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Why is the google netbook called CR48?

ArpitNext [PersonRank 7]

Thursday, December 9, 2010
13 years ago11,627 views

Got this interesting fact on Quora:

Q: Why is the google netbook called CR48?

A: Cr is the symbol for Chromium. Chromium is the name of the project Chrome OS comes out of. Cr-48 is an unstable isotope of Chromium, which makes it perfect for a name of an early release version.

(By Arihant Agarwal, via http://www.quora.com/Why-is-the-google-netbook-called-CR48)

Philipp Lenssen [PersonRank 10]

13 years ago #

From a marketing perspective, I guess they really tried to avoid giving it a very cool name that would make it sound like a final consumer product. Cr-48 sounds sufficiently "betaish" and more tech oriented. You know, more so than "Titan", "Infinity", "Life" or whatever...

Roger Browne [PersonRank 10]

13 years ago #

The "marketing perspective" idea would hold more weight if there weren't companies like Nokia selling high-end smartphones with names like N900, E71, etc.

Philipp Lenssen [PersonRank 10]

13 years ago #

That's a very good point Roger. Guess I never understood how someone could name products like that... to me it never sounds like a must-have gadget if it's mostly a serial number. Still, might not be Google's style though, I'm not sure...

Jérôme [PersonRank 10]

13 years ago #

I really like that Apple keep using a single brand name and incrementing every year with basic numbers/suffix: none at first, then 2, 3G and 3GS (meh), 4, 5... and probably up to 10.

Google's Nexus brand sounds great too, but I wonder if they had to stop the sequence to not deceive people too much (cf. http://twitter.com/#!/ericschmidt/status/11919104835321857). Motorola's Droid is also very good as they don't have to explain what OS it runs.

I agree with Philipp about the benefit of a nerdy name for Chrome OS pilot program.

Do you want the Chrome product line to have consistent brand names? Do you think Google will brand some of them (similar to N1/NS)? I think they said they won't, but I'm sure I can trust them on this one.

Roger Browne [PersonRank 10]

13 years ago #

> ... I never understood how someone could name products like that

The funny thing is that these product names were chosen by the marketing department. They're not just numbers assigned by engineers.

The N900 smartphone, for example, was known as the RX-51 by the engineers during its development.

Philipp Lenssen [PersonRank 10]

13 years ago #

> Do you want the Chrome product line to have consistent
> brand names? Do you think Google will brand some of
> them (similar to N1/NS)? I think they said they won't, but
> I'm sure I can trust them on this one.

If it's like with Google's Android OS then, where different hardware makers are involved and they all go and run with the Chrome OS, then there'd also be different product line names "... running Chrome OS" (including odder names like "Galaxy" :)).

Jérôme [PersonRank 10]

13 years ago #

Shouldn't Google provide some guidelines to help manufacturers differentiate "notebooks running Chrome OS" from other? I think it could help them all to follow a common brand strategy. Do you remember the rumor about Google trying to trademark the "speedbook"?

I'm sure a "Samsung Speedbook" (or even better, the Samsung iSpeed) would brand better than a "Samsung Galaxy S200 Notebook running Chrome OS Canary with Google".

Erratum: in my previous comment, I meant "I think they said they won't, but I'm sure I *don't* trust them on this one".

Jérôme [PersonRank 10]

13 years ago #

The first Cr48 have been delivered this morning!
http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1987536

Philipp Lenssen [PersonRank 10]

13 years ago #

> Shouldn't Google provide some guidelines to help
> manufacturers differentiate "notebooks running Chrome OS" from other?

Will there be one main Chrome notebook? Oh, I guess that makes sense too. When Google mentioned different hardware makers in their announcement...

"In the first half of next year Chrome notebooks will be available for sale from Acer and Samsung. More manufacturers will follow. Also, Chrome OS is designed to work across a wide range of screen sizes and form factors, enabling our partners to deliver computing devices beyond notebooks."

... I had figured it's sort of like Windows PCs, where the PC comes in all kind of shapes, and there's not one "THE Microsoft PC". But one official reference hardware is also how they do it with Android and the Nexus, so that definitely also makes sense...

Oh, I'll send a question to Google, perhaps they answer...

Philipp Lenssen [PersonRank 10]

13 years ago #

Google didn't specifically answer my question, though they did reply:

Q: [N]ext year when Chrome OS Notebooks will launch, will there be one "official" Google hardware, like the Nexus is for Android, or will there just be different manufacturers with different machines, and no official "reference" Chrome notebook?

A: Samsung and Acer will be the first manufacturers to bring Chrome notebooks to market in early 2011. The specific timing, pricing and specifications for these devices will be announced by each company at a later date.

Roger Browne [PersonRank 10]

13 years ago #

I think PR departments take pride in replying but not answering the question.

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