Luis.A.Masanti

First of all… let us remember that the ‘i’ was not always mean ‘internet’!
Steve Jobs was… iCEO… interim CEO.

Although the ‘i’ run wild… I think I should remain in the iPhone and other places.
The original ‘iMac’ was the ‘internet’ Mac… so it should be remain with that name.

The problem began with the iPod… as a device it had nothing to do with internet.
But its name came from a previous unreleded ‘internet Pod.’ The story goes that Steve, tired of discussing names, decided for it.
On the funny side of events… it was the origin of… ‘podcasts’… a now internet only journalism.

The original ‘iBook’ was also meant to ‘easily connect with the internet’… but it is good that it is gone.

The origina ‘iTunes’ was also meant to download music from the internet. But it is now better being Music.

The iPhone brought the full internet to the cellphone! Do we remember the ‘mobi’ sites?
So… the iPhone… deserves the ‘i’ forever.

The iPad is a kind of… someone between the iMac and the iPhone… Not the perfect name but no really bad. 

iCloud… is a full internet service… so it is perfect as a name.

So… what I meant to say is… keep the ‘i’ withe all the devices/services REALLY involving the internet.

(As a side note, the PowerBook name… reflected the name of the chip inside: PowerPC… and that was a registered trademark of IBM. When Apple used Intel chips… ghould it name the laptop IntelBooks?)

Great article, William!
Some points that I think you forget to include.
1— Around CompuUSA's stores-in-stores they also tried Cafe Mac… where you could connect to the internet.
2— Ron Johnson told a story about he and Steve checking a mockup of the first store built in a secret place… and he told Steve to change everything from… product oriented to ‘appliction’ oriented… devices to photographers, designers, video producer… In the car, Steve yielded to him: “You made me waste 200 hundreds!” When they arrived to the marketing meeting in Cupertino… Steve just said: “Do what he says…” And left the room. That was the beginning of the success!
3— And the same time they developed the mock-up they ask SAP to develop sa sales management system that informed about sales… every 4 minutes. Follow the money!
4— Dell's online site was build on WebObject, a powerful web developing tool from NeXT. When Apple bought NeXT… Dell rebuilt the whole site in other tools.

But the biggest point that I do not see commented is the… great renovation efforts for old and significant places… including the one in London.  This is something of the ’intersection of technology with overall ates’ that we do not pay too much attention from Apple.

And finally, my idea of why the Apple Store is successful: The employees advice customers about Apple products… they do not earn money for selling you crap products!

Steve Jobs' vision was… ‘a computer that is a slate of glass’ —check AllDigital interview—.
That's right the actual iPad Pro. You are right.

But someone then add… a pencil, a (physical) keyboard, and even… function keys! (All those things hated by Steve Jobs!)

quote: “But, it still has support pages on AirPort routers too, and those are as dead as a doornail.”

Maybe… the reason why AirPort routers have pages is… because it was an Apple's product.

“Analysts, analysts, analysts…” read this aloud in Ballmer's monkey-jumping style.

Apple —at least— is using in device machine learning from the original 2007's iPhone's keyboard.

But wait… the analysts do not paid too much attention to that but… to the fact Apple… ‘seems to follow the herd’ of using server side AI!
After 40 years of following its own way… to become the most valued company… to release the most successful product… analysts and financial advisors still think that ‘following the herd’ and ‘making big acquisitions’ is the way to success!