Analysts fitting Apple to holes not Apple sized, stupid predictions and too much confidence

Kosmo

I hope that the topic of this post is the liking for everyones taste (except you who like your topics short and hairless). Citigroup is predicting that Apple will have something earth shattering in it's sleeve for it's 30th birthday on April this year. Well, the "something up their sleeve" part is definedly true, but I don't know so much about earth shattering, everythin is going forward as previously planned, Apple is releasing their Intel based powerhouses and they in itself are not too far from earth shattering, but that Apple has squeezed something even better out of already round the clock working engineers full steam trying to produce bug free computers on the Intel platform? I highly doubt that they will be doing anything like that, they know that people are more than happy with each new version of Apple hardware revealed. Another analyst predicts that Apple has some sort of revolutionary cellphone design in the makes, ofcourse news like this brews from the previous news which states that Palm investors have suggested a sell and Apple was listed as potential buyers (without any confirmation from Apples direction, so I declare Satan and Spock as potential buyers aswell). Would Apple risk it in the cellphone market? A venue that is highly unlikely to happen, Apple is enjoying their time too much to pursue another area of technology that they clearly don't have a footing at all. Would it be possible that Apple bought a company that had developed cellphone technology? Yes, but I don't see Apple investing in to an area where they don't have any way to become one of the market leaders, companies like Nokia and Sony Ericsson, Motorola, Samsung and others are just way too massive for Apple to buy them nor compete wit them. Maybe they bring out a Voip phone that is like the new remote and works as a remote, which would top off Intels challenge of "buttonless voice remote controller". But other than that, I doubt it. This concludes yet another pointless Apple jibba jabba.

LoOkOuT

I think any announcements will have to do with an iTunes Movie Store. Yesterday they released a Disney full length film for £1.99, which was initially a mistake. It was later put back on for £9.99. Maybe a piece of hardware to go along with this and the Mac Mini in the living room. But I agree, I don't reckon it will be anything more grand than that. Mind, in some ways, it is earth-shattering when I think just a few years ago digital movies on the computer were largely rubbish for the average consumer. It's all come along way.

Minisweeper

I'd love a napster like video service... (i.e. set monthly fee) Pay per download doesnt interest me so much though. Something mini-like for home media would be nice. Maybe an apple version of sonos. Then there's something i'd really love...a wireless monitor (yeah, impossible, i know :()

Bergamot

Season Pass.

For $25, i get one year of access to a video podcast of my favorite show, downloaded automatically to my ipod at the same time the show airs on tv.

They're damn close to this already for the Daily Show.

lech

Apple producing their own cellphone would be stupid considering that there are already several phones already out there that support itunes. It would be a suicide move for them considering the prices they already charge for hardware like the ipod. That's like digging your own grave then shooting yourself in the foot and bleeding to death where you stand. The cellphone market moves as fast if not faster that computer hardware these days, and apple trying to edge itself it would be mindless stupidity. As for other hardware, that's a possibility but I can't think of anything they don't already have out there that would top what they already have. Unless they announce a new rackmount server models based on their current intel line that would be a fresh move. I think the biggest suprise would be an official implimentation and support from apple on dual booting XP / Vista on one of their own machines under the current EFI architecture without using VMWare. Beyond that, there's nothing they can really do without arrousing some kind of public suspicion in the market which would be a dead give-away that they're testing new waters, because someone would have cracked by now regardless of NDA's.

Kosmo

Then there's something i'd really love...a wireless monitor (yeah, impossible, i know )

But it IS possible, and already made and in production V210

Other than that, there is nothing much to add, everything has been said, as a Finnish it's the national hobby to follow every move that Nokia makes, and I can tell you, Cell phone market moves easily two to three times faster than computer consumer market.

Nokia introduces new models quarterly, with yearly announcement of a larger lineup like the N series and the E series (which btw is going to be my next phone for sure E61 FTW!).

But for Apple to kickstart a phone company, it is very unlikely, and it would be a suicide for Apple to do so, they don't stand a chance in that area against companies that have had their fingers on the play from the very beginning.

That said, there is a slight chance that IF, Apple rolls out a PDA like device that it would have phone like features/voip, that is completely in the realm of possibility, then it wouldn't compete on the fierce phone market but in the PDA market that doesn't seem to offer anything good, aside from OQO that is.

But there is only a 5% chance of Apple doing something radical like that, they are crazy but still a safe betting company.

lech

Ahh indeed, I totally overlooked the newton and palmtop pc's. Yeah, that sounds like another avenue they actually stand a chance in. However, if anything, it will likely be the full touch-screen ipod with the added goodies of other palmtop devices. At least the fullscreen, that's pretty much for certain. If it's not on their aniversary, it will no doubt come later this year or early next year.