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Seriously, what's next for Apple?

zelmo

zelmo

macrumors 603
Original poster
Jul 3, 2004
5,490
1
Mac since 7.5
OK, in the past few months, we've seen Apple do some things that many Mac faithful never thought would happen: Macs getting Intel processors, and now a multi-button mouse from Apple. The whole Moto iTunes phone thing seems pretty real, and I think we'll be seeing that one before the summer is out.
What's next? What is the next product/technology that Apple willl unveil and shock us all? iPDA? vidPod? iTablet? iHome? full x86 compatibility? Or something else entirely?
 
i say ....Suprise me


Apple has traveled a long way and there is more to come next year so i will let them suprise me with there new Mactels
 
It's a good question. Although I'd argue that they haven't really done all that much yet. They've still got quite a way to go with this Intel change which will probably take up a fair chunk of their resources over the next year and a half, I imagine.

After that? Well, I'm not sure that this living-room PC thing has really kicked off yet, but I wouldn't mind seeing an Apple iHome as the simple and user friendly Media PC alternative.

Also, it's not revolutionary, but I'd really love to see a more affordable consumer display range alongside the current ACDs.
 
i think that the intel switch will ocupy much of apple's time...

haven't there been rumors of apple getting in to the tv market, much like dell did?
 
Cooknn said:
Hi-Def Video Store and Media Hub. Not sure what they'll call em :p
Click to expand...
can you see em streaming HD DVD's over the internet ? wow my poxy broadband will need to go 10 times as fast just to keep up with it lol

video store i can see - but music videos and small 30 min shows
 
liketom said:
can you see em streaming HD DVD's over the internet ? wow my poxy broadband will need to go 10 times as fast just to keep up with it lol

video store i can see - but music videos and small 30 min shows
Click to expand...
Okay, this rumor is out there, but Apple could deliver the content via ...satellite :eek: The year of HD Baby!
 
all of apples products are still extensions of computers. an ipod is useless without a computer. itunes won't work without a computer.
so how about refocussing on the computer business? because whatever comes next, it will be based on computers. and the money is made by selling the computers, not the os x or the music.

computers are also the strategic basis to exclusively market the new products. you can see that with the itunes phone. because apple is not a service provider they can't set up itunes for phones. they can't enter the market without giving up almost all profits and the freedom to operate.
unless apple can pull something off like M$, namely becoming a monopolist with their OS they have to stay in the computer hardware business.

so i expect a range of new macs. based on this technology there will be a digital hub for consumers and video/audio/3d applications for the pros.

my 2 cents.
 
yellow said:
Cold Fusion, baby! :)

Or is that Cold Baby Fusion?
Click to expand...
No, I would think that apple would have to name it iFusion.

Oh come on people, it needed to be said. :)

As for the next big announcement, I think we will see them branching out into the media sales more and more, (music vids and movies perhaps), and then slowly we will see the range change as they switch to intel. I can see the range of macs actually expanding as they switch, maybe with the greater range being emphasised on the portable side of sales. They definately need to make a super small pro product and some super high specification 17" media book too, if they want to compete with the other laptop manufacturers.
 
Cooknn said:
Okay, this rumor is out there, but Apple could deliver the content via ...satellite :eek: The year of HD Baby!
Click to expand...
I think it will be the year of HD, next year that is, but that would be one huge move for apple. Almost as big as say announcing a Music Store was the other year when they did.
 
They'll buy TiVo and incorporate it into the iPod Video. You'll be able to record and store programs directly from your television, at home or on the road, and play them back either on the TV, on the iPod, or on your Mac.
 
I think their displays have been really sagging for a couple of years. The aluminum displays really didn't bring anything new to the table and even with their price cuts they haven't been able to compete at all on a price leve: that is why I have a Dell 2005fpw that cost me half the price of the competing Cinema Display, has far more features and isn't half ugly. Apples competitors sure took a while but they have caught up and in many cases, exceeded Apple.

I think there are two ways to do something about this problem. The first, as many people have suggested is for Apple to introduce more budget conscious displays. But the problem is Apple can't go back on it's widescreen format now that it has become so essential, and anything under 17" does not work with the 16:10 format very well. I think it WOULD be a good idea for Apple to change their display line into two lines. I think they should significantly drop the price on the 20 incher, along with maybe finding some ways to cut costs through cheaper materials (they can do a lot with white and grey plastic, mind you, and it would be a whole lot cheaper than aluminum and still quite nice). Bring in a low end 17" monitor with the same features as their current cinema displays (ie: none other than showing a signal from a computer). The 20 incher would be the high end of their consumer displays.

This leaves the 23 and 30 inch monitors. The 23 is an amazingly great monitor: I've always thought it to be just about the perfect size and it should be a necessity for all video pros with it's HD resolution. Take advantage of that market. Add all sorts of different inputs for it. I know Apple can always just take the easy way out and say "if you want to be able to configure your monitor, buy a vesa mount for it" but most VESA mounts are pretty ugly, at least in comparison to a cinema display. The only thing that the display really has going for it is it's looks, so don't make someone go out and buy an ugly pro arm just to be able to tilt it. Figure out a solution.

There are plenty of things that Apple will need to do to stay competetive with their computers, and ARE doing. What I think they should establish is whether they're going to stay in the monitor game and if so, how they can compete. Because when Dell manages to have a better product for cheaper than you, you know you're not innovating enough.
 
iPDA would be nice if they made a good one. Its not only tough to sync windows PDAs with apples, but the PocketPC in general has stopped evolving. It would have been great if they kept on prgoressing, but they seemed to hit a snag by trying to incorporate harddrives. Other than that the PDA hasn't really changed, thats why my 3 year old PDA is just as good as newer ones, except for the screen of course. If Apple could shake up this market then maybe we could finally reach the full potential of the PDA, to assist further in daily life.
 
Well, Apple have been giving us clues ...

All Macs include Airport, Bluetooth 2.0, and gigabit ethernet is becoming standard starting with the higher end down ....

Go figure.
 
I'd like Apple to create another PDA -- I'm well aware of what the Jobster said on this subject, but I really fancy the eMate.

I posted an idea in another thread about an iPod with a widescreen display in a clamshell form. It'd be minimal to turn that into a PDA. Throw in an ARM processor or a G3 and, with the advancement in technology you should be able to throw Darwin and a minimalist Aqua on there. OS X Mini! Also completes the 2x3 Apple computer matrix (Pro/Con X Desktop/Laptop/Mini). Might be able to get a G3/500 in there, conceivably. Hey... it could happen.

Dunno about the keyboard. Something tells me Apple wouldn't like the "pinhead" keyboards that have been on PDAs. If it had minimal controls, though (think iPod), it would suffice for most purposes, and if you a USB2 connector (any more than that is *really* pushing it), you'd have a great number of possibilities.

Sounds good to me, but then if I was in charge of Apple, things would be different (probably bankrupt, for one).
 
I really dont see anything big until the whole Intel switch thing, Im just kind of deciding If I shuld spend the money on an iBook, and then have it be obsolete in less than a Year, kinda seems pointless to me.
 
WeeShoo said:
I really dont see anything big until the whole Intel switch thing, Im just kind of deciding If I shuld spend the money on an iBook, and then have it be obsolete in less than a Year, kinda seems pointless to me.
Click to expand...

it isn't like the intel switch is going to make your notebook not work anymore. your'll be able to use for a while, you just won't have an x86 chip. all mac users have PPC now, so there will be a long transition.
 
Uber thin laptops containing Intel's ULV version of the Pentium M that will replace the 12" iBooks.

I think for the next two years don't expect to see anything revolutionary out of Apple other then whatever they come out with on the PowerBooks, iBooks, PowerMacs, and iMacs. Apple prob isn't going to intro a new device in the middle of a transition to the x86.

I think eventually they will release a home entertainment device that is the center "hub" of your home theatre that links back to your Mac/PC.
 
Apple will never use an Intel CPU. No longer.

Apple will never release a multi-button mouse. No longer.

So, here's my guess:

Apple will never release a relatively cheap, very upgradeable, headless Mac? Well, maybe they will...
 
Jokes aside, let's see.


Things we thought would never happen, YET HAVE BEEN LONG RUMORED:
Apple switch to Intel
Apple release a multibutton mouse
Apple release a headless iMac
Apple release an iPhone
Apple release a Tablet
Apple release a PDA/new Newton.
Apple release a video iPod.


Well, we can check off the first four.

Tablet, PDA, and iPod Video are next.


Other things we thought would never happen:
Paul Thurrot bash Windows
Paul Thurrot boycott a Microsoft application (IE)
Pigs fly


Only one more to go there.
 
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