[ja27]

I think Apple would be happy to lose all the "silver surfers" and regain their cool with teens, tweens, and young adults. Teens don't want the same phone that their grandmother has and they don't want the same tablet they're forced to use at school.

[lukifer]

I think it's a simple calculus: at the moment, the silver surfers don't have elsewhere to go. Worse case scenario, they'll buy a Nexus tablet that will sit on the shelf, and/or limp along with their old tech (possibly after convincing their nephew to "fix" their iPad by reverting the OS).

Meanwhile, young people are highly ripe for bailing out of iOS, now that Samsung has some cool factor, Android's software/gaming ecosystem is growing richer, and the golden manacles have been feeling tight on the tech-savviest generation. (Guess who's doing all the jailbreaking? It ain't the boomers.)

Old folks may be the bread and butter today, but I think Apple knows that iOS is at a crossroads when it comes to winning the future. (I may be futilely rooting for the open web, but I've still got my popcorn.)

[gurkendoktor]

I have no data on this - but IMHO losing the "silver surfers" weakens the ecosystem they're trying to build. The only reason I use Photostream since its inception is that my girlfriend's mom can use the iPad 1. FaceTime is another good example - it makes iDevices great gifts for parents & grandparents.

Also, have you seen how many elderly Asian tourists are using the iPad as the only digicam they can comfortably use? (Not sure if this is also a trend in other countries.) That's obviously the opposite of "cool", but these are $500 in revenue per user. The new lock screen and camera of iOS 7 are less discoverable.

[Pxtl]

Idunno, I think Apple is already moving a bit away from the "pure cool" targeting and are just going to grab as much as possible now... the "mini" lines are a huge compromise on this because they're obviously created to be a low-cost alternative to their flagship platforms.

Apple is the prestigious brand. Having a budget line compromises that image.

[encoderer]

Companies can thread this needle just fine.

Go to a Mercedes dealership. You can buy a $32k C-Class or a $132k CL.

For that matter, go to an Apple Store. You can get a $400 iPod or a $90 Shuffle.

Or a $3000 Mac Pro or a $600 Mac Mini.