Talk:Mark of the Unicorn

I do not believe that MOTU produced the first firewire audio interface I think that the Metric Halo 2882 beat the MOTU 828 to market by several months.

98.148.103.95 (talk) 11:09, 28 August 2009 (UTC)


 * Sound on Sound's review of the 2882 implies that although it was announced in 2001, it took a year to reach the market (they describe it as "long-awaited"). The 2882's manual is copyright (c) 2002. A lot of websites just parrot the company's own press release ("originally released in 2001, the Mobile I/O 2882 truly is the first digitally controlled FireWire interface designed specifically for the Macintosh"), which merely claims that it was etc for the Macintosh. As of July 2001 their website was only accepting pre-orders with a $500 deposit. In fact the website was still accepting pre-orders in January 2002 and the earliest mention they have of it "now shipping" is in August 2002, which fits with the date of SoS's November 2002 review - they must have got an early review unit. -Ashley Pomeroy (talk) 16:54, 15 July 2020 (UTC)

Origin of company name
Anyone have a source for the origin of "Mark of the Unicorn"? It's sort of a strange name for a corporate entity, especially in pro audio (or perhaps not??). Thanks!! 166.70.232.249 (talk) 00:38, 7 December 2009 (UTC)


 * I worked there and was told by Brian Hess "it was better than Mark of the Butterfly". In any case in the 70's unicorns were kool...Spitzak (talk) 06:32, 9 December 2010 (UTC)


 * All of the First Ones had recently read Roger Zelazny's F/SF novel "Sign of the Unicorn" (1976), and liked either "Mark of the Unicorn" or "Sign of the Butterfly" for the company name. They could not be dissuaded by reasoned argument, nor marketing double-speak.  There was some vague hope in my mind for a shortening of "Mark of the Unicorn" to just "Mark" Software -- besides, it had that hard K sound, technical, versus the soft, flitting, butterflies?  Thus MotU was, in that limited sense, *better* than SotB.  Ironic how long the name lasted, and how much later it was actually shortened, but to "MOTU" instead of "Mark".  (Pronounced "Moe Too", if you had any doubt.)  You know that word means "tiny reef island" in Polynesian languages?  (Usage: "Little motus surround the atoll.")  Or it could be the ablative case of the Latin "motus", roughly "by-means-of motion" or (stretching it) "volitional-ly".  (Usage: "Motu Proprios," in Catholic papal edicts.)  Either way, the Unicorn has finally disappeared. Suanla (talk) 23:17, 6 May 2011 (UTC)


 * This also raises the question of whether the company has formally changed its name to MOTU. As of 2019 the press releases still say that MOTU is a trademark of the Mark of the Unicorn, Inc. -Ashley Pomeroy (talk) 16:32, 15 July 2020 (UTC)

MotU history
It would be helpful to see an actual history here and a time line of signature product releases.71.112.41.87 (talk) —Preceding undated comment added 07:21, 20 February 2011 (UTC).