BW: Apple's One More Thing May Lead to New Markets

by , 1:00 PM EST, January 14th, 2008

Everyone is familiar with Apple's ever increasing need to out do itself at each Macworld Keynote. Topping itself is getting harder and harder, and that may force Apple into even broader markets, according to Business Week on Monday.

For now, Apple has met with some difficulty getting Hollywood on board. So observers are betting Apple will have something good to say about deals with some movie studios.

While a lot of people think they know what this year's Keynote will offer, others are looking ahead at Apple's growth. If Apple does catch some favor with Hollywood, the next challenge looms. Moreover, anyone who thinks that Apple has run out of gas need only look back what they did with the iPod and iTunes.

Apple loves to deliver on people's dreams. They also tend to be disruptive. Accordingly, some have suggested Apple should start its own music label. Or buy a TV network or movie studio. Or Apple could just expand into consumer electronics.

"Alternatively, Apple could simply explore more opportunities in consumer electronics, once again exploiting the versatile Mac computer operating system. Just as it helped make the iPhone so easy to use, the Mac OS could be adapted to almost any type of device. Imagine a smart television that connects not only to a traditional cable TV feed, but to the Internet, and features a built-in DVR and 'place-shifting' capabilities to access all that content remotely. Like the iMac, the TV could be equipped with an embedded iSight video camera and Apple's iChat for video-chat sessions in the living room," Arik Hesseldahl wrote.

In the end, those expanded markets might help answer questions about the next surprises at Macworld 2009 and beyond. Whatever Apple tries to do, they have the retail space and marketing muscle to pull it off.