I read an interesting article that speculated that, at some point, Apple will stop making Macs and just focus on iPods and iTunes (iPictures, iMovies, etc.).

That will be quite the day. Not because I have some affinity for the machines (or have ever even used one), but because it is the kind of thing you could not have predicted even 2 years ago.

If it works, it will be a brilliant move. Almost everyone these days has a Home PC. The need to buy a new computer every few years will soon be over, as computers today are more powerful than the tasks they are being asked to perform (Word, Excel, Email, Web Browsing). The only need for power on the PC is games, but that market might soon move away from the PC.

So where is the growth in technology? Portable PCs. We have seen the rise and fall of the PDA - clearly noone wants to be able to create Excel spreadsheets on the bus. But have you seen the latest things from iPod and Playstation Portable (PSP)? The PSP, for instance, has games, movies, music, and wireless networking all bundled into one.

But you're not going to watch movies with your family on a PSP. So I think the home entertainment console is undergoing a lot of technological improvement to become the central technology device in the home. The XBox might be the gaming station, DVD player, email reader, web surfer, and more... all wrapped into one.

So where does that leave the PC? Well, I think people still need one. But why buy a new one except when the old one breaks? Assuming gaming moves to the Home Entertainment Console, what new killer app will there be to spur an upgrade in PC power? None can be seen at the present time.

Of course, this could all collapse and Apple's move away from the PC could be suicide. Who knows?