“Thirty years after its humble start, Apple Computer seems more powerful than ever. Last year it posted record sales and earnings, and investors are back in love. But what can Chief Executive Steve Jobs do to make sure his company hasn’t peaked? For starters, he needs to push forward with his ongoing mission to turn his premium-priced computers into mass market must-haves,” Chris Kraeuter writes for Forbes. “Even more important than the box, though, is the software that runs it… Apple’s newest operating system, dubbed Tiger, has been a hit thanks to its inclusion of music, video and picture-editing features, as well as strong security features: It is elegant, intuitive and offers users a sense of safety. Tiger is slated to be replaced with a new operating system, dubbed Leopard, later this year or early next year. But with the latest push-back of Microsoft’s long-awaited and oft-delayed Vista operating system into 2007, Apple may try to move its schedule up to take advantage of the void.”

“Meanwhile, Jobs still needs to find ways to sell more iPods… Then there’s the digital home, where Microsoft, Sony (nyse: SNE – news – people ), and a host of competitors want to insert themselves as some sort of hub or gatekeeper for communications and entertainment. Apple’s slick, easy-to-use interfaces and its Intel alliance should give it a shot at the market,” Kraeuter writes.

Full article here.

MacDailyNews Take: Are we the only ones who involuntarily flinched at the phrase “mass market must-haves?”

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