Yeah, those losers. They really should have just said "Hey, we're releasing a brand new feature called FaceTime and we need you to change your apps name. Oh yeah, and just don't tell anyone. Thanks!"
- Protection of IP until a few weeks from launch date
- Rapt attention for what amounts to a PR presentation
- Synchronized media buzz for new products
- Strong early sales leading to additional media buzz
I don't think that is true, and I am sure Apple doesn't think that is true.
Whatever you say about Apple, they very carefully manage there brand, and part of that is keeping things secret, controlled releases of information, and building up large buzz before there regular announcements. It seems to be working for them.
A cool brand name they probably thought long and hard about before adopting it. A brand that will have resonance with the general population at the cost of alienating some developers. This is what 'crossroads between liberal arts and technology' is about; changing the pecking order in the technology business: Apple first, normal people second, developers a distant third.
Developers hate frivolous and silly names for protocols and software packages. Just look at Cocoa, Groovy, Sinatra, PubSubHubbub, and acts_as_taggable_on_steroids.