Samsung renames all its PCs - they're all Ativ now
Samsung is inflicting its nonsensical 'Ativ' brand on all its PCs, so they're now Ativ Tabs, Ativ Ones and Ativ Books.
Samsung has decided its 'Ativ' brand has been so successful that it's renaming all of its Windows PCs with the nonsensical moniker.
Ativ is Vita backwards -- I'm not joking, that's Samsung's reasoning -- and previously only applied to the Ativ Smart PC and Smart PC Pro, both Windows 8 tablets.
There was also the Ativ Tab, a Windows RT slate that never saw the light of day because Windows RT was so confusing and badly marketed. The Ativ S Windows Phone, too, has snuck out in the UK with little fanfare. That makes the switch to calling all of its PCs Ativs even more baffling.
Just to muddle the situation even more, the Smart PC and Smart PC Pro tablets are now the Ativ Tab 5 and Ativ Tab 7. Forget about the original Ativ Tab and it makes more sense, as does Samsung's all-in-one PCs becoming the Ativ Ones, and its various Series laptops becoming Ativ Books. Here's a handy table:
"We hope our Ativ brand will see the same kind of traction and awareness that we have seen with our Galaxy brand, with consumers associating Ativ with Windows in the same way they associate Galaxy with Android," said Simon Stanford, Samsung UK's vice president of IM. That makes sense, at least, but I think it could have come up with a stronger name. Pretty much anything else.
Samsung also wants your Galaxy and Ativ to work together in beautiful harmony with its new SideSync app. It'll let you plug your phone into your computer and use your PC keyboard to answer texts, edit files and back up stuff. It doesn't replace the slow and annoying Kies software for phone updates, but may mean you have to use it less.
Are you aching for an Ativ? Or just totally baffled? Activate your opinions in the comments, or over on our vital Facebook page.