Michael...
Once more time you did what almost every person has tryed to do with Apple...

...that Apple be like the other companies!

"Trim prices..." "Plot a course..."

You forgot to suggest "Allow clones!"

Did you remember the "Think Different" campaign... with all due respect, Try it!

While this was certainly one of Computerworld's better "5/6/7/8/9/10 things Apple should ..." lists - it is quite obvious that they do not understand Apple.

If Apple would lower margins, they would not gain nothing. Because of all the businesses that still cannot buy Macs, growth is limited. If growth does not outweigh lower margins, there is no point in declaring them a must. Apple's reputation includes factors such as customer satisfaction, good support ratings and low failure rates. Going for volume over quality would destroy that and damage the company for decades (say Dell).

Apple does barely point out future strategies, and certainly not during a consumer tradeshow. If they want to say something like that, they do it during the quarterly earnings call or just announce it in a press release.

Phil Schiller (even if I do not really like him) is the marketing head of one of the most sucessful and most hyped companies in existence - he does not need to proof anything to anyone. And I really do not think Cook, Ive and others would feel that urge either.

They will introduce some products, maybe preview something coming up soon, tell us how sucessful 2008 was, and then predict the whole lot of cool and exciting products they have in the pipeline for 2009 that they cannot wait to show us without giving any details. The real question is, if 2009 will deliver that – 2008 did not and they still outperformed all their markets every single day. If anybody thinks, that this was SJs achievement alone, he/she should better remain quiet, as this is simply not remotely possible and it is not Apple's job to beat reason into analysts.

In regard to Apple's pricing and profit margins, it is worth remembering that in marketing one is always faced with a choice: sell relatively limited number of units with a large profit margin or sell more of them at a lower one. Sometimes the latter strategy winds up making you more money (Dutch Schultz was right, nickels and dimes do add up). Then again, Apple needs to position itself to take maximum advantage of Microsoft's problems. If Windows 7 lays a Vista-sized egg, as it well might, Apple stands to reap a potentially huge windfall in terms of market share. You don't have to believe the rumors that are going around about forthcoming huge Microsoft layoffs to be able to sense that they are a company in serious trouble. Attractive pricing might do wonders to help Apple capitalize on this.

Why is it that it is always APPLE THAT NEEDS TO DO IT?

Perhaps it is something that Macworld should need to do.

Perhaps it should have supported Apple more in its editorial content.

Perhaps it should have supported Apple more against the trollers that constantly berated those that stood by their beloved Mac.

Perhaps it should have stood by Jobs desire to keep things tight to the vest.

Perhaps it should have been less beligerent, whining and more patient in its demands

Perhaps it should have shown more respective to the man who put bread on their tables.

Perhaps it should remembered that it has only one product to sell.

Perhaps it should have listened to their own rhetoric.

Perhaps it should revisit the condescending ending to this article.

Perhaps it is just too late.

"Be nice to people on your way up, because you'll meet them on your way down." - Wilson Mizner

It's always about Apple lowering prices. And it's always stated in terms of what Apple MUST DO. Face it, dudes. If Apple were losing money, they would come up with a way to make more. The fact is that they don't have to lower prices. There are enough customers who keep buying their product that Apple is profitable. That's the bottom line. It might be nice to have midrange models, lower prices, free peripherals, etc., but it's not anything Apple HAS TO DO. They are doing fine as it is.

Should not a Mac with a removable media drive read as many media types as possible?

I don't have a TV. All my viewing happens on my G5. Why should I get a separate Blu-Ray player to watch a movie on a different media type. I don't even think a separate player will work on my 32 inch Apple displays.

This just seems like some power play by Apple to get people to download their 720p movies. I want to buy 1080p movies.

I need a Blu-Ray player.

ARe you kidding me? "throw in some free software"

Let's see - ilife, MacOSX, etc, etc, etc It's the software that MAKES a Mac, not the hardware.