“The first time [Jobs] saw the word ‘iMac,’ he hated it. The second time it wasn’t love at first sight. He said, ‘I don’t hate it this week, but I still don’t like it.’” Nevertheless, the name stuck.

“We knew this was the computer that had to save Apple,” says Segall. “That’s how it was presented to us before we even saw it. When it was unveiled, our jaws dropped. It was incredibly bold. I looked at that computer and, like many in the room, doubted it would sell. That proves I’m not a visionary. I’m simply a guy who can write good words for a visionary. [Jobs] and Jony Ive believed the iMac would change the world. It certainly saved Apple.”

During the naming presentations, Segall emphasized that his “i” prefix could be applied to future Apple hardware. “I tried to convince [Jobs] that the ‘i’ was a foundational element that could be used for other products. Not that there were other consumer products at the time, and certainly no concept of handheld devices.”

Today, Apple without Jobs is a very different company, according to Segall. “[Jobs] couldn’t be replaced by one person. He infused his high level of taste into all parts of Apple, always staying true to core values, including thinking differently. Little by little, that has been chipped away over the years,” he says.

“We’ll never know what [Jobs] would have done had he lived longer. But he wouldn’t have been afraid to scrap the ‘i.’”