What is Apple’s secret ‘future product transition’ that execs cannot discuss?

During Apple’s thrid quarter 2008 conference call today, Apple Chief Financial Officer, Peter Oppenheimer repeatedly mentioned a “future product transition” which he couldn’t discuss that affects this quarter’s guidance and will impact this quarter’s gross margins.

We are working to develop new products that contains technologies that our competition will not be able to match. I cannot discuss these new products, but we are very confident in our product pipeline. – Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer

During the Apple’s Q308 Conference Call today, Oppenheimer stated a variation of the above quote at least seven different times.

So, what do you think? Larger format iPod touch (“Newton 2.0,” “iTablet,” or whatever you want to call it), the return of legitimate Mac clones, or something else entirely?

177 Comments

  1. To ragarcia:

    “I would pay for an ‘iPrinter’…the only device that lets you print your boarding passes from within your iPhone”

    “Wireless printing coming to the iPhone?
    (Posted 18 July 2008)

    The decryption of the iPhone OS 2.0 software/firmware package has led to speculation that Apple may add support for wireless printing to the iPhone and iPod touch. An inspection of the iPhone OS 2.0 file structure reveals a directory named ‘Printers.’ Currently the directory is empty, but it could be populated with drivers.”
    (source: http://www.iphoneatlas.com/2008/07/18/wireless-printing-coming-to-the-iphone/)

  2. Sex toys. I think it will be new sex toys that any gender can use. An iSex device will be in every pocket and purse. I can’t wait. Oh, oh, oh, oh, ohoooooooo!

    Please, Apple make me be-come, come, come your love slave.

  3. hmmm. I’d say at some point, a home folder on an iPod or iPhone. Something portable that you might move from one location to another that contains your home folder and oSX but not all you data.

    I don’t think that the upcoming “cloud leopard” OS has “cloud in the title just b/c it’s the only remaining big cat either.

    Somehow, whatever is coming will mean tighter integration with existing parts of the puzzle.

  4. Nearly everything Apple sells is a computer. The mac is a computer. The iPod is a computer. The iPhone is a computer. The Airport Extreme and Airport Express are computers. The AppleTV is a computer. Just because we call them something else instead of using the general term computer doesn’t mean they’re not computers, and certainly doesn’t indicate Apple is moving away from computers.

    But since I’m sure you’re talking about the Mac line when you say “computers”, it may interest you to know Apple just sold more Macs in a single quarter than they ever have in any quarter ever, and this record-breaking quarter didn’t include a Christmas or a Back to School. Believing that Apple would just walk away from the Mac at this point is sheer ignorance of the highest order.

  5. “My guess is they’re eliminating the CD drive on the Mini as well as laptops to make super small computers.”

    ——————-

    yep, eliminating optical drives definitely sounds like a “KEY product transition” that is going to affect Apple’s profit margin to me…

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