The 15 Dumbest Apple Predictions Of All Time

The Wired blog takes a somewhat unfair swipe at Apple predictions that never came to pass. I mean, really: Is there anyone who can really accurately predict what's going to work and not work with such a volatile company? And where's the prediction that the G4 Cube would be a best seller? That Apple would have 10 percent market share by now? That Leopard would ship before Vista? I'm sure someone predicted all of that.

It's easy to dump ire on anlysts for getting it wrong so often. What those guys do, however, is provide a particular service to particular people. Interpreting what analysts say in terms of truth or falsity is to forget the real lesson we should take from Prof. Frankfurt: words build worlds.

That said, here are some of the most awesome flubs to be found in the futures that people have wished for Apple.

I think that last line shows the wrong-headedness of this. Is this really what "people have wished for Apple," or what they thought would happen at the time, given the conditions of the time?

Plus, they forgot the greatest Apple prediction of all time:

This one's bizarre, but we heard at lunch today that Apple is unhappy with the PowerPC production at IBM and will be switching to Intel-compatible chips this very year. Yeah, seriously.

Oh right. That one happened. :)

Discuss this Article 4

daveinla
on Nov 2, 2007
Yes many guys fantasize when it comes to Apple... Another funny prediction also in the very same article in Windowsitpro: "Longhorn will run fine on a 1 GHz computer with 256 MB of RAM, according to Microsoft corporate vice president Joe Peterson at the blogger lunch today. This is good news for today's PC users, some of whom are concerned that they won't have the PC muscle needed to run the next Windows. Of course, those people won't get the full-blown Aero Glass experience, but it will still work fine."
cesjr
on Nov 2, 2007
so as these "failed" predictions show . . . people underestimated apple. Paul finds it offensive and bothersome that the apple naysayers were proved wrong. Why? I mean, normally it's a good thing when somebody is down and out and people count them out and they manage to come back. Why does it bother Paul so much that apple succeeded against ALL odds? It's kind of a cool story, but not for Paul.
weedmonk
on Nov 3, 2007
I feel sorry for all the people who're hooked on AAPL stock. When the correction happens, it won't be pretty.
DRWAM
on Nov 3, 2007
Actually Weedmonk, I think you just made #16. I wished that I bought APPL around 2001, but bought Microsoft instead. It is worth less than what I bought it. It briefly rose right before/after XP, then tanked. I also bought AOL around the same time. I am better at medicine than the stock market. I still have the stock [AOL is now TimeWarner] as I refuse to sell at a loss. Looks like I am missing the boat for many other stocks. My employee bought APPL at $84. She is all smiles. MS is so profitable, but the dang stock is dead. Bummer.

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