Apple Inc., beyond the "Computer"

I think the name change is appropriate for Apple Inc. They are no longer just a computer company, and media market. Do I think the new Apple Inc. will leave the Mac in the dust? No. Since Steve Jobs returned to Apple Inc. their computer marketshare has grown significantly, especially with the release of the Macbook, a downsized version of the Macbook Pro. I myself am a lifelong Windows user, but will be ditching it-along with its many flaws of both security and design-for a Mac this spring after the release of the Leopard this spring.

In response to Donald Burr.
"in every case, they depend on a computer." Correct, they do!

" People would be listening to a lot of silence on iPods if it weren't for the Macs used to fill them with music. Apple TV similarly needs a Mac to either fill its hard drive, or to stream content from. Even the iPhone needs a Mac to sync its data (addresses/calendars/music/etc.) from." Incorrect, they do not! And thus is the reason I am worried about the name change. All of the new products from Apple can be used with Windows as well as Mac OS. Since the introduction of the first Windows compatible iPod, Apple has started to move focus from the Mac to their new digital lifestyle products.

I too was dissapointed about the lack of Macintosh news at the Stevenote.
Then I went into work this morning and literaly *every* newspaper on the newstand featured the iPhone somewhere on the front page. Most of them had that image of the big, colorful widget screen, nothing like anything out there, and I thought "this can only mean good things for the playform."

I feel this could bring in more converts than the iPod could ever hope for! True, the popular image of Apple Inc.--especially among my generation of twentysomethings--is "the iPod/iTunes company," but when you think about it, the iPhone puts all of the virtues of OS X into--literally--the hands and minds of the masses! This could be interesting...

To suspect Apple of moving away from the computer business is sheer foolishness. For one thing. computers ARE their core competency. They've been doing them longer than iPods, longer than anything. But more importantly, every product they have introduced, are not necessarily standalone products; in every case, they depend on a computer. People would be listening to a lot of silence on iPods if it weren't for the Macs used to fill them with music. Apple TV similarly needs a Mac to either fill its hard drive, or to stream content from. Even the iPhone needs a Mac to sync its data (addresses/calendars/music/etc.) from. Note that Steve did NOT make any mention of being able to buy or transfer music using WiFi or EDGE; meaning that you'd still need a computer to fill the iPhone with music, podcasts, and TV/movie videos.

The Apple Inc. name change makes a lot of sense, because they do indeed now make other, (strictly speaking) non-computer devices that go hand-in-hand with the computers that they also make and sell.

I am a little worried.

I paid $2800 for my 17" MBP. And if Apple knows something, its the fact that computer sales can be pretty juciy.

I don't mind if they go out and make a bunch of other stuff, more power to them. But if they stop concentrating on the computer aspect of it all, then they'll have become the company they always strive to beat.

The day Steve Jobs is willing to skimp on his computing experience because iPods sell so well is the day he dies. The Mac will always be important to Apple and will always be a product they manufacture and improve. At least until El Stevo dies, but by then we'll have Google Brain Implants with World Skinningâ„¢, so... meh.

"What's your take on the name change?" (Mat Lu)

My take is this. Apple wants to make products other than computer, and you don't want them to?

Well being a fan of Apple's stuff, I think it'll be wonderful to expirence their presents in other places and products. I'm truly looking forward to my Apple HD TV with iTV built-inside. Who's not going to want that??

All the UK pages still have "Copyright © 2007 Apple Computer, Inc. All rights reserved." at the bottom. Lazy Apple. Or it's because of some obscure copyright or company name law that we have.

Sorry, I agree with Steve. Theyve always been "Apple" to most people around the world.

Much like the "iPhone", you might as well just go with the flow and call it what its known as.

Thoughts?

Meh.

Everyone calls them 'Apple'. Doesn't matter what they put after it.