A good indication that it's time to move on. It was good, when it was new, but its peak time is over now.
Well - neither am i educated for design nor do i get paid top dollar. So i have not really an idea what might work and what not (especially without computer simulation or prototypes for testing out some ideas).
In my layman's terms the design is too cold and unemotional. Too techy, so to speak. Technologically many products are similar nowadays, so design and emotion become an ever-increasing factor in a purchase decision, especially for high-priced (read: premium) products.
Audi had similar problems in the past of focusing too much on technical aspects and have changed their marketing completely to being more emotional (think e.g. of the colour language and the "heartbeat" sample at the end of their TV ads) when they realized it.
Regarding Apple's products i could imagine giving the cold aluminum silver a slightly warmer tone, e.g. a slight hue (not more) of bronze, copper or champagne (think of something like the Pioneer VSX-908 champagne/gold, only a little bit more faded). Even a slight(!) blue hue would be better than pure silver. I also like unusual colors like e.g. Audi's "suzuka grey", which looks far better in real life than on photos. But i admit that such colors may not be mainstream and may also work better on cars than on comparably small objects. That's why it takes a design expert to test it out and decide.
Another point are the pretty sharp edges on current Apple notebooks, which could use a slightly stronger chamfer-bevel (wording?) giving a smoother curve especially at the hand-rest of the MB(P)'s.
This would show evolution without leaving the current design language.
Further long-term options could be a two-color design (perhaps with a slightly waved intersection) or glass parts, which could e.g. be smoked or lit (an evenly distributed glowing like the Apple logo on the back, perhaps with a variety of colors). Those options would require great skill and taste to NOT make it look tacky, but when done right i could imagine this quite well. Ive could be the man to do it right.
Beyond that i would like to see some intriguing new technical and design approach(es), such as the double-hinged flowerpot iMac had been back then. Current iMacs are the same rectangle sitting on the same unergonomic foot for a felt eternity. What about a more ergonomic foot using an eccentric hinge for at least _some_ height adjustment?! Again - no big deviation from the current design language, yet a step forward.
Or what about the Apple logo doubling as e.g. sensor power button (Think Cube) when an Apple notebook is used in clamshell mode?
And the huge touchpad on today's Apple notebooks is predestined to double as optional second screen for status display, program control or similar. With suitable API all programs could make use of it. Again - needs to be done right to look good, but could be a really nice addition.
Enough for starters?! A trained design expert could probably easily think of half a dozen more ideas that would fit Apple's design language and premium claims.
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