Hacker News Reader

Comment by zbowling | Hacker News Reader

To clear up the confusion:

MSNBC's brand has always been two different companies: MSNBC TV and msnbc.com. It's been extremely confusing. MSNBC TV has a hosting agreement with msnbc.com to host the webpages for the shows on the network and some of the podcasts and video clips.

In 2005, NBC bought back 32% of the interest in MSNBC TV and later bought the last 18% in the next two years. They kept the name MSNBC in the process though. Microsoft still owned 50% of msnbc.com.

Now Microsoft has sold off it's 50% in msnbc.com and as part of the agreement is changing it's name. MSNBC.com will become the website for the shows on MSNBC TV and NBCNews.com will become what msnbc.com is today in 2013.

View on HN

Sounds like typical MS naming issues, although 8 looks like it will be clearing it up some (with the exception of recent "Surface for Windows RT")

It's true that MS is not great at naming. Windows Live Mail is newer than Window Mail but runs in conjunction with Microsoft Hotmail, previously known as Windows Live Hotmail and MSN Hotmail. Oh, and not to be confused with Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express.

All of which are soon to be superceded by,

Windows Live Hotmail Outlook Mail Infinity Express (WLHOMIE)

MS will continue to support all prior versions in addition to this one. Five years will pass and 7% of MS users will have switch to WLHOMIE. Then WLHOMIE itself will be superceded.

Edit: Better Acronym

At least MS backed down from calling their smartphone platform "Windows Phone 7 Series" (http://gizmodo.com/5471805/windows-phone-7-series-everything...). What the heck does the word "Series" even communicate in that name?

That it was the start of a new mobile platform. It made a little sense at the time. I think the logic was that Windows Mobile 6 to Windows Phone 7 just sounds like a rebranding with a version number increase, whereas "Windows Phone 7 Series" sounds like a reboot, a new lineup.

It's also entirely possible they planned separate editions, not unlike the basic/pro/touch editions of Windows Mobile 6. So when they announced it as Windows Phone 7 Series they has two or three versions in the pipeline but come release the had cancelled all but one so it lost the "Series" moniker.

I'm not sure but I would be surprised if there was no at least slightly logical explanation.

Yes. However, all I have to say to this is "The New iPad".

Edit: Wait, I had something else to say: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUXnJraKM3k

(Microsoft is exceptionally bad at this, even if other companies are pretty bad about it too.)

All I have to say to that is "The New MacBook Pro".

Reply on news.ycombinator.com