Editor's bloviation on the topic of a future Apple Car

Apple expands the definition of “personal” and “computer” beyond the desktop Mac, the notebook Mac, the tablet iPad, and the iPhone. Now they apparently want to move into wristwatches and automobiles. I wonder what frontiers will Apple seek out next?

 

Apple will seek out the early adopters for its first iterations. The beautiful fashion model will wear the Apple Watch before the schlubby blogger does. In his defense, this schlubby blogger didn’t buy his first iPad before it came out in Retina. He will wait for the watch to drop in price or add more health monitoring features. 

 

As for the Apple Car, it looks like a long-term project that won’t put wheels on the street before 2020. I keep thinking of Henry J. Kaiser, the American industrialist. He tried to compete with the Big 3 auto makers in the 1940’s after building the  Victory and Liberty ships of World War II. He had expected to lose a lot of money initially, but not to see it disappear so quickly with nothing to show for it! 

 

So the appearance of an Apple Motors sales office in Santa Monica would not surprise me. Just remember that car dealers maintain a stranglehold in much of the United States, requiring that car manufacturers go through them to sell to the public. Just look at Tesla. 

 

Tom Briant

Editor, MacValley Blog