05-31-2009, 03:24 PM
Can't see it. Why would Apple all of the sudden want to jump into this segment of the consumer electronics? It's outside their sphere of expertise; the iPod and iPhone are still as much computer peripherals as they are home electronics. There are a ton of competitors with more experience, better infrastructure, better sources, and a much more dedicated focus. And on top of all that, it's a commodity segment with a much stronger emphasis on price than Apple likes to deal with. And this guy is speculating that Apple, who's not even wet behind the ears in marketing home electronics, is going to jump in and grab 10% of the flat panel TV market? That sounds like the definition of a pipe dream.
I can maybe see some type of relatively small screened (compared to the 40"+ screens that appear to be the bulk of flat panel TV models), 32-36" hybrid computer/TV device that would be more akin to a Bang and Olufsen prestige niche product than a consumer grade flat panel TV. But I'd be surprised if that had much more success than the 20th Anniversary Mac, and I'd still wonder what Apple's motivation would be in releasing such a product.
I can maybe see some type of relatively small screened (compared to the 40"+ screens that appear to be the bulk of flat panel TV models), 32-36" hybrid computer/TV device that would be more akin to a Bang and Olufsen prestige niche product than a consumer grade flat panel TV. But I'd be surprised if that had much more success than the 20th Anniversary Mac, and I'd still wonder what Apple's motivation would be in releasing such a product.