brakken

sockrolid said:

Winning.

This comment is 103.6% accurate.

I'd love a completely wireless phone - no headphone jack, no Lightning cable - just complete state-of-the art gorgeousness! The iPh4 is still my favourite design. That is, if it all works as advertised, of course... the 150us$ Bluetooth earphones I have only work flawlessly if the phone is in my hand. Maybe the next generation will get it right (been saying that since BT2.1).

I'm betting this new guy doesn't last past next August.

Apple is transitioning away from its former Jobs MkII era and into a mature market leader. I'm quite sure they - Cook et al - have the plans in place to take advantage of Apple's key strengths: SoC's, integrated solutions, customer sat, retail, logistics and customer loyalty. It is not rational to expect Apple will be rolling out a completely new form-factor device that is not integrated within the iOS-mOS-wOS-tOS system.

But you can bet your pinky finger the Cook era will take tech so far beyond the capabilities of other business models that there will be a tipping point. The ubiquity of IBM/MS/Goog/Java/Linux have never generated the profits combined with the customer interest of the iPod, iPhone, iPad, or Mac. There is no reason to expect Apple will behave so stupidly as MS or Goog - Apple is run by very clever people who also have foresight, two major deficiencies within Apple's competitors. 

The best way to figure Apple's future direction is to postulate why they aren't buying every other company available. TW is an awkward business deal at best; Twitter makes no money; Netflix makes no money and has its clients on different terms from aTV - little overlap with potential losses; Tesla isn't a real business concern and isn't yet an item worth considering; and Disney is already in Apple's pocket - if it's not broke, don't fix it.

Apple is reducing outstanding stock. Wall St has done everything possible to weaken APPL, so playing by rules applicable to others does nothing for Apple. Leave that game behind. I expect Apple has its own plans for APPL that we shall discover after the fact, facts that no doubt involve ridiculous anti-Applers in positions of power going for a cash-grab. Apple is protecting itself from an extremely hostile market and nation. I get the impression they are shoring up their defences, and damn be to Wall St BS.

Cook has stated he is refusing to chase stupid, ugly, uncomfortable, unwieldy, awkward and SO 80's VR to go after AR. I will not be walking about with goggles on my head, but I'd slap in some contacts to check that out! And if AirPods actually do demonstrate a practicable solution to wireless music, I would get them too. (But I seriously doubt it - BT headphones are a great idea but still are not so seamless as they ought to be.) I'm quite sure Apple will prevent Qualcomm from leaking any related tech to the robot crowd. Apple has always successfully charted its own course based on developments in new tech. I don't think they will weaken this position just because of current trends.

Consumer base is still growing but total sales have flatlined. I'm sure every other company on earth would love to have their products flatlining at the iPhone's level, but you won't read that on any site that runs on click-per-veiw. I know every company ever would love to say their consumer base is still growing, too, and as Apple relentlessly improves its tech capabilities, I expect this to continue. Apple is already past the point - with the 6S I reckon - where competitors can simply copy-cut-paste. As the ostensibly 'open' platform-based companies continue fumbling and feigning, Apple will simply leave them further behind. They all ought to be pretending Apple doesn't exist, and start creating user experiences that their own, current customers want, and to get top customer sat for them: those companies can no longer use Apple as a yard-stick.

I think it is difficult to expect Apple's future plans because in history, especially in tech, we have never had a company with the business model and success history of Apple. Most of Apple's success has come since the iPhone 4, but that success was built over decades. The internal machinations of a company are reflected in that company's products: cheap, unreliable yet somehow expensive monopolistic crap from MS; free as in free to access all your information advertising company Goog; quirky unfinished but thoughtful and original Ubuntu Mobile; and it seems there isn't really anyone else left. Android successfully killed off all the non-iOS offal out there, except maybe most RIM's moved to iOS... and thusly, people who want to own what they own get iOS; people who want free get Android.

Apple is contracting compared to its previous profits - a horror for a capitalistic enterprise - but its sustainability is continuing to grow as far as I can tell. Maybe today's Keynote will avail us all of some more insights. Making things people love is Apple's formula, and I'm happy if they just stick with that.

Take the memes outta this article, and it's even shorter, and quite empty, but not so irritating.
I wish Dilger had written on this topic: historical context, insight, wit, and healthy sarcasm!
The iPod was proof that Apple and Jobs had the right ideas, understanding, and execution, and this article is incredibly weak. Is the author an Android user, or merely shallow?
I feel insulted that this is the best AppleInsider can do.

Points and details missed:
iPod was built using the tech ms tried to kill off in the 90's
iTMS was built using tech removed from dell
Jobs didn't design the iPod
Cook was responsible for all logistics - pattern of efficiency set
iPod set stage for Apple to change name
Nano pre-empted Watch
ms repeatedly tried destroying iPod
iTMS and iPod were directly responsible for introducing ms-entrenched to Apple's elegant user experience, such as me!  
iPod profits were directly related to iPhone
The iPod app
The end of the iPod app with Music

The derived, vapid, superficial article as presented above completely fails to capture the resounding changes iPod brought to Apple, the music industry, the vaporware business model of ms, and millions of people, if not billions. This product was prelude to both iPhone and Watch, and deserves just a little more thought and acknowledgement, wouldn't you say?