The i originated with the iMac and stood for "Internet". One of Apple's selling points for the iMac was it's simplicity and the "out-of-box" experience, a user only needed to go through only two steps to set it up and connect to the Internet. The iMac also "integrated" the screen and the computer into one housing so to get it going you only need to plug in the power cord, keyboard and mouse, there's no tangle of wires or connections to worry about. Over time however it's gone way beyond that and has become part of the whole "digital life" branding. While other companies have used the i, with the success of the iMac and probably even more so the iPod, it has become associated with a whole range of Apple hardware and software products.