"X" in product naming

XBOX, OSX, Windows XP, BMW X Series, Nissan XTerra…

What is it with X anyway? Thoughts…

X = “marks the spot”
X = the thing in the formula that matters (the algebraic placeholder)
X = “ex” as in the opposite of everything else
X = cross it out (perhaps explains why Ctrl-X = Cut?)
X = crossing (Ped Xing, XTerra)
X = Christ (as in XMas)
X = Mature (rated X)
XXX = Bad-boy (Noname moonshine, porno or action movie hero)
eXtreme, as in “more” than anything else
Generation X as in “for me”
“X” makes a cool sound (“eckss”)
“X” looks cool, more a symbol than a letter or number
“X” evokes Roman classicism and masculinity


Any other associations ore insight into the recent craze?
Has X jumped the shark yet?
Will Apple ever release an XI OS, or will they go to X2?

This has been around since Xerox and Kodak. For some reason, consumers respond better to X, K and the colour red.

:)ensen.

Perhaps its like the “hidden arrow” in the FedEx logo.

For BMW x usually means 4wheel drive. Even before the x series, like the 318iX. You could infer a bunch of reasons, the 4 points of the x perhaps?

I thought it originated with the meaning "eXperiementa"l, as in the airplane that broke the sound barrier: The Bell X-1, which I think you could say started it all back in 1947

X is for eXtreme!!! :unamused:

God, I’m so sick of seeing that word in product names…

X is for excessive hype.

yo

you goose

x in 4 wheel drive is for 4 x 4 (four by four)

mk?

honestly… it’s like working with rainman sometimes …

excel
excellent
ecstasy (maybe
exclussive
expect
exemplar

to name some of the associations

Latin:
ex or e prep. with abl. (1) in space , [from or out of]; ‘ex equo pugnare’,[to fight on horseback] (operating from it); ‘ex adverso’, [opposite]. (2) in time, [since]; also [immediately after]; ‘aliud ex alio’, [one thing after another**].(3) in other relations: to denote origin**, [from, away from, out of, of]; ‘ex animo’, [heartily]; ‘ex industria’, [on purpose]; ‘unus ex’, [one of]; ‘pocula ex auro’, [gold cups]; to denote cause or occasion, [from, on account of, by reason of]; ‘e vulnere mori’, [to die of a wound]; to denote correspondence, [in accordance with]; ‘ex re et ex tempore’, [according to time and circumstance]; to denote advantage, e.g. ‘e republica’, [for the benefit of the state]; in gen. [in regard to]; ‘ex parte’, [in part].

Perhaps English X came from ex of Latin? Maybe it has something to do with SPACE, TIME and DEATH: Universial Philosophy of Life Cycle??

Hey, and now we have the .xxx domain extension! Whoo hoo!

Interesting that one letter can categorize Christ, 4 wheel drive and Porn.

X is for the unknown in Alegbra.
X are for the successors to the Baby Boom by Time and Newsweek.
X because it will appeal to Xers

I think it has to do with the fact that x can link to a lot of interesting things. Are there any words associated with “x” that just suck? Not many… as opposed to other letters of the alphabet that do not have a rich association.

The AC is malfunctioning in here and I am mean but honest.

X = solution to your Q. = rodanx86

have a nice day

o X o

the term “x86” tells a lot about me. I like computers. In this case, it refers to wintel architecture. The x is a specific place holder refering to the intitial days of processor classification. 286, 386, 486, etc… I also like designing custom compuer cases in my spare time.

So, I guess, for me X is a technological reference that is fairly subtle, so I like it. And it is not arbitrary.

If you are trying to say I suck because I have an X in my tag, I doubt you should give me that much credit for being a major component of the letter’s general conotation for being good or bad.

jesus and illiterate prisoners signing release forms. I was thinking this the other day, abc etc. denoted simplicity and learning?? The explosion on extreme sports into the mainstream in the past ten years has certainly helped. Mac OS X - means ten thats it. A bit more of a cooler name as apple has reinvented itself since. Feel free to bitch and argue i love it.

Its so the product reminds us of the word “SEX”. Drew Carey talks about the same thing. He says the trend wont stop until we have a food blender called “The SXBJ69”