The new names
So 3Com came up with a new name: the "Palm Connected Organizer." Now, I admit I'm guessing here, but this sounds to me like a committee decision. Only a committee could come up with an eight-syllable, 22-character name for such a small device. I'll bet the 3Com Naming Committee spent a zillion dollars, started with some great suggestions, but finally ended up with something you can't even say three times fast. Could it be that one executive even suggested that it needed a long title because "3Com" is so short?

In any case, "Palm Connected Organizer" is way too long to be used repeatedly (remember that the device is supposed to save time), and many writers and others refer to it simply as the "Palm." What's wrong with that? Well, unfortunately, that name is also already taken -- by a part of your body. In fact, focus groups found that eight out of ten marketing executives, when told to "Transfer the data to their Palm," would write on their hands with magic markers! To fully understand why "Palm" is confusing, consider the top ten sentences that you would never want to say when referring to your device:

10. Want to see my Palm?
9. Have you seen my Palm anywhere around?
8. I like to play with my Palm.
7. Write it on your Palm.
6. What we need is a Palm reader.
5. I wouldn't mind being on a desert island if I had a Palm.
4. I like to sleep with my Palm.
3. I have three Palms.
2. I need to go home and put my Palm in its cradle.
1. I was going to the bathroom and my Palm dropped into the toilet.

See what I mean? By now, you should understand why you need to join my "Crusade to Rename the Device Formerly Known as PalmPilot."

Join the crusade!
In a charitable move to improve life on this planet, and a shameless attempt to drive traffic to our Web site, my company, Responsive Software, has launched a crusade to find a new, catchy name for that thing we've been talking about. Our mission is to find a name that's just so darned perfect that everyone will use it.

You can join the crusade by suggesting new names at http://www.ResponsiveSoftware.com. The Web site proudly displays the many imaginative entries received so far. We've got two categories for entries: Serious and Somewhat Less Than Serious.

Serious entries
This first category is for people who think that a big company like 3Com will actually listen to little users like us. When you make your entry, remember that 3Com is unlikely to consider any name that doesn't include "Palm" somewhere in the title. Table A shows just a few of the great ideas we've received so far: