Why Apple products begin with “i”

Why+Apple+products+begin+with+i

Daphne L

Today, iPhones, iMacs, iPads, iPods, iTunes, and more are very popular, well-known devices. Many have asked why the products begin with “i”, since the brand doesn’t begin with the letter or even include the letter in its name.

The story begins when computers were beginning to connect to the internet. Steve Jobs wanted Apple to create a product that would connect to the internet faster than its competitors. Jobs wanted to make it appealing by making the product seem personal or alive so that customers would be more attached to it. Jobs’ idea had been “MacMan”, but the rest of the company didn’t like the idea.

In an attempt to give a unique name to such a uniquely designed machine, Jobs came up with “MacMan”. – Photo by Engadget

So the Apple employees worked to create a name that everyone would be happy with, including Jobs. Eventually, they came up with the name “iMac”, with the “i” standing for “Internet”, “Instruct”, “Inform”, “Inspire”, and “Individual”, because that is how they wanted their product to be seen and used. However, this name was quickly rejected.

Later on in the creation of the computer, a prototype was created with the name “iMac” printed at the bottom. After this, everyone decided that they liked the name. Apple was just branding their personality, and naming all of their products in the same unique way is a surefire way to get recognition to a brand.

When the name “iMac” was put onto a prototype, the employees loved it. A few months later, the iMac was released in five bright colors, like Bondi Blue (above). – Photo by juniorbeep

As Apple began to come out with other products like iMovie, the iPod, and then the iPhone itself, they continued to use the “i” as a way of separating themselves from their competitors.