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It may seem as if Apple is taking a step away from their naming convention -- the famous Apple-i is seemingly left alone. The i marked the new era for Apple, an era that turned demise into golden figures. But where did the i come from and what did it mean?

The answer to where the i come from can be found in a press release from Apple dated January the 21^st, 1999. In volume 2, issue 2 the following extract is found:

When we first announced iMac, we explained that the "i" in iMac stands for Internet.¹

When the iMac was introduced to the market most computers were grey boxes that were kept out of sight. With the introduction of the iMac this was changed. Shortly after they started shipping in 1998 the iMac became a buzz-item, people were talking about them and more important, people were buying them too. The revolutionary and rather radical design made it a fast-moving item; Apple had found it's niche. Creating products with a clean and functional design soon became the trademark of Apple, a trademark they have brought with them ever since.

However, it wasn't only the design that made the iMacs so popular, Apple had put tremendous effort in making it as simple as possible. They believed that computers weren't only for the few technical ones, but rather something everyone should own and master with ease. From this point on this has been one of the selling arguments for all Apple products and is one of the main reasons to why the iPod has become so popular.

With the introduction of Intel-processors Apple seemingly separated them from the Apple-i, giving the products more descriptive name and turning to a more conventional naming standard. The names might change, but chances are that the "Think different" attitude of Apple will remain.

¹[Author not given]. “iMac Update -- Volume 2, Issue 2” Apple iMac Updates. 21 Jan 1999 Advergence, 27 Mar 2006 <http://www.advergence.com/newspage/imac-update/iMac_Update_19990121.shtml>