problem of terminology with new (i)Phones
I find myself feeling rather awkward when just trying to label these new iPhone like devices. We tend to just call them smartphones or merely phones, but I can't escape the fact that by being so much more than that they pretty much escaped the traditional definition of a "phone" too much to be called a "phone".
So what is it? If you forget all the historical terminology connotations for a moment and look at iPhone, all you basically see is a small computer device with a certain set of functions. When you look at Neo1973 you see it even more as a small computer because, while it has a certain set of functions by default, they can be changed quite a bit by changing the software on it.
So, does anyone have an idea for a better naming of these devices or are we to settle with expanding the meaning of a "phone" to cover these?
MCCD: mobile computing & communication device
Personal Digital Device
I think I got it: phonputer
how about "mobile magic" ;-) VERY non-technical and inaccurate, so it should go well with most people.
To be honest none of them strike me as something that would be mass adopted, except *maybe* a play on "Personal Digital Device" (though that's a bit vague too) - PDD > PADD (a name from Star Trek).
I'd be fine with just "pad".
PDD would lead to jokes about the use of such devices being absorbing and unsocial
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Indeed.
Well, I think padd or pad would be most suitable and easy to get used to. And no that doesn't have anything to do with me being a Star Trek fan. No sir.
of course it bloody has.
You haven't told us that PADD stands for Personal And Digital
ToolDoolHm well it's actually "Personal Access Display Device".
Seriously, I'm fine with whatever name gets into common use as long as it's simple and makes some sense in this context.