What is with "i" and "HD"?

I, I, I, I, I!!!!

(Credit: Apple)

Am I the only one who has noticed that most products today feature an "i" or "HD" in the model number or name? What is with this? I don't know about you, but I'm fed up with all of this crazy lingo.

The "i" phenomenon started with the iPod, which quickly filtered down to iPod accessories, which quickly filtered down to the rest of the business once everyone realized that putting an "i" before a name may make people think it has something to do with the popular DAP. After all, it makes sense: if you're an entrepreneur trying to sell a junker, you don't want to call it what it is, you want people to believe that it's comparable to an iPod or has something to do with Apple.

I actually heard a few suckers at a Sam's Club discussing this. As I was looking around, I heard one of them claim that a product "must be good -- it's made by Apple." A couple of minutes later, the couple was walking out of the store with an iHome clock radio in hand. Unfortunately, I didn't have the heart to explain to the woman that just because the name has an "i" in front of it, it doesn't mean it's made by Apple. Oh well.

This whole "i" thing is annoying me. Everywhere I turn, the letter pops up to describe a product. And with the news about this iCar, I was about ready to pull my hair out.

I hate I

(Credit: Apple)

Of course, it won't get any better. Now that the iPhone is out, the cell phone business will be plagued by this letter and accessory makers will be the gateway drug for the rest of the industry to adopt something with that disgusting letter in it. I'm sorry, but it's ugly, stupid, weird and just plain annoying. It needs to go.

What's up with "HD"?

Has anyone else noticed that HD is everywhere too? I understand people are getting excited about the possibilities of HD and everything is provides, but have of these products that have "HD" in the title aren't even high-definition devices. What's with that?

Is there something special with those two letters that I should know about? Just because people are saying, "hey, is that HD?", it doesn't mean we have to be inundated with products that feature those same letters for no reason.

I'll give you an HD

(Credit: Vizio)

Sometimes it makes sense: the company is selling a high-definition camcorder or something features a hard drive and the old "HDD" just had to be changed because it was confusing people.

This is ridiculous. Try to find me one product that actually needs "HD" in its title besides an HD camcorder or HDTV and I'll pay you nothing. HD radio? Possibly. Noise-canceling headphones? Please.

Is anyone else as fed up with those three letters as I am? Enough is enough!

In other news, I have officially changed my name to iDon HD.

[dirty55409]

Oh yes the i and HD

I agree with you the "i" is getting a little ridiculous. they're over used and too many companies do try and cash in on that "i" factor. Remember that iRiver was around in 1999 before the iPod came out. So they're the original creators of that darn i.

As far as the HD is concerned it is yet another, hype acronym. Again companies realize that consumers can identify with HD. You'll be hard pressed to find a person who doesn't know what HD stands for. Then again, you'll be even more hard pressed to find someone who knows what screen or video resolutions that actually qualify as "HD". which is the unfortunate part of the electronics business. They don't care if you know what you're buying they just want you to buy it, so if you THINK it's HD or if you think its made by Apple, they'll snag you.

Overall I think it's simply something that comes with the territory, we're living in an age where consumers are being bombarded with advertisements for the NEW and HD and everyone wants to have the newest, highest definition, coolest thing. so to cash in on the consumers that want the newest and coolest, they have to associate their products with what those consumers notice, (i.e. HD and i products)

that's my insight on the issue at least

[kinofile]

Earlier Than That

I think that the "i" thing started back in 1998 with the first iMac, actually, and
not the iPod. It became a huge Apple branding thing -- "iTools," "iTunes,"
iPhoto," "iMovie," "iDVD," et cetera -- that you've rightly noticed other
companies have tried to appropriate.

[maguro89]

Poor souls

"must be good -- it's made by Apple."
I hear you, Don. I admit that I also (and I bet a whole lot of others) feel a bit of angst and pity when we overhear some poor geriatric talking nonsense about tech. Ah well. That's how it is.