"Most people still take photographs with their digital camera rather than their cellphone," Rubinstein said. "And there's a simple reason: digital cameras take better pictures." Rubenstein might be right, but not as far as the money goes. Most kids take lots of pictures with their cameras and make the Cell co.s lots of money sending them to each other. And it has nothing to do with quality. I think he lacks the vision.

reconsider, an Apple Phone/PDA/iPod device can really bring more people to Mac's, integration is everything these days. I bought my first Mac because the Applications work well with the OS, same goes for the iPod it works very well with Macs. PDA used to be a Palm only market and it really didn't work exceptionally well with Windows or Mac now it's becoming more of a Windows market ever since Palm partnered with Microsoft.

Try 5 tops...

In 5 years flash media will be super cheap and large enough to include a gig or four in cell phones. Cameras will be better and the cost per mb on cell phone networks will be cheaper. With Palm going over to the M$ camp Apple should toss in something to compete.

I've done all of it audiophile audio, color darkroom work & treo trying to use the misery apple calls iSync (iStink?)...

Give me a do-it-all brick, please... I'll make feature but not quality compromises - that sounds right up Apple's alley - beautiful simplicity & integration - a white PSP with a HD & cell phone built in & CF cards to swap stuff around...

my 2ç

up their sleeves. Apple denies until the curtain comes up. Think Intel?

I can see an Apple branded device that can take a carrier module for mobile phones.

I don't know, though. iPod's predecesor was a convergence deviced called PowerCD. It was a Portable CD/KODAK PictureCD/SCSI CD-ROM device that didn't do too well (but looks awesome even today). Apple made the QuickTake cameras, a KODAK product at heart, that were really good in later models (the 200 was impressive). iSight has done well, who knows if the next version is a small flash based camcorder/digital camera/web cam? One never knows! I don't know about the phone, though, as that's a complex market to get into (it's not like a codec to play an MP3) and you have to *partner* with *carriers* and we all know how well Apple plays with others. So ... I'd love to see it, but I don't know if or when it will come. I do love the idea of an Apple mini mate, though.

Look, I think these guys probably know what they're talking about. If an Apple iPod/phone/camera came out tomorrow and it was killer (duh), would I buy one? Probably. But I really don't see it happening, at least in the next several years. I'm sure they've researched it extensively and also developed prototypes and decided the market just isn't worth getting into. And frankly, I think they're probably right. If there's one thing we should have learned from the last 15 years in media and technology, convergence doesn't just happen because a few people want it to, even if they want it real bad.

Apple might be waiting to see how Motorola will fare with the ROKR. It looks like the most natural of integrations - two portable devices, both used for communicating through audio (one of them two-way, the other one-way), both used with the earphone(s). I am expecting Apple to carefully study Motorola's user and design problems with ROKR (whatever they may turn out to be) and deploy their own GSM (perhaps tri-band) unlocked (i.e. not tied into a carrier deal) iPod-phone with all the necessary features for a perfect integration. I'd buy such device if it's from Apple (meaning, if its design is consistent with Apple's track record so far).

If Apple doesn't believe in convergence, why did it license iTunes Mobile Music to Motorola? Unless they're just hedging their bets ...