Probably right, but not yet (Score 1)

I could probably count myself among the minions of Steve Job since the release of OS X. (And the demise of the stupid-looking clamshell ibooks) I think there are two reasons the analyst may not *yet* be right in suggesting that Apple give up on hardware. First, with a narrow scope of hardware engineered and produced by Apple, they also have a somewhat narrower support requirement for hardware drivers. I know most of this is done by third parties, but even organizing that effort has seemed to be a headache for Microsoft over the last 10 years. Most people's immediate response when their new video card/audio card/etc doesn't work is to blame it on the OS. While this may not be true, I promise Dell, Gateway, or possibly Windows recieved the support call... not the third party. Second, there is really a lot to be said for the aesthetic and simplicity of the Apple design. They have prided themselves with delivering the customer an experience that does not require a 300 page manual or 5 years of experience to unpack their computer, set it up, and be on the internet with their required peripherals. The aesthetic is part of that. If people can have their software easy, they expect the hardware to be the same. Also, the *status* of an Apple MacBook Pro or PowerBook bares some weight in the business world. It turns heads when an executive flops open their Apple at a table full of Lenovos... I see it every day. When there is another hardware manufacturer that can offer Apple more direct competition, I could see them bowing out of hardware. They'll no longer be "innovating".