Shimano MTB terminology (Shimano Deore XT M8000 Shifter (I-Spec II)

[Stovepipe]

Hi team,
I am looking at piecing together some parts for a 1x11 MTB I am building. I don't really know anything about MTB or parts but after reading some "hierachy" articles have tentatively decided to go with some Deore XT shifters.

My question is around some of the different model types versions. I dont know what the following mean and if they are important so if anyone could shed some light thatd be great.
There are "M8000 Right Hand Rapidfire Pod" and "M8000 Right Hand Shifter (I-Spec II)" for pretty much the same price.

- Rapidfire pods. what's the diff between pods and shifters?
- I-Spec II. What is this? I have seen questions on shop sites asking if they can be converted to spec I or spec B or whatever. What is this? Is it important when choosing my set?

For reference I'll need to buy all the other bits too so if there are any hints/tips or things I should look out for to make it all work together that would be ace. Not buying a complete groupset as I wont need the cranks.

[Duck!]

"Rapidfire" is just Shimano's name for MTB trigger shifters. A pod shifter is a regular independently-mounted shifter.

I-Spec in its various forms is a means of attaching the shifter to compatible brake levers. If you'll be using brake levers from the M9000/8000/7000/6000 (+ non-series MT5000) generation, they're all compatible with I-Spec ll. If you're using previous-generation brakes and wish to integrate the shifter mounting, then I-Spec-B is required. Some models of shifters have replacement caps available as an aftermarket option to change from independent pod to I-Spec.

[Stovepipe]

cheers duck!