with a Pontiac car, even if it’s a subconscious association. Beleaguered Gateway is more “The Pontiac” of the personal computer industry, not Apple.
Well, after G5 runs its course, maybe it’s time for an H!
Baretta Firearms sued GM over the name when they came out with a cheap Chevy with the same name & got a good chunk of money for it. Maybe Apple should call GM and set them straight.
Besides, it’s not like Apple competes with GM.
What about G4/TechTV, when will they upgrade that to a G5?
Perhaps they should just go with the “Power” or “PowerPC” brand name. It may strike up more interest in the general public.
They should call the new chip, “Oprah.”
I vote for G7, after all it’ll be a quantum leap above a P4.
Let’s not forget the Gulfstream G5 ultra-long-range business jet.
Different product categories. I don’t see a problem.
In a related topic, Apple was allowed to call their previous operating system “Mac OS 9” even tho there was another “OS 9” out there, I forget what it did, but it was some kind of software, I think it might have been for servers. They were allowed to do a similar name because:
1. low chance of confusion between the products
2. continuation of established naming convention (ie. OS 7, OS 8 etc.)
CPU Marketeers seem to have trouble with sex, or the number six, or both.
Intel, for example, is stuck on Pentium because they don’t want to name their next CPU the Sexium.
Not so many years ago, Apple had the Mac SE on a 68000, and the Mac IIX on a 68030. The obvious name for the 68030-based Mac SE would have been the Mac SEX, but they called it the SE/30 instead, for obvious reasons.
Now we hear that G6 might be shunned because it sounds like an Oprah computer. I think it’s because it sounds like “Gee Sex.”
Of course I may just be babbling, deliberately wasting Internet bandwidth and your precious time.
Try letters. How about GQ? Powermac GQ.
I think they should start naming the chips after….after…..after BIRDS. Yeah that’s it! Birds. Birds of Prey.
Start with the Hawk, then Osprey, then Falcon, then Eagle!
hehehehehe
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Is G4/TechTV still actually on the air?
I think they should go with “G-Wizz”
Nothing to see here… Go home.
Great “news” story.
We’re around 5 years from any possible “G6” PowerMac, if the amount of time the PowerMac G4 hung around is any indication. There may not even be a Pontiac G6 in production by then.
Even if there were, who would care?
Well, they already had an OS called Jaguar…and Kirby Vacuums had a G4 model before the Motorola Processor came around… I don’t think this rumor holds any water.
Hmm, well, Canon has both a PowerShot G5 and G6 camera and that doesn’t seem to be an issue. Besides, I seriously doubt anyone will get a cheap Pontiac confused with a high end computer system anyway.
Is this one of those news/advertisement things that MDN sometimes gets paid for? Is GM paying for the Pontiac G6 publicity? They could afford a couple of Xserves. Maybe MDN should ask Oprah.
Folks may not be aware, but the Kirby Co. (as in vacuum cleaners) started with their G Series with the G3 in 1990. This was followed by the G4 (1993), G5 (1996), G-Six (hmmm… 1999).
This didn’t seem to concern Apple when they chose the G3 moniker in 1997.
Maybe their decision was based on the fact that their G Series didn’t suck?
G VI anyone? (Roman numeral)
or� G5X (as in ‘xtra’� not the roman numeral)
what about G5+ or G7min
G W (not the Bush variant, but short for ‘Gee Whiz – this thing moves!’)
G string? (the quantum term of course not the article of clothing)
iG well, everything else has an i infront!
anything but a G6� I wouldn’t want one of those in my Mac
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<I think they should start naming the chips after….after…..after BIRDS. Yeah that’s it! Birds. Birds of Prey.
Start with the Hawk, then Osprey, then Falcon, then Eagle!>
I can’t wait for the “Chicken Hawk”
Had the “Oprah car” not made Apple consider ending the G+integer naming scheme at G6, the next step would definitely had stopped it. If G6 has a connotation that Apple would want to distance itself from, G7 and G8 certainly have much more dramatic ones. The G7 was that group of seven nations that arrogantly decides the economic future for the other 180+ nations on Earth. When they decided to throw Russia a bone and invite them, it became the G8.
G8 has a much worse problem, too. Isn’t our archenemy Bill G8s? I can already hear the MicroShaft employees crank calling the Apple Store, “Yeah, can you send 30 of those new Gates computers to Mr. Hugh Jass?”
These letter/number schemes are getting kind of tired. The animal names are cute, but they also have problems, like disease outbreaks (mad cow, bird flu, etc.) I’m sure most of the early adopters of Longhorn (if it ever comes out) will say their machines have Mad Cow Disease. I humbly submit that the new chips ought to be named after loyal Mac fans. IBM’s next generation of chip ought to be called the Dave 1.
Flood Apple with e-mails requesting that if you want it to happen.
Yeah, people confuse cars and computers all the time.
What the f*ck? Give me a break!
Great, let’s use bird names. Can’t wait till the speed bump of Chicken, codenamed Kentucky Fried.
“G6” is boring. A name like Pentium, for example, has punch. I think Apple should come up with something kewl to make the processor sound like a screamer IMHO.