5 Predictions for Apple in 2007

Michael writes "2006 is coming to a close, and all anyone can think about (in regards to Apple, at least) is the upcoming Apple phone, but what happens next? What are we going to be salivating over and speculating about after Macworld? What changes are in store for Apple in 2007? No one knows for sure, but it sure is fun to take a guess."

Comments

My top 5 predictions for Apple

[Salvance]

My top 5:

5. Apple will break the 10% market share mark in new computer sales
4. The iPod will face it's first big competitor at Christmas 2007, from a vastly improved Zune
3. iPod will release a hard-drive free version of it's Video iPod, utilizing multiple flash memory cards to achieve 40GB+
2. Apple will release the iPhone, and it will be the must have phone of 2007
1. Apple will announce plans for a set-top box, integrating gaming, cable, and internet browsing

Re:My top 5 predictions for Apple

[unother]

That's why a fleet of lawyers is spending night and day to ensure that Steve Jobs has a cloak of plausible deniability. I'm not going to speculate on what he knows--that would be crass, and although Jobs is a sharp strategist (and corporate icon) I am not certain he would choose to understand any details of the alleged financial chicanery--nonetheless, should Apple be forced to oust him again for bureaucratic reasons it would be an ill-timed morale blow to Apple.

I imagine this will eventually settle under a legal tarpulin of promises and the obligatory fine. Still, any cracks in the Apple empire are sure to be more and more exploited by a press hungry for material. This is all we are seeing; it only matters for Apple because people pretend Apple is a "good" company, unlike say, Marsh and McLennan...

Where is the market for a full screen video iPod?

[dircha]

From the article:
"After years of speculation, the full screen video iPod will make it's debut just in time for the 07 holiday season sales push."

Can someone please explain to me what the market is for portable video players with builtin viewing screens, in general?

I see these at electronics stores and their appeal is completely lost on me.

When might I use such a device? Well, I suppose when I am somewhere without access to a computer or television, want to watch a video, and can devote my full attention to a little ~2.5" screen (so not when I'm driving). For me, that is never.

As far as I can tell the primary markets for these are:
1) People who spend a large amount of time on public or air transportation, but don't carry a laptop.
2) Young children of parents who are rich enough to buy them personal video viewing devices but don't already have viewing screens built into their SUVs.

Anyone? I can't even think if a reason to buy the existing video iPod, muchless a full screen model.

Video is overrated. BBC radio news, for example, is more informative than any broadcast or cable television news outlet in the U.S. Add in the daily hour long DemocracyNOW broadcast (or podcast) and you have more real, compelling news than you will find in a week of 24x7 Fox News. And you can listen those while you commute or work. Video monopolizes your brain. Not only that, but even old pre-1950 radio dramas are at least comparable in quality to the majority of sitcoms, dramas. and comedies on television today: i.e. they are crap.

Kill your television. Don't bring it with you in a little box.

All I want

[Jethro]

13.3" MacBook Pro. Please? Can I have a decent upgrade path for my 12" Powerbook that doesn't involve getting a much bigger laptop or crappy plastic keys? Please?

Re:All I want

[mrcdeckard]

you know, i'm surprised i'm not hearing more about this. i bought a portable computer to be just that -- portable. so apple nixed the 12" powerbook and forced the line to the 15" -- i am now holding onto my 12" PB with a deathgrip until apple (hopefully) gets a clue and comes out with a 12" MB pro.

does anyone have a clue why they supersized their whole laptop line? the only two things i can think of are 1) their market research suggested that people want bigger or 2) they need the space to squeeze in the extra processing/gadgets.

to 1) i suppose i understand. i guess. no. no i don't. i thought the trend was smaller and lighter...

to 2) i can say, give me less processing and gadgets. the small size and weight of a laptop are the biggest selling points for me.

also, what's with the glossy screens? after going through years of those shields to go over your monitor to cut glare, and other check-out lane solutions to the glare problem, the new trend is *GLOSSY* screens? OMGWTF?!?!?!

anyway, to the parent: like, right-on, man.

mr c

Re:Where is the market for a full screen video iPo

[theurge14]

Anyone? I can't even think if a reason to buy the existing video iPod, muchless a full screen model.

Since I own a video iPod (80GB woot), I can state my reasons:

1) I have my entire photo collection with me at all times. No more pictures in my wallet.
2) I watch lastnight's Daily Show before work every morning.
3) Video podcasts.
4) I can share music videos with others on a drinking night.

And I haven't even mentioned my music until just now.

Re:Windows Use Increasing Among Mac Users

[WiseWeasel]

Give it up, PPC is dead. Don't expect new software releases from any major developers (including Apple) within a year or two. That doesn't mean the Mac platform is in trouble, though. Sure, the games market is a tough sell because it's a social activity, and kids will do whatever it takes, including booting into Windows, to play the games their friends are playing. Waiting for a Mac port is not an option. Mac game distributors are going to have to do simultaneous launches or give up the serious (non-casual) gamer market. For professional and productivity apps, however, any non-native solutions wouldn't stand a chance against native solutions; and with market share rapidly expanding in a very attractive demographic of home users and creative pros, developers catering to those markets would be foolish to give it up like that.

Re:Parallels.... vs OSX native...

[Archangel Michael]

I predict that the market will clone the Windows API, and it will stablize, much like Unix has.

Apple will implement the API and tie it with all the goodness of Mac OS X and none of the badness of Windows.

Linux will implement the API and tie it with all the goodness of ... well Linux, and none of the badness of Windows.

The term "Windows Compatable" will become much like "IBM Compatable" was in 1980s. Software will no longer be written for Microsoft Windows, but rather the new Windows API.

Microsoft will abandon Vista fairly quickly after nobody wants it. Mac and linux takes off.

No "Office Killer" rumour this year?

[Andy_R]

One prediction that's been going round for years but has never really happened is the Apple Office-killer. Sure Pages and Keynote are nice, but there is an obvious gap where you woudl expect the spreadsheet and database to be, and those MacPro desktop machines are conspicuously overdue for a speedbump. I think Apple are saving up for something big...

I predict Apple will go agressively after the business market, this upgrade cycle would be the perfect time to convince businesses to 'switch', especially if iWork had all 4 expected apps, robust compatibility with office documents, and the pricetag of (MacPro + Leopard + "iWorkPro") is significantly less than (Vista capable pc + Vista + Office 2007), which seems entirely possible. Throw in the expected 8-core MacPro, a bit of dual boot hype and garnish with XServes, and it's a tasty package.

As for the iPhone and widescreen video iPod, I wouldn't be at all surprised if these were actually one device not two. A 360 degree clamshell design that's a very scratch-resistant shuffle when closed, a phone when 180 degrees open and a widescreen video iPod when 360 degrees open sounds like a highly marketable device to me, especially if Apple leverage their close ties with flash memory producers to give it good video storage space without a hard drive. Nokia tried hard with the N93, but they ended up with a rubik cube designed by a committee. Apple product design head Jonathan Ive must have been looking at that thing and laughing.