History Main / IProduct

The letter "i" can prefix ''anything'' and make it sound cool. People often have the misconception that only Apple does this with its line of electronic products, but nope - they weren't the first ones to flex their "i"s, and they're not the latest. Companies everywhere are cashing in on the iFad. So why "i"? Well, it likely began with the iMac, where it stood for "internet," because the iMac had a built-in modem and was designed mainly for web browsing. [[note]] In Europe at least the fad for ''i'' began in the eighties where it was commonly used as a suffix. It started with cars, such as the Golf [=GTi=], where it notionally stood for fuel injection but did spread to non-automative products as a supposed sign of being technologically advanced. It was parodied to death by comedians like Creator/HarryEnfield and eventually became discredited for a few years before it began being used as a common prefix.[[/note]] It also stood for "individual", as opposed to the Power Macintosh line of professional machines. It was later [[TropeCodifier codified]] by the iPod, the most popular portable media player. The "individual" meaning has since spread to items and software where the "Internet" definition makes no sense, so more recently people seem to figure it's used like the pronoun. As in: "This phone is mine, [[ThisIsForEmphasisBitch bitch]], back off!" or "Look at me! This is what I'm like!". Ah, the power behind lowercase letters.

*** iPad (Generation Z and Alpha's favorite toy)

** And Creator/TheABC's [[http://www.abc.net.au/iview iView.]]

*** iPad (Generation Alpha's favorite toy)

* UltimateComics' ''Ultimate Armor Wars'' had [[ComicBook/IronMan Tony Stark]] using an iMan, a minimalist Iron Man suit thin enough to be worn under his clothes undetected. It also had pulse blast powerful enough to blow a finely-edged hole in whatever he was aiming at, the wall behind, and the building behind that.

[[folder: [=iFanfiction=]]]

*** iPad

* Wiki/{{Uncyclopedia}} has stuff like [=iRaq=], [=iRan=], the [=iRon=], [=iBrows=], [=iSuicide=], [=iOwa=], and the German-themed [=üPod=].

[[folder:iAnime and iManga]]

[[folder:iComic Books]]

[[folder:iComic Strips]]

[[folder:iFanfiction]]

[[folder:iJokes]]

[[folder:iLiterature]]

[[folder:iLive-Action iTV]]

[[folder:iMusic]]

[[folder:iRadio]]

[[folder:iVideo Games]]

[[folder:iWeb Original]]

[[folder:iWestern Animation]]

* Sega Toys marketed an [=MP3=] speaker in Japan called the iDog which was marketed by Tiger Electronics in America. The line was later updated to include the iCat, the iFish, the iCy Penguin, and the iTurtle.

* The fifth ''Animation/PleasantGoatAndBigBigWolf'' film features robotic versions of Weslie and Wolffy named [=iWeslie=] and [=iWolffy=], respectively.

* Introducing, the new KFC [[http://www.kfc.com/itwist iTwist!]]

The letter "i" can prefix ''anything'' and make it sound cool. People often have the misconception that only Apple does this with its line of electronic products, but nope - they weren't the first ones to flex their "i"s, and they're not the latest. Companies everywhere are cashing in on the iFad. So why "i"? Well, it likely began with the iMac, where it stood for "internet," because the iMac had a built-in modem and was designed mainly for web browsing [[note]] In Europe at least the fad for ''i'' began in the eighties where it was commonly used as a suffix. It started with cars, such as the Golf [=GTi=], where it notionally stood for fuel injection but did spread to non-automative products as a supposed sign of being technologically advanced. It was parodied to death by comedians like Creator/HarryEnfield and eventually became discredited for a few years before it began being used as a common prefix.[[/note]]. It also stood for "individual", as opposed to the Power Macintosh line of professional machines. It was later [[TropeCodifier codified]] by the iPod, the most popular portable media player. The "individual" meaning has since spread to items and software where the "Internet" definition makes no sense, so more recently people seem to figure it's used like the pronoun. As in: "This phone is mine, [[ThisIsForEmphasisBitch bitch]], back off!" or "Look at me! This is what I'm like!". Ah, the power behind lowercase letters.

* Creator/TheBBC's online radio/video player is named [[http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/ iPlayer]]. The broadcaster also formerly branded its interactive services as [=BBCi=].
** And Creator/TheABC's [[http://www.abc.net.au/iview/ iView]].

* There's a brand of dog crates called [[http://www.petstreetmall.com/Midwest-iCrate-Dog-Crates/2951.html iCrates]]. What does this have to do with the internet or technology? Uhhh....

* The Japanese telecommunication company NTT Docomo had a cellphone Internet service which was also exported in some western countries called "i-mode".[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I-mode]].

* The unreleased [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISmell [=DigiScents=] iSmell]], which would have allowed users to access scents from particular websites, like perfumes and food.

* ''ComicStrip/{{Retail}}'' made fun of iThings creeping into everything. [[http://www.retailcomic.com/?p=4462 These must be iSweaters]].

* Website/PlatypusComix discusses this in "[[http://platypuscomix.com/educational/touchofyogurt.html Seven Failed Brand Crossovers]]"; the section about "Colgate TV Dinners" explains that TV dinners got their name to ride off of how high-tech and advanced it seemed to own a TV back then, musing that TheNewTens equivalent would bear the name, "[=iDinners=]".

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

[[folder:Comic Books]]

[[folder:Comic Strips]]

[[folder:Fanfiction]]

[[folder:Jokes]]

[[folder:Literature]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]

[[folder:Music]]

[[folder:Radio]]

[[folder:Video Games]]

[[folder:Web Original]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]

* [=TrekStor=] makes the i.Beat line of [=MP3=] players. They caused a minor controversy when they brought out a black model -- and, in combination with XtremeKoolLetterz, [[WhatAnIdiot named it]] the [[UnfortunateImplications i.Beat Blaxx]]. They [[https://gizmodo.com/trekstor-renames-ibeat-blaxx-after-a-bit-of-self-flagel-293667 very quickly]] changed the name to the [=TrekStor=] Blaxx once they realized what that phrase meant in English.

-->--'''[[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Mario]]''' in a[[note]]unfortunately no longer available[[/note]] redub of ''Anime/TheGreatMissionToSavePrincessPeach''

** Lowercase "i"s seem to be a RunningGag on the site, in any context. Supposedly it began with the fact that the font used to write the name of Trodgor the "BURNINATOR" has an uppercase I that looks lowercase, and it took off from there.

* Sega Toys marketed an [=MP3=] speaker in Japan called the iDog which was marketed by Tiger Electronics in America. The line was later updated to include the iCat, the iFish, and the iCy Penguin.

*** iSight (though Apple rebranded their cameras as FaceTime)

** Apple appears to be slowly moving away from this trope. They haven't introduced a new hardware product line with the "i" prefix since the iPad in 2010, and a software product since iCloud in 2011.

** Apple appears to be slowly moving away from this trope. They haven't released a new hardware product line preceded with an i since the iPad in 2010, and a software product since iCloud in 2011.

*** Minor examples include iAd, iDisk (now defunct), iForgot (only seen if you forget your Apple ID password), and older Mac applications like iCal, iSync, and iChat. They seem to be moving away from this gradually, as iChat is now just Messages, and iCal is Calendar.

** Apple appears to be slowly moving away from this trope:
*** The Apple TV is the first notable aversion. They wanted to call it the iTV, but the UK's [[Creator/{{ITV}} Independent Television]] network took umbrage.

*** Apple Music, a subscription music service.
*** Home Pod, a smart speaker for the home.

*** iTunes

*** iSight

* UltimateComics Ultimate Armory Wars had [[ComicBook/IronMan Tony Stark]] using an iMan, a minimalist Iron Man suit thin enough to be worn under his clothes undetected. It also had pulse blast powerful enough to blow a finely-edged hole in whatever he was aiming at, the wall behind, and the building behind that.