What’s On Your Prediction List For Apple In 2007?

I read Macworld’s list of questions for year-end predictions in 2005 for 2006. What’s surprising is the accuracy.

Mac users have a keenly sensitive view of reality, despite our alleged addiction to Cupertino Kool-Aid. What’s coming in 2007?

Back in 2004, Macworld readers speculated on PowerBook G5s. It’s arguable that what we have now is much better.

An obvious view of the future included low-priced, flash-based iPods. Can you say, iPod nano and iPod shuffle. Apple delivered.

We never saw a 3ghz PowerMac as IBM promised, but the Intel offerings are arguably better suited to the future.

We never saw AppleWorks or iWork come in as competiton for Microsoft Office, but we did see video capable iPods.

The next year’s view was even more accurate as Macworld readers expected and received wall-mounted iMacs, new iLife, a Bluetooth mouse, movies in iTunes, and many more.

That was then and this is now. What do you expect Apple to launch for Mac and Windows users in 2007?

A few items are givens as they’ve already been announced by Apple.

Tops on the list is Mac OS X Leopard, which is expected shortly after Microsoft’s Windows Vista ships in late January.

Also expected is a new name and a launch for Apple’s wireless video product, code-named iTV.

We can expect and probably will see iLife ‘07, though there’ve been no rumblings about a application in the suite of digital hub tools.

Here’s a few items from my list of expectations for 2007, including the above no-brainer items.

First, on my list for 2007 products is Apple’s cell phone, now known by everyone, but totally unannounced as the “iPhone.“

What configuration? Your guess is as good as mine. Think cool and expensive. Someone has to pay for all that Kool-Aid.

Second on my list is faster Macs. I expect to see faster Intel chips show up in every model, including the MacPro and Xserve.

Third is the obvious twin upgrades of iLife ‘07 and iWork ‘07, though iWork may add a spreadsheet to Keynote and Pages.

Those are the easy guesses. After those items, it gets more tricky to figure out what Apple plans to do next.

High on the list of “I Want To See These From Apple” is a larger screen iPod, either nano or iPod with video, or both.

For now, everything Apple is making is selling very well, so the pace of change may slow the blistering pace of the past few years.

What’s on your list of predictions for Apple in 2007? Separate the items into one of two categories: 1 - for sure, will ship. And, 2 - it’s what I want, market forces be damned.

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