‘Tis that time of the year for predictions for Apple Computer, Inc.

Om Malik, senior writer at Business 2.0 magazine, lists his predictions for Apple in 2006:

• Apple will finally take its market share to over 5%. (I am finishing up my follow-up post on increasing support for OS-X from software vendors!)
• iPhone, the real thing comes to market sometime in September 2006 time frame.
• Mac mini finally becomes Apple’s CE platform for the living room.
• Apple releases iPod-inspired devices for the home.
• Apple will get closer to Cingular in terms of wireless music.

Full article here.

“Apple is poised to employ a variety of strategies this time around that could result in increased market share on consumer desktops and laptops against the Windows world, for the first time in years,” research analyst Michael Parekh writes. “We could start seeing some of these potential changes get underway next month, as Apple launches it’s first computers based on Intel chips. And that offers certain “game changing” opportunities to Apple vs. Microsoft for the first time in decades… Next year offers an opportunity to more clearly see this shift, assuming Apple continues to try and do for general computing what it’s done for music to date. So for Microsoft, it’s not just about Google and Yahoo! anymore.”

Full article here.

“This will be a big year for Apple,” Rob Enderle writes for Technology Pundits. “The big anticipated product is Apple’s move into the living room with their own spin on a Media Hub. In 2005 they made a baby step in this direction and in 2006 they are expected to jump in with both feet. Timing of this product will be interesting as they clearly will want to bring it out early in the year but this type of product typically moves aggressively in the 4th quarter.

Enderle writes, “Finally, the new iPods aren’t expected until mid-year and clearly more capacity in their flash and hard-drive based products coupled with increased video capability for the Nano class. The Shuffle will likely be discontinued and be replaced by similarly priced product with a display and possibly a radio. Issues for Apple will be increased third party attempts to get around their music service lock in and falling iTunes revenues suggest some major changes there as they ramp up video access.”

Full article here.

“With greater penetration of broadband “always on” connectivity, those in the Windows camp need constant vigilance to ward off internet-borne nasties. The demise of the floppy has gone some way to stopping the spread of viruses, but it’s really now a drop in the ocean compared to what gets transmitted via email and file-sharing,” Les Posen writes for his CyberTech Blog. “It’s for this reason amongst others that 2006 will be the year of the Switcher for Apple and Microsoft.”

“I do expect to see [Apple's Keynote] presentation software upgraded to a new version, perhaps as part of iWork 06,” Posen writes. “Pages 2.0 will appear and be revved up with new features and made speedier and less buggy, especially its html exporting. Can we expect a new application to be added to the iWork duo, such that we can start referring to an iWorks suite? Will it be an Excel-type program, or something for business which integrates the features of a number of stand-alone business programs? …We are entering the year of Apple’s 30th anniversary. I can’t imagine Steve Jobs not mentioning this in his keynote, despite his abhorence of historical reflections. I think he will, and he will speak of 2006 being the real year of the Switcher. If he does offer a retrospective, he will link Apple’s original DNA to the current way Apple looks to the future.”

Posen writes, “2006 will be a watershed year for technology, and especially for Apple, whose vision will set the trends for the remaining years of the decade.”

Full article here.

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