Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Apple
Forrester Research: Here Apple, have some terrible ideas
Forrester Research has mined its vast knowledge resources, and produced a report suggesting that Apple's products in 2013 will be nothing but household clutter.
Apparently Apple is out of ideas, so Forrester decided to take on the task itself, coming up with an envelope-pushing list of electronics that includes such marvels as:
- digital picture frames
- clock radios
- universal remote controls
Wow. That's research money well spent, if you ask me. Take note Apple employees, these are the ideas you're going to have to top in your next product development meeting.
[Via AlleyInsider.]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
tethernaut said 8:22PM on 5-22-2008
Remember, these are the nimrods who published a report saying that iTunes sales were on the decline. Forrester Research ought to be considered a laughingstock, but sadly enough many news sites pick up their crap and repeat it.
Who the heck pays these guys??? [psst... think 'em ess']
Can I get paid for scribbling some mindless drivel and calling it a "Research Report"?
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William Bokunic said 8:23PM on 5-22-2008
Howabout this?
A small 7" multi-touch screen that wirelessly streams photos from either iPhoto, whatever Windows Vista uses for photo management, Flickr or by use of an SD card.
In addition to wirelessly streaming your photos, it will pull your music off of iTunes to listen to if you want (with an option to plug in better speakers or have it search for wifi-enabled speakers to use), as well as audio podcasts and online radio subscription URLs which you can manually input to listen to.
Not only that it will also tell you the time using Alex as well as display it using a nice web 2.0-ish bezel with slight transparency in the lower-right hand corner.
But there's one more thing.
You see, it can do all of that as well as display the date and any events for that date pulled directly in from iCal (or Windows Calendar).
All with an iPhone-like case, creating a stunning device. And only for $200 (USD).
I'd buy one >.>
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Mike said 8:44PM on 5-22-2008
I've been thinking that Apple ought to make a digital picture frame for some time too. Nobody out there has made a good one. They're always clumsy and ugly. Something that could wirelessly (and elegantly) stream photos from my iPhoto library would be awesome. All these extra features are a really good idea too. I'm not sure it needs to stream music (that would cut it on Airport Express and tv sales), but if it could alternatively pull down an RSS feed of headlines or bring up a weather report when I touched the screen to bring up a menu, that would be awesome. I think I'd pay $100 though, which is kind of low for something with all the features I want in it, maybe $150.
William Bokunic said 9:10PM on 5-22-2008
@Mike: The streaming music bit would be for an alarm clock. Forgot to mention that*
Yeah, some form of dashboard would have to be implemented I think.
mabhatter said 10:13PM on 5-22-2008
What you described is what the Apple Hi-Fi should have been. The Universal remote won't happen... Apple's idea of "universal" is that the Apple remote works with all their their stuff!
The third party functions of photo frames and clocks are woeful compared to Apple products, there is definitively room for Apple to make a move. The mistake with Hi-Fi was zero extra features, nothing at all, not even an extra input and no way to control it. A photo dock/alarm clock would be really good. Toss in HD radio and an ipod dock that can display on the screen. Then the ipod can display all that info you want to see. I don't see streaming being in the price range as wireless n is expensive (and apple wouldn't go backwards, not in their nature) Perhaps they could pair it with the airport express, and use the built in nic/usb as the power/connection. My opinion is that it would have to be super portable... Something enclosed (no ipod flopping), purse-sized, and tossable. Something that can sit on the night stand nicely, or tag along to a picnic. Nobody makes something like that.
Ivor. said 8:25PM on 5-22-2008
I really wouldn't be surprised to see the Apple TV evolve into a few scenarios they describe - I think that's going to become the home jukebox system they're on about, and it's only a matter of time before you can control it with your iPhone. Digital picture frames, however... there's a great alternative to those, actually, and they're called real picture frames. They don't have great memory capacity, but it makes you really think about what you want in it, instead of allowing you to fill it up with a ton of pictures from some idiot's cameraphone of you and some moron in a dark nightclub, too drunk to think (resulting in you drunkenly purchasing the digital picture frame on your way home, along with a kebab and a traffic cone).
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tumantorak said 8:29PM on 5-22-2008
Wow. Extra points for not only a Mystery Science Theater 3000 reference, but a picture of the one and only Clayton "Firebrand" Forrester.
TUAW, there is hope for you yet.
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Sean Lamberger said 10:28AM on 5-23-2008
My thoughts exactly. I couldn't imagine a more appropriate photo.
Ratking said 8:31PM on 5-22-2008
Er, isn't this an iPhone?
Try Apple lineup 2007 (including 2008 software updates).
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boil said 8:33PM on 5-22-2008
Actually, I would say they are right, at least with the product(s) they listed…
Thing is, all three items will be aspects of the forthcoming Newton2/Mac touch/iTablet. Sleek dock on the end table next to the couch holds the unit and displays a slideshow of digital pictures. Pop it out of the dock & switch over to remote control mode. Bedtime? You & the tablet head for the bedroom. You tuck into the sheets, the tablet tucks into another dock & enters alarm/clock 'radio' mode…
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Dan Parmelee said 8:53PM on 5-22-2008
This is so full of win......
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Frank said 9:27PM on 5-22-2008
I've always thought Apple could do a great job with something along the lines of the 3Com Audrey (Audrey II?).
But since an iPhone can do pretty much the same thing in a mobile package, there probably isn't much point to what would basically be a desktop iPhone.
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mabhatter said 10:31PM on 5-22-2008
iPhone is not a nightstand or picnic device. You are correct a portable version Audrey would be perfect. iPods aren't shareable well, a little bigger screen and decent speakers would go a long way. Toss in photos and alarm clock features to make it a compelling stand alone device and they'd have a winner.
Mario Panighetti said 9:42PM on 5-22-2008
Worst. Invention Exchange. Ever.
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William said 9:54PM on 5-22-2008
Press the button Frank!
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Joseph J. Finn said 12:49AM on 5-23-2008
Fail! It's "Push the button, Frank."
(And honestly, after two hours of wrestling with my father's digital picture frame a couple of weeks ago, I'd welcome an Apple version.)
shaun said 10:47PM on 5-22-2008
Never though apple would be out of ideas. Maybe they are just cooling off a little. I'm sure the'll come up with something crazy like an icar or something soon.
http://www.stocks-simplified.com
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Rob said 10:51PM on 5-22-2008
digital picture frames
clock radios
universal remote controls
so basically Forrester is suggesting Apple become Sony?
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Josh Gearon said 2:05AM on 5-23-2008
And what the hell would they call this picture frame monstrosity? iFrame? Isn't that a pre-existing HTML element? iPhoto? Neh. Already in use by an outstanding software application. Clock radio? They already sell the iPod, iPhone, iMac, AppleTV - all of these devices offer the clock radio functionality. Apple's not gonna repeat an everyday solution of the sort by "reinventing" something that already works quite nicely. I'm picturing woodgrain and chrome; just like the alarm clock that wakes my ass up daily with an über-annoying 'beep-beep' sound…but with a big fancy multi-touch interface. Let me navigate through pages and pages of interactive GUI elements to shut it off; then I wouldn't snooze it. Why the hell not? Oh wait, my cellular phone and 80's-inspired Walgreens clock radio already work perfectly! Thanks, Forrester. What's next? Ford and Microsoft joining hands to make a voice-activated car radio? A Microsoft Windows-based OS with a GL-accelerated GUI that runs (on a Core Duo-based 2.8GHz Lejunko box) half as fast as Leopard on a 603e w/ 128MBytes of RAM? Who's out of ideas again? I think they should look at the guys who are really struggling in the home market? Microsoft can't *give* their products away to consumers anymore! With that, more TUAW articles to read! ;-)
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futurepastnow said 2:12AM on 5-23-2008
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.
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