I can't argue with you, so I'll challenge you (the entire FTM membership, in fact) instead: Using Apple's recent history - innovations, implementations, statements by Steve Jobs and others, etc. - as a basis for your answer, where do you think Apple is headed...in which direction do you think its future lies?
An even better question might be "in which direction do you think the future of the industry lies as compared to Apple?"
Office 365 for Windows and Mac and Creative Suite would indicate software is headed in the direction of software leasing. You get to use it for a year or a month for a price and for that price you get free updates/upgrades. This makes enormous financial sense for companies like Microsoft and Adobe whose market domination puts severe constraints on their future income stream.
On the other hand Apple is looking toward the market segment that has produced its greatest income stream, the "iDevices". Each upgrade of OS X and iOS brings the two development streams closer together. The App store appears to be Apple's view of the future of software. Rather than relying on market dominating applications, Apple appears to be focusing on relatively inexpensive and highly targeted "apps" developed primarily by third party developers with compatibility, security, and reliability assured through the App Store mechanism/process. How many years has it been since there was an up
grade of any Apple software product other than OS X or iOS? There have been up
dates to Pages, Numbers, Keynote, Aperture but those have all been relatively minor and in no way could be considered up
grades. Even the reputed up
grades to iTunes have been primarily aimed at improving App Store functionality and interface.
As far as hardware goes, I have heard rumors and conversations indicating Apple may be approaching the end of the laptop era as the iPhones and iPads become more powerful and more functional. I know several people who are not purchasing laptop upgrades because they have switched to the iPad. Certainly as OS X and iOS move closer and closer toward a single OS environment the distinction between laptops and iDevices gets really blurry. ICloud seems to me a logical even essential link in that chain.
Whether the future is in software leasing as envisioned by Microsoft and Adobe or Apple's App Store the internet and high speed internet at that will be essential. By the way, places where the internet is unavailable are becoming fewer and further between. Last week in a snow storm at the 10,500 foot peak of Cumbres Pass between New Mexico and Colorado I was surprised when my iPhone connected to someone's WiFi.
