Now that the iPod is a little more separate from the computers, maybe they can focus more on marketing the real money maker. I'd like to see Apple do some serious OS X marketing before MS floods the airwaves with Longhorn ads.

something like:

"Longhorn's still 4 years away..."
"Why wait, when you can have all that good stuff now..."
"Mac OS X"

...set the stage for a possible eventual spinoff of the division into "iPod & iTMS, Inc."?

I think what Apple needs the most is a new Ad department for their computers. I saw an HP computer ad with the use of the "Shrek" Donkey and it was very effective. If Apple computers is suppose to be a "niche" for the creative people then tout it as such. The idea that a windoze machine can do it better is sad. If Apple put in the same amount of effort to advertize their computer as they do their Ipod. More people might actually believe that they're a real computer company and worth a look at.

Agreed. Apple really does need to PUSH Mac OS X. And the G5. And PowerBooks, iBooks, iMacs, iSight, etc.

AND they really need to focus on solid developement... bug squashing and security issues need to be dealt with. The MS shill "press" is having a field day lately.

Add features and TELL people about them. It seems that only we MacGeeks know anything about all the underlying cool stuff in OS X. EVERYONE should know!

By the way, where the HECK is AppleWorks 7?

There's never even been ONE marketing push by Apple to the general public for iSync and .mac -- one of the greatest technologies to ever come out of Apple. The ability to synchronize your bookmarks & address book & calendars hourly across multiple machines, and have access to them via Apple's .mac website from any computer in the world is just amazing... and I would guess that most Mac users (and 100% of non-Mac users) don't even know this technology exists.

He came from NeXT with Steve and Avi, does this mean Apple's shifting focus to iPods over Macintoshes? This is very significant in my voice. Does this indicate the major design planning for the G5 generation is complete? Will it mean Apple becomes the iPod company rather than the Macintosh company? Does this exec shuffling disturb anyone else?

Seems like a cunning plan to me.. To distance Apples music related products from the 'Apple' name.. Why? Apple of course are currently in a legal wrangle with the Beatles 'Apple corp' record label. Some people may remember that some years ago, Apple computer had been required (by court injunction of some kind) not to enter the music industry. But iPods and iTunes certainly did enter the music industry under the Apple name.
By doing all the music related stuff under a different name/division of the company, they will (hopefully) evade the wrath of the seemingly rather greedy McCartney mob.

Hardly. Apple made the deal way back to not enter the music business, don't blame the folks who already had the name. Apple is nearly as bad as MS when it comes to respecting existing trademark rights. They got in trouble with Macintosh too, from the stereo maker (which had actually spelled it right)

If I remember correctly, didn't Apple spin off Filemaker? or was Filemaker always a separate company with a majority share owned by Apple?

Not sure how Filemaker as a company is doing but perhaps the iTunes/iPod franchise will follow the same path. Perhaps more Windows, Linux or other OS development could take place if iTunes/iPod were a separate company.

As someone else mentioned, this may be part of a future legal settlement with the Beatles' Apple music company.