Apple’s future: Would you buy an iCar?

There is a mixed feeling. Couple of years after Steve Jobs, what is Apple going to do next? Lots of rumors, some not-so-exciting product launches, yet growing population of followers. No one knows what Apple will do.

But I think I know what Apple should do.

Follow what Apple stands for. And everything will be set on course again. Let me say it out loud. Steve Jobs did not contribute anything to the company which cannot be replicated in a world where he is not there (Read the rest before you start writing a hate mail).

One of my professors once said “no one is irreplaceable”. So let’s see if we can accomplish the giant task of replacing the aura of Steve Jobs.

Why did Jobs start Apple?
Because he wanted computers to be like Television sets. Even a grandma should be able to operate it. And he did a fantastic job with the PC.

What catapulted Apple’s continued growth in spite of losing the PC wars (in terms of numbers, not quality)?
Jobs wanted to design things that worked like they were an extension of human body, not something that required a lengthy technical manual.

When he invented iPod, it was not the only portable music player around. He hadn't done something radically different, feature-wise. But he had done something radically different in the way portable music players were designed and used. It felt like a natural extension of me, unlike a walkman or diskman, or anything else at that time.

Same story repeated with iPhone. There were phones, but nothing seemed as natural as touch interface.

Looking at these innovations, what is the natural next step?
Make a bigger iPad, or a smaller iPhone, or a watch-phone, or a Television set?

I say, Apple should make anything that doesn't suck.

Read it again, make anything that doesn't suck.

That’s what Steve Jobs contributed to Apple. He made sure Apple made products that didn't suck. That’s it.

I can imagine that Apple can make:
- A TV without remote. Remote just seems too much of a hassle
- An air-conditioner that doesn’t suck. Can your grandma operate an A/C remote? I bet she can’t. Do you ever feel you are on the right temperature? I bet you don’t.
- A coffee maker: Why can’t you get world’s best coffee every morning? But I don’t.
- How about a car that doesn’t suck?
- How about taking anything that is not natural to human beings and giving it a “Nokia to iPhone transformation”? A printer, scanner, dish washer, furniture?

If I can dig into Steve Jobs’ mind, I would imagine he didn't want to create just an iPod or an iPhone, he wanted a “lifestyle” — one that involved using everything that was well-designed.

In his lifetime, he was just able to prove the viability of his business model of selling “lifestyle”. Scaling up this business model is up to the current leaders of Apple.

Or, Apple will eventually die.

What do you think? Will you buy an iCar?