Forrester Research: Here Apple, have some terrible ideas

Polaroid must be listening to these guys. ;)

Actually.. a digital picture frame is a great idea. The only reason I haven't brought one yet, is because they aren't wireless and don't sync with Aperture and Iphoto

But Chris, content acquisition is fine. aTV Take 2 is fine with the movie downloading and stuff.

But not in Europe. And not in a lot of other places where online movie rental, cable tv networks etc. doesn't have the same market share.

So it's fine for at least the North American market. But there's a whooole world out there, outside of the U.S. ;)

I know several who would love an aTV. Not one of them will buy one without PVR.

PVR is one small thing that could transform the aTV from more or less just a useless media extender on the same terms as most other media extenders (cause in Europe it's basically just an iTunes extender), to a really well designed, high WAF, well integrated PVR+media extender.

Not many care about the movie rental bit. It's useless to a very large amount of people.

But most people want to sometimes record a show of some kind.

And content acquisition or not, the thing that SO tie the Apple products together, apart from design and a great UI, is media.

Media media media media.

Might as well add that little part that makes a whole lot of difference.

New shiny toy news and predictions drive clicks, views and comments. Suggesting that Apple grow or consolidate its professional design or video production market share wouldn't generate the same buzz - though it might generate growth and profits. Everyone wants to be a consumer electronics guru. Nobody wants the tough job of being a consumer electronics product manager or manufacturer where success is only slightly less risky than other "hits" driven businesses like books and music.

I've got full Forrester access through my company, and I think this post picks and chooses the least important parts of the report...

Those were some of the potential product suggestions to take Apple where they think it will be in 5 years. The full report suggests Apple will become the hub of the digital home, and that Apple's core competencies lend towards melding together IT and AV, which no one else has successfully done to date. They feel Apple will build its business on 8 pillars:

* The Mac
* A home server product
* Some type of universal music controller
* Network enabled devices (radios, photo frames, etc.) that are "nodes" in the digital home
* Apple TV media extender
[and on the services side:]
* In-home installation services (bringing what only the "1%" can afford today to the "next 10%")
* The Apple Store (transforming it into the next generation of experience marketing, to be able to articulate the value proposition of a digital home)
* iTunes and its successors (managing more than just music)

While I don't agree with everything Forrester says in the research report, it's more than "Apple should make clock radios and picture frames."

What Apple needs to get out, is a media server with pvr functionality. An Apple TV with PVR, basically.

It's so obvious, and they could rule the livingroom with such a device.

I think an apple designed digital picture frame might be a good idea. it's a logical thing to do with digital photos and all the ones out there are pitiful or over expensive and try and add useless features like playing music. This is something Apple could do right. Not sure they ever will though but if they ever did I'd buy.

i actually believe that in 20-50 years time we will be living in modular apple homes, clean green & energy efficient, & the door bell will go " Baarrrrrrrrrr" like the start up sound :) but apparently there's no windows hahahahah i could run with these jokes all day, but seriously folks, id buy one if they did.

Is they serious... These people should get fired!

If Apple is ever reduced to making digital picture frames, clock radios, and universal remotes, that is the day they really should close the company down and give the shareholders their money back.