With all the talk in the media about the possibility / inevitability of Apple introducing a tablet in their line up positioned in between the iPhone and the Macbook, I thought it would be interesting to look back at Apple successes and failures in the past with regard to defining new territory.

Now there are clearly four broad phases in Apple’s history all with their own relative strengths and weaknesses when it comes to both product innovation along with their capability to successfully establish a new category of product:

1. “Inventing the Consumer PC market years”
   

   Apple IIc with LCD Screen (actually for the next time phase but from the pre-Mac team)

2. “Creating the WIMP Interface PC market years”
3. “The non Steve years”
   

   The Newton way before it's time - and soup the data base it ran is still ahead of what we have today

   

   One of the most dramatic forward looking form factor computers again way before it's time. Foreshadows the iMac

Apple's Newton family had later versions that foreshadowed much

1. “The Steve is back years”

Some products to look at: