That's Not My Name!

I am constantly amazed at the misnaming of the iPod Touch. I understand it on blogs and discussion forums, it is just shorthand in many cases. But the Touch is now the most common prize or giveaway and I get email after email from various companies telling me I can win an iTouch just by selling my soul, giving up my first born child for scientific experiements or handing over my personal details to the world's largest Spambot. At least wikipedia has it correct, no mention of Apple here.

The argument I have had with several folks goes something like "Well it is Apple's fault for having inconsistent branding.....".

Actually no, they have very consistent and clear branding as you would expect.

- It is the iPod nano, not the iNano.
- It is the iPod classic, not the iClassic.
- It is the iPod shuffle, not the iShuffle.

So what went wrong? The introduction of the iPhone. The iPhone is not an iPod. It is a phone. It is not the iPod Phone because that would send the wrong message. The problem is the public didn't quite get it and I do see their point. They know not to call the Apple TV the iTv because it is nothing like an iPod. Same for the Macbooks.

But the iPod Touch and the iPhone look and behave so much alike that the customers really don't care. So should Apple cave in and rename it the iTouch? And why does it annoy me so much when I see it in print? Should I seek iTherapy?