Dell’s new PC names are boring—and a smart move

The computer giant is ditching decades-old sub-brands in favor of ones nearly identical to Apple’s. They’re derivative, but effective.

There are surely many reasons that the parents of tech icon Michael Dell did not name him Inspiron or XPS. For one, Dell’s parents aren’t Elon Musk. More generally, there is appeal to a commonplace name. Yes, you sacrifice originality. You risk being called a copycat by your cousin. But in return you get benefits like clarity and simplicity.