What does the "i" in Apple product names mean?

Question

iPhone, iPod, iPad, iCal, iLife, etc. Does the "i" mean anything? And is it a trademark for Apple?

Surprised nobody asked this before. – Moshe Oct 20 '10 at 23:54 — Moshe, Oct 20 '10 at 23:54

score 45 · Accepted Answer · edited Jan 09 '12 at 17:07

45

When Steve Jobs first introduced the iMac in 1998, he proclaimed that the i stood for Internet. Jobs went on to say, "i also means some other things to us" and displayed a presentation slide with the keywords:

internet
individual
instruct
inform
inspire

You can even view video of this event.

The "i" was first used on the iBook and iMac. These were produced as Steve Jobs wanted a pro and consumer model of a desktop and portable computer. This later rolled out with more products, iSight, iPod, iPhone, iPad.

Yes the products are trademarked, but using an "i" itself before a product is not trademarked and it cannot be. Here is Apple's trademark list

edited Jan 09 '12 at 17:07

Jason Salaz

24,471

answered Oct 20 '10 at 13:41

sentinel

4,535

1

Thats the correct Answer.. – rohan-patel Oct 25 '11 at 07:17
1

This is also what's been stated in the biography by Walter Isaacson. – gentmatt Jan 09 '12 at 17:15

score 20 · Answer 2 · edited Jan 09 '12 at 17:05

20

According to Wikipedia (for the iMac at least):

Apple declared the 'i' in iMac to stand for "Internet"; it also represents the product's focus as a personal device ('i' for "individual").

edited Jan 09 '12 at 17:05

Jason Salaz

24,471

answered Oct 19 '10 at 20:16

Jason

1,819

score 4 · Answer 3 · answered Oct 20 '10 at 23:54

4

I asked a rep at the Apple store. They said that it stood for Internet, on the first iMac.(As others have answered.) Now it is just a brand.

answered Oct 20 '10 at 23:54

Moshe

8,761

score 3 · Answer 4 · answered Oct 20 '10 at 01:27

3

The whole idea of the first iMac was that you take it out of the box, plug in the power, and then plug in the modem with a phone line. Internet access made easy. The "i" stood for internet.

answered Oct 20 '10 at 01:27

Not22

183

score -2 · Answer 5 · edited Apr 14 '14 at 05:22

-2

In technology, the i-word is frequently related to "innovation". So the "i" in iphone could mean "innovative."

Berkun, S. (2010). The Myths of Innovation (First ed., pp. 1-82). Sebastopol, CA: O'Reilly Media, Inc.

edited Apr 14 '14 at 05:22

nohillside

100,768

answered Apr 14 '14 at 03:27

Avanti

1

score -2 · Answer 6 · answered Oct 19 '10 at 20:13

-2

It's the I as in me. It means that these things somehow empower you.

answered Oct 19 '10 at 20:13

tool

445

3

Or hold power over you. – Michael Todd Oct 19 '10 at 23:07

What does the "i" in Apple product names mean?

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