Apple products for 2013 - report, speculation

 Well, I'd argue as follows:

1/ These are - as you note - forward looking predictions.

2/ The Cnet article linked to is just written by someone who knows what they are talking about within the current environment, but lacks the imagination to get the future - does anyone else recall those Mac writers who didn't 'get' the iPhone, because it required them to think in unfamiliar territory? These articles weren't an illusion.

3/ Apple has an MO of innovation, yes, that's true, but it also has an MO for taking existing categories and redeveloping them from something not quite right, but into something good..examples of this include the iPod, AirPort, and, indeed, the iPhone. You could argue iMac was part of this - the computer you need that did what everyone actually wanted their machines to do at the time, but couldn't get in an all-in-one.

4/ Apple deals to an elite is such a dull claim. It's so mundane., it's the ultimate defence of the Windows fanboy, they all say that. Apple sells products that are more expensive, but that extra cash gains those extra features you often find you need to pay extra for when purchasing less well featured, but cheaper, machines. The difference is everything works. I'm not sure if that's selling to an elite, or keeping the customer satisfied. 

5/ I seem to be a bit unique here in thinking that an Apple digital photo frame that connects with iTunes/iPhoto/whatever would be a cool thing. I think it would be a nice way to make your creations part of your domestic existence, whether they'll do it isn't precisely Forrester's point, what they are trying to do is find potential examples to illustrate just how far Apple's technologies could reach.

6/ I don't believe Apple TV is a market failure. I'm more minded to believe the device is a sleeper strategy - I mean, Apple doesn't do 'hobbies', I think there's been a plan for that for quite some time - they just needed to put other pieces of the jigsaw together while building an ecosystem of early adopters.

7/ The Cnet article also says Newton was a failure. Maybe it was in sales terms, but there's still a relatively enthusiastic bunch of fans of the device, I think it was withdrawn not for its failings, but in order to focus on the Mac. Apple was in a little trouble at the time, as I recall.

8/ The Cube was wonderful. That's why it's in/was in the Museum of Modern Art. But it wasn't introduced at the right time - the dot com bubble burst and Y2K anxiety, plus the decision then taken to shift to Intel, made it too much of a liability in development terms. Plus, Apple quickly discerned that customers wanted laptops, rather than desk ornamentation.

Anyway, so I think Apple could achieve any one of Forrester's claims. Whether it will or not, well, that I don't know, but IF Apple moves in this direction, then all the report really underlines is that the company has a huge number of options available to it.

Anyway, it's only a few years until 2013, and assuming we all survice that long, then we can look back at this report and give it marks out of ten.