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what does "i" stand for in apple products

first of all
i need to know what does "i" stand for in many apple products such ipad, ipod, itunes .. etc

is it true it is stand for "internet" or other

Thnak you

Dell, Windows XP

Posted on Oct 31, 2010 5:15 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Nov 29, 2011 11:10 AM

If you recall in the 1998 Apple Back on Track Keynote, while introducing the iMac, Steve showed a slide of what the "i" stood for; and it was,


internet

individual

instruct

inform

inspire

92 replies

Jun 26, 2017 11:27 AM in response to alhoussainy

The symbol i stands for "imaginary unit" and it is extensively used in mathematics, specifically complex analysis. The number z=x+iy is thus a complex number being composed of a real part x and an imaginary part y.

In this context, thus, iPhone is a purely imaginary entity (a product in our context) whose imaginary part is "Phone". The same goes to other apple products.

Oct 31, 2010 12:13 PM in response to alhoussainy

Back in the day when the very first iMac was introduced, it was stated that the "i" was for "internet". Back then, it was hard to set computers up for an internet connection and the iMac was supposed make it very easy ("there's no step 3", to quote the ad from way back then).

But these days, I don't think it really stands for anything any more. People have come to associate an "iAnything" with Apple.

Why is that so important?

Oct 8, 2011 2:57 PM in response to alhoussainy

Maybe if you look back to 1996 after Steve Jobs sold his OS "next" to apple for something like 400 million dollars, I beleive. He came back as what he refered to as "iCEO" at a keynote address the "i" meaning interim CEO. Its only speculation but I would have to say it was a clever little inside joke on his behalf, seeing how since his return he took the company from the brink of falling apart to one of the most valuable tech companies in the world. so now maybe thats his way of never letting certain people forget it. Thats my guess anyways.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ICEO

Jan 2, 2017 10:29 AM in response to WRWolf

WRWolf wrote:


Thanks for asking this question. It certainly prompted some fun answers especially towards the end of this thread. For my two sense may I suggest that the lower case is used for I as in "my". Works for me but no so much for earlier Macs.

Did you mean 'my two cents', because it makes no sense your way.

Mar 27, 2013 12:16 PM in response to weeowey

So I have asked the  store specialists about this, and this is the conversation (blue is me. I was chatting to an Apple specialist called Emer. she is the colour that this is highlighted with):


  • Hello.

  • This may be a hard question for you to answer, but:

  • What does the 'i' before the name of apple products stand for?

  • y'know: iPad, iPod, iPhone, etc...

  • Sure..

  • So this is a question I have aced before but there is no real answer..it's open to interpretation..

  • Some people think it's for innovation, some people think it's for "I" being mine...

  • But the simple answer is I don't know..what do you think it stands for?

  • I think it stood for "idiot" as jobs said that in one of his keynotes.
  • Oh right..he also said the following:

  • "the "i" stood for "Internet, Individual, Instruct, Inform, and Inspire"

  • So it means a lot of things I suppose!

<Chat ends>

Nov 1, 2010 3:56 AM in response to alhoussainy

but apple did not announce officaly if "i" stand for "internet"


Read the 2nd paragraph here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMac#History

or here:
http://my.safaribooksonline.com/0-201-70446-3/part03

or read this interview with the person who came up with the name "iMac":
http://www.cultofmac.com/20172/20172

maybe another word such " intelligence" ?


Probably not. You can continue guessing other words starting with "i" that it may be, or you can just accept what you've been told.

Jun 21, 2012 6:54 AM in response to alhoussainy

I myself am 18 now and have been around apple products: ipod, imac, iphone etc, ever since I was 8. and honestly for the last 10 years I thought the "i" stood for interactive. It makes since, "interactive phone" , "interactive macintosh" ' "interactive portable audio device" (I know a is not in ipod but i dont know what the o stands for) I may be right but im probably not im just throwing my oppinion out there.

what does "i" stand for in apple products

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