Zugg Software :: View topic

Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2005 6:21 pm

If zApp is going to be a viable product, it needs a new name (yes, *another* new name).

It suffers from the same problem as zMUD...it starts with a 'z'. And as we learned looking for a name for the eMobius email client, finding a name along with an available domain name is difficult.

I'm happy to say that with zApp it has been relatively easy. I've always liked the "ZAP" idea (lightning-fast application development, the lightning icon, etc). So I did some experimenting and came across what I think is a good new name:

AppZApp

(make your own variation with different capitalization)

I've already registered the www.appzapp.com domain. It should be pointing to the zuggsoft.com server within a day.

Now, the variation "AppZap" *is* already taken and seems to refer to some college application software. So that might be a bit annoying. But there is a symettry to AppZapp that I like.

What do people think about this?

Adept Joined: 12 Nov 2000 Posts: 268 Location: Canada

I dunno, it's definatly not similar to any of the products it will be competing with...but (and this is just my personal opinion) I liked zApp better than AppZapp....Just doesnt have quite a ring to it, imho.

Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2005 8:19 pm

While I respect everyone's opinion, my point was that "zApp" by itself just wasn't going to fly. It was fine when this was just an interim step to eMobius and I didn't care about selling zApp. But if I'm interested in selling zApp, it's going to be *much* harder with a name that is at the bottom of the list in all of the "Development Tools" categories on various download sites.

For example, if I was browsing for development tools in TUCOWS or Download.com, I'd personally end up looking at everything else before I ever got to the 'z' section.

So it's fine if "AppZapp" doesn't work for you, but other suggestions sure would be nice.

Also keep in mind that I don't necessarily need to change the EXE filename. For example, when executing stuff on the command line, I don't want to type something long like "appzapp" if I can just type "zapp" instead. I can certainly see the possibility of having the "official" name be "AppZapp" but then leave the EXE and icons alone. That might be a good "marketing" compromise.

Adept Joined: 12 Nov 2000 Posts: 268 Location: Canada

Alphabetical listings suck..but yes, I too hate when people say somethings no good and give no suggestions, I was taking my time to think of some...

Hmm...it's tough because you kind of lose the whole poing of having the Z in there at all if it's not in the beginning, in which case, why dont we come up with an entirely new name? eMobius was awesome, and I give you mad probs with that...but I mean...I just dont think telling my customers that I developed some app with 'appzapp' will sound real professional.

What about we brainstorm a bit? Have people throw out the first thing they think of about this developing system, and we throw words together again?

Lets start with what zApp is? It's an XML Based Declarative Language which leverages the power of all available scripting languages for Windows.

It's fast, easy to use, customizable, powerful.

Names are tough...I'm not disagreeing. I'ma keep thinking, if something hits me u'll be the first to know

GURU Joined: 23 Dec 2000 Posts: 4834 Location: USA

hmm...

ZAppIt?
RADZapp (seems awkward and redundant, and won't work if it has to start with the traditional z)?
zRAD?
RADZcript (sounds funny, but a play on Rapid Application Development and Script)?
zApp2App?

Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2005 2:52 am

Keep in mind that the whole idea is to have a name near the top of the alphabet. So nothing starting with a Z will be any better than zApp, which I like just fine as a name. So we are looking for something starting with an A, B, C, etc. Since zMUD is an Application Development System, either "Application" or "Development" seem like good starting points.

Or, going the eMobius route...finding a name that has nothing to do with the function of the program, but just sounds cool.

But near the beginning of the alphabet is a must, otherwise it's not worth the trouble of changing.

Wizard Joined: 10 Oct 2000 Posts: 1551 Location: Australia

This seems to be a recurring problem, if only you had called yourself Bugg or somethin' ... then we'd have bMobius, bApp, and bMUD ;)

Maybe a .zApp approach, much like the .NET approach? www.dotzapp.com?

Pop a cApp in yo programming?

Leverage off people already looking for VB stuff? vbzApp?

Or just pick a cool fantasy name starting with 'A'... after all, it's just a name... eg delphi doesn't contain anything programming related, its just a name.

devzApp works too, I guess, so would ezApp though someone might have thought of the latter.

Wanderer Joined: 13 Aug 2001 Posts: 51 Location: USA

Apps! (with the !)

I know, I suck, carry on.

Newbie Joined: 25 May 2005 Posts: 4

I like the EZapp suggestion because it's Easy to develop in EZapp Cool

Mark

Adept Joined: 12 Nov 2000 Posts: 268 Location: Canada

I like EZApp

Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2005 7:24 am

EzApp! :)

Wizard Joined: 14 Oct 2000 Posts: 1368

Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2005 5:54 pm

Yeah, the 'zMUD' was a typo. Should be 'zApp'.

Unfortunately, ezApp is also taken. I thought of that one too Smile

Enchanter Joined: 10 Oct 2000 Posts: 698

eTesseract - Developement so fast, it's like bending time.

Reference is to a children's book, tesseracts may not have anything to do with time. Mr. Physics PhD?

Adept Joined: 01 Mar 2005 Posts: 277

Wow! I monitor the forums all the time and I miss a day and come back and there's tons of zApp stuff discussed! Twisted Evil

mr_kent, isn't the word "tesseracts" from A Wrinkle in Time? eTesseract is cool if you know what it is but it would go over too many people heads.

I like the word ZAPP and I see Zugg's angle of App ZAPP. One thing we need to remember is that zApp targets beginners and advanced developers. So, it has to sound professional but non-intimidating.

Hmmm.... EZRAD.... App++... PowerDEV... PowerRAD... App#....Basic#... AppDEV... AstroApp... AstroDEV... AstroRAD... kwikApp... DreamDEV... ExciteRAD... ExciteDEV... InstaApp... ElectraRAD... ElectraDEV... AmiAPP... biteRAD... ActiveApp... ActiveRAD.... RapidRAD... RapidApp... RapidDEV... ARAD (Anyone's RAD)....endlessApps... (just writing whatever comes to my mind)

I'll keep thinking about it...

Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2005 10:11 pm

fad.. (fast application development)..

Adept Joined: 01 Mar 2005 Posts: 277

FlashApp... FlashRAD... FlashDEV...

GURU Joined: 23 Dec 2000 Posts: 4834 Location: USA

EzFlash? Sounds a little misleading, as though it were a MacroMedia For Dummies type of thing...

FlashZApp...hey, this might be a contender--evocative of the design concept (rapid and easy development), plus it sounds like you can make something real and interesting rather than some dry, boring example of something found in a textbook

Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2005 3:43 pm

Wow, there are some interesting names in there. I'll have to give this some more thought. I was all ready to give up and just leave it as zApp, but I'm going to toss around some of the names here and see if they work better.

I talked to some other people about this and came to the realization that the alphabetic order isn't as important as I really thought. More and more people are finding stuff by searching and not by browsing long lists. And even though Tucows has an alphabetical list, other sites such as Download.com default to a date-order for the products in a category.

So, maybe zApp is still the best. I still really like the "lightning-fast application development" tag line.

I liked the ActiveApp name since it reflects the "Active Scripting" stuff (like ActivePerl, etc) used in zApp. But this is a more technical name, and the domain is already taken.

But thanks for the brainstorming! You guys are really amazing!

Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2005 4:44 am

I'm wondering.. You've just given away a bunch of advertising/CDs with "zApp" all over them.. Did people say something negative about the name or something? Myself I think that would be a good way to kill a fledgling application, changing it's name after advertising.. You also already have the icons, the .zml extension ecetera, if the name gets changed now thats going to jar, or you will have to redesign all those too. In my opinion, the best advertising (still) is word-of-mouth, which doesnt rely on the alphabet ;) I also think it's better to have a more unique name, than one that reflects what the software does, so that people knowing the name and searching for it, end up just here, and not on one of a thousand other "Active..." sites.

I also think more people use Google these days, than go straight to Tucows or similar.

Lady C.

Adept Joined: 01 Mar 2005 Posts: 277

I'm tending to agree with Lady C. I am use to zApp and I think it's a good name. I'd keep the name but give it its own web site.

Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2005 4:06 pm

Castaway, yep, that's why I decided not to pursue this any further. Don't know why I got into such a craze about the name a few days ago...maybe my protein level got too low or something.

I also still like zApp as a name and we'll just live with the fact that it's at the end of the alphabet.

Since I grabbed the appzapp.com domain, I might use that for the zApp web site anyway. Unfortunately zapp.com is taken. And for now we'll just continue to use the zuggsoft.com site.

Always remember when telling other people that the "home" URL for zAPp is http://www.zuggsoft.com/zapp

This should be easy enough for people around here to remember.

Posted: Thu Aug 25, 2005 6:38 pm

Have to admit AppZApp sounds a little naff to me sorry. :(

I too like zApp, but see the problem - though it's surely not as critical as you make out, otherwise programmes like WinZip would never have gotten so huge.

I think theNerd's comments abbout sounding professional and non-intimidating are really critical, even zApp lacks a certain pro feel, but suggestions like AppDev are a little too generic. You really need a name that markets the main selling points of zApp

- Rapid Application Development
- Quick, easily evolvable code

Some of the top of my head ideas ...

eDarwin - I think this goes well with the eMobious branding?
DNApp - play on DNA, building blocks of life
DNADev
AppGeneZ
AppDNA
darwinapp
evoRAD
easydeploy
protolution

Hope it helps :D

Beginner Joined: 19 Aug 2005 Posts: 28