Top 6 Upgrades Apple Should Do Next (AAPL)

Now that the new Mac is available, Apple AAPL is surely gearing up for its next evolution. At this point, it seems that the Mac Pro desktop machine will be the next to receive a boost in power and speed. After that, the iPhone, iPod Touch, iPod Nano and MacBook Air should receive an upgrade. But what will those upgrades include? More importantly, what should they include? 6. Motion Technology Nintendo (NTDOY) started the craze. Soon, Microsoft MSFT became a fan. Google GOOG even used it as the foundation of an April Fool's gag. Clearly, everyone loves motion technology. So why doesn't Apple? Apple brags about its silly motion controls for iPhone racing games. But when it comes to desktop applications or high-end gaming, the company has been rather silent. And while it might seem difficult to compete with Kinect (which has now sold more than 10 million units), Apple has never been a company that runs away from a fight. So why should it run away now? 5. USB 3.0 For more than a decade, USB and USB 2.0 have ruled as the standard forms of peripheral connectivity. Now USB 3.0 stands to take this technology one step further…so why isn't Apple on board? Thunderbolt is cool, but we need more! 4. Wireless Connectivity Despite Apple's insistence on cutting the cord from every mouse and keyboard it develops, the company has yet to do the same for iPods and iPads. The latter is obviously much more difficult than building a wireless mouse. But wouldn't it be great if you could place your iPad near any Mac or PC and instantly connect? There have been rumors about this for a while – let's hope Apple can finally pull it off. 3. Apps On Apple TV Year after year, Apple is rumored to be developing a game console. Whether or not Apple wants to move in this direction, no one knows for sure. But by releasing an App Store-equipped Apple TV, Apple could experiment with consumers to see what we really want from a game machine. If Apple moves in this direction, I have just one request: give us a real controller with real buttons. 2. MacBook Air + Touch Screen = Ultimate iPad-Killer Imagine an iPad that can do everything a MacBook Air can do and more. Brilliant, right? Unfortunately, Apple isn't about to cannibalize the iPad market by releasing a device of this caliber. Still, it's important to note that the company broke new ground in the MP3 market by taking quick action. It did the same in the phone market, and again in the tablet market. Why wait for another electronics manufacturer to step into the spotlight with an impressive touch screen laptop? Apple might think this will never happen. Jobs might even assume that he has a few years to kill before an event like this could occur. Regardless, Apple would be crazy to wait more than 12 months to bring a touch screen to the MacBook Air. It doesn't have to be featured in every model; maybe it should only be applied to the most expensive Air available. Consumers would happily pay $1,500 for a touchable 11-inch MacBook Air, providing Apple with everything the company loves: long lines, merchandise shortages, and large buckets of cash. 1. Solid State Hard Drives Have you purchased a new MacBook Pro yet? If not, then you're likely intrigued by the rumors that next year's MacBook Pro refresh will be accompanied by a new design, faster boot times, and (most importantly) the same solid state memory that's used in the MacBook Air. This would effectively turn the Pro into a slightly heavier – but much more powerful – MacBook Air.