14 DAY TRIAL // Sunnyvale, California-based Advanced Micro Devices is currently planning the launch of its next-generation mobile platform for ultra-thin, ultraportable computer systems, codenamed Congo. However, its appears that the company has somehow managed to stir some comments regarding the use of this particular codename, which refers to a region where people fight for collecting minerals used in electronic devices. Several blogs that monitor the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo have expressed their discontent for AMD's naming scheme.
According to a recent article on Cnet, a number of bloggers that have been monitoring the humanitarian crisis and conflicts in Africa have expressed their discontent with AMD's strategy for codenaming its upcoming chips. David Sullivan from website enoughproject.com raises questions regarding the company's decision to name its next-generation mobile chip for ultraportable, ultra-thin laptops after the place where “trade in minerals vital to technology like ultra-thin laptops is fueling the deadliest conflict in the world.”
However, the decision behind AMD's naming scheme is relatively innocent, as the company is committed on naming all of its mobile projects after rivers, as is the case with the much-hyped Congo chip. Although the giant manufacturer's had no intention of stirring up such a reaction from those monitoring the situation in Africa, its marketing team could have done a better job at finding a proper name for the upcoming chip. Apparently, this is AMD's stand, which “truly regrets” the situation and has started using the “2nd generation Ultrathin Platform” naming, but as part of a natural pre-launch naming transition.
The chip maker isn't the only company that had issues with its naming strategy; fellow competitor Intel has been forced to change its codename for an Itanium chip too. Apple and Microsoft are also among the companies that have had issues with their products' naming, according to the aforementioned news-article.