My novel's set in the fairly distant (around 200 years, though I may lower it to 100-150) future so this little all-in-one device is everywhere, but a) I don't know what to call it and b) I'm having a serious brain fart over what other sorts of technology could be included in it. Do we still call it a phone? A computer? So far I've just been using "computer", since it seems the most apt - but then it just sounds odd to have a character call someone with their computer. Conversely, I don't think "telephone" is quite appropriate either since it's so much more than that. I'm envisioning something slightly larger than a Blackberry phone (though thinner, perhaps) that is essentially a tiny computer + phone + navigational system + other stuff I haven't yet figured out. Since many cell phones today are already quite similar to that, I feel like there needs to be more. I've been leaning toward "communicator" because I think it's more inclusive, though for obvious reasons I'm hesitant to call it that.
So what I need to know is:
- What would you call this thing?
- What else do you think it could be used for?
I feel like this should be the easiest thing to figure out, but so far it's caused me more problems than anything else.
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36,683 / 50,000
Nov 7, 2009 - 18 30
Sounds like a souped-up Blackberry, which has a name that has nothing to do with electronics at all.
Well, I'm no senior Marketing executive, but give it a slick and attractive name so everyone will buy one. Like "The Wizard". Clearly a cool name. Cram in a key buzzword and its golden.
0 / 50,000
Nov 7, 2009 - 18 36
Try the name " The X4900" something like that
56,003 / 50,000
Nov 7, 2009 - 19 44
Well, I'm no senior Marketing executive, but give it a slick and attractive name so everyone will buy one. Like "The Wizard". Clearly a cool name. Cram in a key buzzword and its golden.
Excellent idea, thank-you! I never even considered that - I was too hung up on the technical name.
----------38,804 / 50,000
Nov 7, 2009 - 19 47
Well, you could take a brand name from a very early but very popular model, and then have everyone start calling it that. Examples in modern times include Kleenex tissues and Saran wrap. I like the suggestion of "Wizard" for this idea (really like that name!), or you could call it a Palm if you are not afraid of using an existing brand name.
Otherwise you could call it a pad, link, mobile, or try to find slang words for 'cell phone'. Try mixing in buzzwords to make combinations like smartpad or netlink.
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"Writing is like taking a bath: if you don't do it every day, you stink!"
36,683 / 50,000
Nov 7, 2009 - 20 13
Secretly, I borrowed Wizard from the old TV show Phil of the Future. Except I think they spelled it all wrong.
56,003 / 50,000
Nov 7, 2009 - 20 43
Otherwise you could call it a pad, link, mobile, or try to find slang words for 'cell phone'. Try mixing in buzzwords to make combinations like smartpad or netlink.
This was very helpful, thanks! I think I'm going to go with linkpad for the technical term and Wizard X200i for the brand/model (though just called Wizard in most conversation, of course).
I love the title of your novel, by the way. I was going to ask if it was from the Carl Sagan quote, then visited your profile and saw that you'd linked one of the Symphony of Science videos. I've had both "A Glorious Dawn" and "We Are All Connected" on repeat for the past week.
----------38,804 / 50,000
Nov 7, 2009 - 21 17
Thanks, and glad I could help!
And I think my co-workers have gone past laughing at me and being annoyed to genuine concern about my mental health based on how much I play that song!
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"Writing is like taking a bath: if you don't do it every day, you stink!"
284 / 50,000
Nov 7, 2009 - 21 39
If its portable, just call it a 'handheld' or 'handy', though 'wizard' is too a pretty good name
38,804 / 50,000
Nov 7, 2009 - 22 27
Oh, you made me remember--a few years ago I talked to a German exchange student about cell phones, and apparently the nickname for a cell in Germany is "handi" (say: hahn-dee). So there you go. People call things what they are!
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"Writing is like taking a bath: if you don't do it every day, you stink!"
42,492 / 50,000
Nov 8, 2009 - 00 15
I've had the same song on repeat myself!
I've been calling my desktop unit a terminal, but still need a name for the handheld myself, using comm as a placeholder till December rolls around and I'm allowed to edit! Mine is pretty much an iphone with video chat and speech recognition and a smaller form factor.
The lines between phone and netbook are already blurring a lot!
----------...sleep in a pool of vigilance so bright...
7,538 / 50,000
Nov 8, 2009 - 13 39
depending on how you think of marketing schemes (and how serious you're story is)
----------THE AWESOME MACHINE
in all seriousness if you aren't serious this would be a really good way to develop part of the universe
Another option is give it a name that becomes an acronym/another name
Ex - the awesome machine becomes TAM
Something like that
last option - take something like handy and misspell it terribly
Handy/i/ee/iye etc.
A wizard works to, you could have a marketing campaign - "the wizard did it"
TOP HATS WILL MAKE A COMEBACK ONE DAY!!!
23,126 / 50,000
Nov 8, 2009 - 15 36
You could call it VoIP Comm or something along those lines, since VoIP stands for Voice over IP. Basically, it's like having a telephone on your computer; if you're familiar with Vonage or Skype, that's what they use.
----------2009: My first year of Nano and I am psyched! Working title: "Veroshi City Festival"
30,000 / 50,000
Nov 8, 2009 - 20 39
I've been using Comm. I started with PDA, but that felt too 1990s, then considered ComCall (Computer/Call), but thought that might confuse people. Comm's have been a staple of SF since forever, so the terminology has a better chance of surviving the cultural differences of people reading the story than any other term.
31,617 / 50,000
Nov 9, 2009 - 02 06
in my story (set 2090ish post-singularity) electronics and microchips have been replaced with spintronics ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spintronics ) and people have spintronic implants with brain computer interfaces, which i shortened to spinplants, which deal with basic computing. (similar power to todays home computers) then for any more computing they have Spincores.
how about something like a made up brandname (like how hoover is synonymous with vacuum cleaners)
----------or something like "Unicator" implying an all-in-one communicator.
If a picture is worth 1000 words, would 50 pictures win NaNaWriMo?
34,630 / 50,000
Nov 9, 2009 - 10 42
I just call it a "personal", as in:
She connected her personal to the desktop computer
He was working a chess problem on his personal
39,041 / 50,000
Nov 10, 2009 - 02 47
I had those in my last year's NaNo. It was used for Internet, phone, navigation, tracking, money (a bit like a credit card)... Characters called it a "pod" - personal organization device. Probably just because it's almost iPod xD
61,676 / 50,000
Nov 10, 2009 - 09 19
I called mine a handheld.