Interesting article here about reviving old brands, the disconnect between reality and what people remember as reality, and the opportunity that exists in redefining the entire product under a revived brand.

Most of the examples they give are on products where the reasons for buying are less technical. ie. clothes, coffee, etc. Even the New Beetle example they gave comes into this category, I’m sure many people bought that not for it’s performance as transport, but for emotional reasons.

I’m left wondering what the opportunity in software is, and whether nostalgia and high-tech really go together. Would a retro name on a new product, even assuming it shared some of the strengths that made the old product popular, provide the same value as it seems to here?