What Does The i In Apple Products Stand For?

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Right now Apple is one of the biggest giants in the tech industry. Whenever someone mentions a product that starts with i, there is an extremely high probability that the product in question is made by Apple or is an accessory for an Apple product. However, you must have at least once wondered what the i in Apple products stands for. In this article, we will not only try to answer this question but also reveal some lesser-known details of the world-renown tech company.

One of the first computers introduced by Apple was the Lisa computer, which is named after Steve Jobs’ daughter. Later the iMac was introduced in 1998.

The iMac was the first Apple’s product to feature the prefix, and ever since then, people have been wondering what the i in Apple products stands for. Apparently it had to do with the iMac being able to connect to the internet, which of course starts with the letter i. After the introduction of the iMac and the development of other software and devices, we saw that the prefix was passed on to other products as well, such as the iPod, iPhone and iPad.

We found the press event on YouTube which reveals this little-known detail about the iMac computer, which was all the rage in 1998. It is the same event where Apple co-founder Steve Jobs said that the i had to do with the iMac’s ability to connect to the internet.

“Even though this is a full-blooded Macintosh, we are targeting this for the number one use that consumers tell us they want a computer for, which is to get on the Internet — simply, and fast,” he said at the time. “And that is what this product is targeted for.”

i also means some other things to us,” he also said. “We are a personal computer company, and although this product is born to network, it also is a beautiful stand-alone product. We are targeting it also for education. They want to buy these. And it is perfect for most of the things they do in instruction.

However, the i in Apple products, or at least in the iMac anyway, was not only to represent the computer’s capability to connect to the internet. The i prefix also stood for the individual and also to instruct, inform, and inspire.

Considering that the computer was starting to become more widely available, people would be looking for more intuitive ways to use one. Further, it was becoming clear then that people could learn a lot from computers and get information from the internet, while the iMac in particular was supposed to inspire newer and better outcomes in the future.

Still, it’s not entirely understandable why Apple named the original iPod with the i prefix when it was released in October, 2001. The iPod didn’t have a connection to the internet, as it was used for storing and listening to music.

When the first iPhone was introduced in 2007 by Steve Jobs, the i in Apple products reclaimed its primary meaning again. The i in the first iPhone again referred to using it to connect to the internet. This continued when the iPad was introduced, and many other devices and software too. However, it is surprising that Apple decided to dump the i for the Apple Watch and Apple TV. It might be that the internet is used on the vast majority of different gadgets and devices to the point that we no longer need to know that a specific device will connect us to the internet anymore.

Nevertheless, you may agree that the use of the i in Apple products has become a significant part of the company’s branding, whether it be the internet it originally referred to or not. For many of today’s loyal Apple users, it may be impossible to adapt to a new name.

If you remember, when Apple brought back the MacBook Pro last year, many loyal owners of old MacBooks were saddened to see the death of the illuminated, glowing Apple logo on the new MacBook’s lid as it was replaced by a black Apple. Imagine how much shock or confusion would occur if the same were to happen to the iconic i in Apple products which changed so many people’s lives.

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