At the CEO Summit at Microsoft's Redmond, Wash., headquarters, the software maker unveiled plans Wednesday for a desktop application called Windows Live Search that would scour a computer's hard drive, the Internet and corporate intranet. Microsoft, however, also calls its Web search service Windows Live Search.
While its very likely Windows Live Search 2 is only temporary, since the product won't be released in test form until this summer, it didn't stop folks on the Web from taking Microsoft to task for the confusion.
"I've knocked Microsoft nomenclature before, but Windows Live Search naming sets new precedent," Joe Wilcox, analyst for JupiterResearch, said in his blog.
Todd Bishop, reporter for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, said in his blog that the naming snafu was reminiscent of heavyweight boxing champion George Foreman naming all his sons George.
Microsoft is known for occasionally inept branding, and has even poked fun of itself, such as in this internal video of how Microsoft would brand Apple Computer Inc.'s iPod music player.
Anyway, there's lots of time for Microsoft to decide on a final name before the second Windows Live Search is ready for download, and takes on competitor Google Inc., which recently introduced version four of Google Desktop.