iPod Capitalizing "iPod"

katie ta achoo · Oct 17, 2005

So, I'm writing a report for my state-mandated "learn how to use Windows or you can't graduate" class about iPods. (I'm keepin' it Apple-centric, yo.)

Sooo, I'm using the word "iPod" a lot, and I was wondering...

If I'm starting a sentence with the word iPod, how do I capitalize it?

IPod? That just makes my mind hurt...
but starting a sentence with a lower-case letter also makes my heard hurt.

So, how do I capitalize it? I'm so confused!

Why am I getting hung up on this? 90% of America spells it I-Pod anyway...

PS
I actually wanna know... this is gonna bug me FOREVER if I don't figure it out, so don't say "don't start the sentence with the word 'iPod'"

jsw · Oct 17, 2005

iPod can be used, without capitalization, at the start of a sentence.

iPod is, after all, the name of the device. Would one start a sentence with "E. e. cummings"? No. However, many bios punt by just going with Cummings.

p0intblank · Oct 17, 2005

I've seen Apple rumor sites start sentences with "IPod" for grammatical reasons, so I am guessing that is the correct way to do it. And yes, spelling it that way does annoy me too.

jsw · Oct 17, 2005

On the rare occasions that it's used at the beginning of a sentence, Apple's iPod pages use "iPod". See here for examples.

Blue Velvet · Oct 17, 2005

Stick with the lower case -- it's the brand name of a product.
IPod makes my head hurt too... well, only a little.

Let's see. What looks best?

iPods are my favourite MP3 player. I love mine to bits... OR

IPods are my favourite MP3 player. I love mine to bits...

No contest. Screw correct language rules in this case -- if I was proofing your paper, I'd be making correction marks every time I saw an 'I' in front of 'Pod'.

moot · Oct 17, 2005

Katie, I think it's OK to start a sentence with a lower-case letter when it's a name.

However, if you can - dont start with iPod.. (sorry

) That's what many news sites do, they avoid the issue altogther and start with a different word like "The" or "Apple's" or "New" and so on.

But don't capitalise the i because that is wrong. Then you are spelling the name incorrectly.

Anyway is spelling so important for computer class. I bet your teacher doesn't know what to do either.

BurtonCCC · Oct 17, 2005

It's definitely always iPod.

Anybody else love how Apple refers to iPod like it's a person? It's never "the iPod" or "an iPod," just "iPod."

Maybe that's why I think it's trashy to rename it in iTunes.

Daniel

wordmunger · Oct 17, 2005

Just because that's the way Apple does it doesn't mean that's the way you should do it. I'd say you should always capitalize the first letter of a sentence, but most important is to remain consistent.

Deepdale · Oct 17, 2005

Blue Velvet said:
No contest. Screw correct language rules in this case -- if I was proofing your paper, I'd be making correction marks every time I saw an 'I' in front of 'Pod'.

When Blue Velvet speaks, it is best to heed the advice. As usual, she is right!

DTphonehome · Oct 17, 2005

I don't have my MLE handbook handy, but I do recall that the capitalization (or lack thereof) of proper nouns supercedes the rule that sentences always begin with capital letters. So iPod is correct, regardless of its position in the sentence.

--DT

rainman::|:| · Oct 17, 2005

yep, as a proper noun it should be iPod even at the beginning of a sentence. Of course, the New York Times was capitalizing the "i" as recently as a few weeks ago, so I think it depends on the individual styleguides for them.

Loge · Oct 17, 2005

If you're using Word, it'll probably try and capitalize it for you anyway.

PBGPowerbook · Oct 17, 2005

Just say "The" or "An" or "My" or whatever fits, and don't make it the first word of the sentence

wordmunger · Oct 17, 2005

I think I'm going to have to reverse my opinion. The author bell hooks doesn't capitalize her name. When cited in this article, even when her name starts a sentence, it's lowercase. So we have an academic example indicating that you should retain Apple's capitalization, even at the beginning of a sentence.

hookahco · Oct 17, 2005

my advice to you is, just write "iPod" and if you were to get marked down, you have a lot of examples to site where capitalization rules of a proper noun supersede the rule of sentences starting with a capital letter i.e. "e. e. cummings."
its also interesting to see this article about the de-capitalization of his name. it may help you out.

katie ta achoo · Oct 17, 2005

Awesome! I didn't expect to see any real responses, just a bunch of goony ones calling me a moron.

I'll stick to "iPod" and try to start as many sentences as I can with the word.

That'll teach me.

Thanks!

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iPod Capitalizing "iPod"

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