Think (IBM)

"THINK" is a slogan first used by Thomas J. Watson in December, 1911, while managing the sales and advertising departments at the National Cash Register Company. At an uninspiring sales meeting Watson interrupted, saying The trouble with every one of us is that we don't think enough. We don't get paid for working with our feet — we get paid for working with our heads. Watson then wrote THINK on the easel.

Asked later what he meant by the slogan, Watson replied, "By THINK I mean take everything into consideration. I refuse to make the sign more specific. If a man just sees THINK, he'll find out what I mean. We're not interested in a logic course."

In 1914, Watson brought the slogan with him to the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company (CTR) and its subsidiaries, all of which later became IBM. International Time Recording, one of the subsidiaries, published a magazine, Time, for employees and customers that, in 1935, IBM would rename THINK. IBM continues to use the slogan.THINK is also an IBM trademark; IBM named its laptop computers ThinkPads and named a line of business-oriented desktop computers ThinkCentre.

The Apple slogan, "Think Different" has been widely taken as a response to IBM's THINK.

"THINK" entered the popular culture, often in a humorous context. For early examples, see Corey Ford's Guide to Thimking.Mad magazine also used a "THINK" parody motto along with using the word directly on the cover of the last Mad comic book issue #23 from May 1955.

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