My iPinion

Jake Sargent
2001.02.20

A few days ago, David Shultz published an article on Applelust, iSay: Enough with the iTitles - They are getting iSickening, where he discussed his disgust for titles with "i" names (iExample). I must say that I agree with most of his statements.

The iMac (internet Mac) was a revolutionary name when it first came out - powerful and meaningful, yet simple. It also made sense for the iBook to have an "i" in it, being the counterpart to the iMac. Then we got iMovie. Fair enough - it allows you to share your movies over the Internet. Then came iTunes, again, it makes sense (Internet tunes). The same goes for iCards, iReview, and iTools.

Every "i" in Apple product names meant something until Steve Jobs announced iDVD a few weeks back. Hmmmm, Internet DVD? No, I can't share my DVDs over the Internet, and no, I can't download DVDs from the Internet. What does the "i" in iDVD stand for? This was the first time Apple threw an "i" into a product name for branding purposes.

You're probably wondering: If I'm so against "i" names, why do I write a column called "iThings Considered?"

In my opinion, there are two different types of "i" names - those that have meaning, and those that don't. The "i" in "iThings Considered" stands for "Internet" (Internet Things Considered). It makes sense, is trendy (hopefully), and doesn't make David Shultz sick (my fingers are crossed).

Branding is something that every company does. When someone says iSomething, you immediately think of Apple - and Apple likes that. It is important to Apple's marketing strategy.

What other thoughts come to mind when you hear an iWord? Simplicity, communication, and as both David Shultz (Apple Lust) and Dan Knight (Low End Mac) seem to agree, consumer. The most probable reasoning behind iDVD being named what it is, is the fact that it is a consumer program. Apple knows that if they stick an "i" in from a software title, customers will know that the program is easy to use and targeted towards the average Mac user.

So where is an "i" OK to use, and where is it not?

As David Shultz pointed out, there are many different meanings for "i" in a name ("Internet," "consumer," or for branding purposes). I think that the line is drawn between where a user can immediately identify which of the meanings the "i" is supposed to stand for (if any), and when a user has to think about it.

An "i" title is humorous and clever when put in the right context. Match an "i" up with another word where it doesn't make sense, and things just get repetitive and boring. Sure, Apple should keep sticking "i's" in its product names, and Mac web sites should continue to put "i's" in article titles - where it has meaning. But if Mac web site publishers and users continue to stick "i's" where they don't belong, many people may begin to see it as unprofessional and untasteful.

Links for the Day

• Mac of the Day: 17" iMac G4/800 MHz, July 2002 - The iMac 'grows up' with a 17" 1440 x 900 display.
• Group of the Day: LisaList supports Lisa users.
  
• Support Low End Mac

Recent Content

• Quad-Core CPU Makes Sense in MacBook Pro, OS X 10.6 Causing Overheating, Overseas Power, and More, The 'Book Review, 11.06. Also Late 2009 MacBook reviewed, how to add RAM to new MacBook, 18.4in Acer notebook used Intel i7, and SanDisk SSD chosen for Sony VAIO X.
• Dumping Macs for Google Apps, SSD in iMac, Late 2009 iMac Performance Problems, and More, Mac News Review, 11.06. /newsrev/09mnr/1106.html
• WiFi Paranoia, iMac-O-Lantern, Magic Mouse Does Click, Free Clipboard Managers, and More, Charles W. Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 11.05. Also strange time stamps, problem with ColorIt on Intel Mac, and the story behind OS X 10.5.4 install discs.
• IDE Is Dead; Long Live SATA!, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 11.04. SATA has displaced parallel ATA. While IDE hard drives haven't disappeared, the best deals are in SATA hard drives.
• QuickTime X in Snow Leopard Imports, Trims, and Publishes Video Quickly and Easily, Alan Zisman, Zis Mac, 11.04. The long, slow process of importing video into iMovie to edit it, then render it to another format, is history as QuickTime X does that much more quickly.
• More links in our archive.

Recent Deals

• Best Mac Pro Deals, 11.03. Used 2.66 GHz 4-core, $1,300; 3.0 8-core. $2,299; refurb 2.66 4-core Nehalem, $2,149; 2.93, $2,549; 2.26 8-core, $2,799; 2.93, $4,999.
• Best iPhone Deals, 11.03. New 8 GB iPhone 3G, $$99; refurb 16 GB 3GS, $149; new, $199; 32 GB, $299.
• Best 12" PowerBook G4 Deals, 11.03. Used 867 MHz SperDrive, $348; 1 GHz, $499; 1.33 Combo, $298; SD, $559; 1.5 Combo, $448; SuperDrive, $589.
• Best Power Mac G3 and PCI Video Card Deals, 11.02. Used beige 300 MHz, $25; G4/366, $49; blue & white 350, $80; 400, $90; 450, $105; PCI video cards from $15; shipping additional.
• Best Power Mac G4 and AGP Video Card Deals, 11.02. Used 400 MHz, $50; 733 MHz, $69; 933 MHz, $209; 1.25 GHz dual, $299.
• Best 15" MacBook Pro Deals, 11.02. Used 2.0 GHz, $800; 2.2, $900; 2.4, $1,000; refurb 2.53, $1,449; 2.66, $1,699; 2.8, $1,949; 3.06, $2,169; new 2.53, $1,579; 2.66, $1,799; more.
• Best Mac mini Deals, 10.30. Used 1.33 GHz G4 mini, $379; 1.42, $389; 1.5, $419; 1.83 GHz Core Duo, $350; Core 2, $439; new 2.26 GHz nVidia, $580; 2.53 GHz, $770; Server, $990.
• Best G4 iBook Deals, 10.30. Used 12" 1.07 GHz Combo, $225; 1.33 GHz, $298; 14" 1 GHz, $349; 1.33 GHz, $398; 1.42 GHz SuperDrive, $498.
• Best Classic Mac OS Deals, 10.30. System 6.0.8 floppies, $10; 7.1, $12; 7.5, $20; 7.5 CD, $4; 7.6 $13; 8.1, $11; 8.5, $20; 8.6, $90; 9.0, $20; 9.2.2, $30.
• More deals in our archive.

Support LEM

Affiliates

The Apple Store
.mac
iTunes Store
Club Mac
MacMall
iResQ
ExperCom
eBay
Amazon.com
PayPal
PCMall
PC Zone
Crucial Memory

Our advertising is handled by BackBeat Media. For detailed price quotes and advertising information, please contactat BackBeat Media (646-546-5194). This number is for advertising only.

iThings Considered begun February 13, 2001. All iThings Considered articles ©2001 by Jake Sargent. Entire Low End Mac website copyright ©1997-2009 by Cobweb Publishing, Inc., unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved. Advice presented in good faith, but what works for one may not work for all. Please report errors to .
  LINKS: We allow and encourage links to any public page as long as the linked page does not appear within a frame that prevents bookmarking it.
  Access our RSS news feed at http://lowendmac.com/feed.xml.
  Email may be published at our discretion; email addresses will not be published without permission, and we will encrypt them in hopes of avoiding spammers. If you prefer your message not be published, mark it "not for publication." Letters may be edited for length, context, and to match house style.
  PRIVACY: We don't collect personal information unless you explicitly provide it. For more details, see our Terms of Use.
  Low End Mac is an independent publication and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Apple Inc. Apple, the Apple logo, Macintosh, iBook, iMac, eMac, iPod, iPhone, PowerBook, MacBook, MagSafe, Mac Pro, Apple TV, and AirPort are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. Additional company and product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks and are hereby acknowledged.