What product category should Apple tackle next?
Posted by Dennis Sellers 
Jul 3, 2008 at 7:53am
A recent MacNewsWorld article asked what product category Apple should tackle next. There are lots of possibilities, but only a handful that make sense.
“Cell phones, personal media players, online music stores—Apple didn’t invent any of these technologies. Instead, the company sought out existing segments that it felt needed change and then took them by storm, in some cases dominating the space within a few years. What’s the next tech category Cupertino’s preparing to shake up?” Chris Maxcer wrote for MacNewsWorld.
Among the things he notes that Apple has been rumored to be eyeing are car navigation, video games, an eBook reader and/or a tablet computer. There’s also been talk that Apple should enter not just the auto navigation arena, but actually go into auto manufacturing. It’s an interesting idea, but one that, as I’ve said, I’m 99.99 percent won’t happen.
I also don’t think that Apple will make a tablet computer, at least not as we know them now. I’m dubious as well about a dedicated eBook reader. On the other hand an Ultra Mobile Device (UMD)—a hybrid iPod touch and MacBook Air with some tablet features and the ability to double as an eBook reader—now that would be an idea worth pursuing.
But what I really think (and Chris feels the same way, per his article) is that Apple should concentrate on the Apple TV. “Take Two” was an improvement, but there’s still a lot Apple could and should do with the device. But more on that next week.
Meanwhile, Forrester Research has predicted that by 2013, Apple will have introduced a plethora of home devices for the digital lifestyle. Among the new products Forrester predicts Apple will create are wall-mountable digital picture frames with small high-definition screens and speakers that wirelessly play media, including photos, videos and music, stored on a computer elsewhere in the home.
Some folks think that’s “pie in the sky” thinking. But I think Forrester may be onto something.
And you? What sort of products/areas do you think Apple will tackle next?
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Contributor
Dennis Sellers
Dennis has been a newspaper editor/reporter (seven years) and teacher (seven years). He has over 4,000 magazine, newspaper and online articles to his credit. He has also covered the Mac and tech industries for over a decade for such online publications as MacCentral, MacMinute and now MacsimumNews.
