An information related to exceptional tax break might give a link to future project planned by Apple. According to the following news, Apple might be negotiating with the North Carolina State to get a specific tax break linked to exceptional investment reported to be around 1 billion USD.
Of course, one could start thinking what to do with a 1 billion server farm. It could be used to improve Mobile Me services, however it would be too much. We rather think that as Google, Adobe and Microsoft did it before, Apple intends to offer online "cloud" services. You might then use software, not acquired via a licensing scheme, but renting the application you need. With such model, customers are becoming even more linked to a system/applications.
With the development of high speed internet, such online application are now (finally) becoming a real alternative to the usual local license offer. However, over the time, this new online system might become more expensive than acquiring a local license. On the other end it gives users the opportunity to get connected to their own desktop and set of applications from any computer.
