In this context, Apple might be ripe to reinvent e-book readers, dive into the video game market, or get into car electronics. However, each of these three areas presents obstacles for Apple, Stephen Baker said. E-book readers still seem to be too small a market to pursue. Video gaming already comes with a great experience, and the margins are difficult to control. As for car electronics, the auto manufacturers need very long lead times. They aren't so easy to deal with, and Apple wouldn't be in control. On the other hand, some sort of Mac tablet or mobile Internet device (MID) seems like a real possibility.
The article provides some other interesting speculation as well. If the criteria for entry are control to drive margins, size of the current market, and ability to leverage existing platforms, then e-books could become more ripe as the e-book and e-textbook markets begin to grow and mature. It does seem like e-books are an obvious gap in Apple's current content strategy. Perhaps that will be next on the list after TV?
