Extending keyword domain using "the"...

Can this help or hurt rankings?

[NLightN]

Since I cannot get the domain name I want with my main keyword, I am considering using the domain that has the keyword phrase after "the". Has anyone seen success or failure using this method?

IE:

www.thewidgetprocessor.com

versus

www.widgetprocessor.com

Will using "the" in the domain cause problems with search friendliness?
Thanks!

[rogerd]

It's unlikely that including a "the" will have a major direct impact. However, depending on how sites link, the anchor text could affect performance. I.e., many links might read "The Widget Processor". Then again, anchor text that is too uniform may not be so good either.

One risk you run is that if the site starts doing well and generates type-in traffic, a portion of the users will omit the leading "the" and end up at the competitor's site.