So there’s that report on Thursday that Apple is holding a media event on Monday, March 9th, at 10 AM, to “Spring Forward.” The obvious daylight savings time connection is all about Apple Watch, and it’s expected that you’ll learn about the final specs and pricing. How long will the battery last? Will it be possible to replace the core watch module to keep it current? How else can Apple justify price tags that may grow to five figures?

Certainly the hype has already begun in earnest, with a 12-page spread appearing in Vogue, and no doubt other fashion magazines will be included in the ad campaign. Apple Watch is only superficially a tech gadget, particularly when 18-karat gold enters the picture. It’s something the tech media hasn’t quite figured out in comparing Apple Watch to other presumed players in the market.

Now when the likes of TAG Heuer release their own variations on the Apple Watch theme, that will be genuine competition. But not a Pebble.

In any case, it will be interesting to see where Apple takes Apple Watch and draws the lines with features and focus. How will they appeal to folks for whom a watch that starts at $349 is a huge leap? Or maybe that’s not the audience they want.

There’s also speculation that Apple Watch won’t be the only product on display at the March event. That’s where the real mystery lies.

So will the MacBook Air be refreshed, at last, with chips from Intel’s Broadwell family? This will mean improved graphics and battery life mostly, so the changes would be welcomed. But will MacBook Air enter Retina display territory? Certainly not at a starting price of $899, but there could be separate models that will, ultimately, replace the existing lineup when display prices come down some more. This is where talk of a 12-inch MacBook Air with Retina display enters the picture, but it seems curious that Apple wouldn’t just retain the same display sizes as existing models. Why have something new?

Questions, questions.

I suppose it’s also possible there will be Broadwell updates for the MacBook Pro with Retina display, though that might not come until summer, depending on how quickly the more powerful Broadwell CPUs are available in sufficient quantities. Will there be a new form factor? Is there a need for one?

What about rumors of an iPad Pro with a 12-or-so-inch display? Will that arrive along with a smart stylus? The combination might encourage content creators and some businesses to embrace the stalled tablet revolution where most of the growth seems to be with no-name cheapies.

One product long overdue for a refresh is Apple TV, last upgraded in 2012 with 1080p capability. But as TV makers are rushing to deliver affordable 4K (Ultra HD) sets, will Apple stuff more powerful parts in a new Apple TV? Surely there would more onboard flash memory to buffer the larger video streams. Maybe even to compensate if your broadband connection is barely up to the task of handling higher resolution content, or just gets bogged down.

But maybe the new net neutrality rules will keep ISPs from playing games with streaming video content.

One thing Apple needs is to rethink is the typical video streaming interface. With dozens of apps or channels, it’s pretty cluttered, although you can hide third-party services you don’t want. This is nothing unique, and such streamers as a Roku do it too. With Roku, it’s really necessary since so many channels are being offered.

So is that mythical magical TV interface, touted by Steve Jobs in that authorized biography, the solution to channel/service clutter? How does Apple deal with adding more content without adding more confusion? Will there be the rumored Apple streaming service to compete with Netflix and Amazon Instant Video? Does Apple get in the game of producing original content too, setting up a huge bidding war to attract performers, directors and producers?

Will Apple allow Apple TV to become the TiVO-like front end to an existing cable or satellite service? It would surely fix poor and lagging user interfaces and all, but may otherwise be a disappointment. If it works, it would possibly give the existing carriers a way to help stem cord cutting., though some would suggest Apple merely sold out.

The big fly in the ointment to all these expectations is that Apple prefers not to clutter media events with too much new gear. Most Macs can be announced with a press release. A new iPad configuration, and a new Apple TV might warrant more, particularly the latter since it really hasn’t received a whole lot of promotion so far.

And what about a surprise “one more thing” product? Does Apple have something to offer that we don’t know about, something off the rumor radar? Perhaps some suggestions will turn up ahead of March 9th.

One thing you won’t see is an Apple Car. Even if Apple is working on such a vehicle, it won’t see the light of day for several years even by the most optimistic estimates. And you’d know about it far in advance once it has to pass through EPA and insurance company certifications.

At least you’ll be able to see Apple’s event play out online or on your Apple TV — even if that’s due to be obsolete real soon now.

Apple is used to selling many millions of anything they produce. So even though Apple TV hasn’t been out of hobby status for very long, some 25 million of them have been sold. To most tech companies, such figures would be amazing.

In the smartwatch space, a research company known as Smartwatch Group claims that some 6.8 million of them were sold last year, with an average price of $189. That doesn’t seem terribly high compared to the $349 price for the cheapest Apple Watch. Worse, that’s down from an average selling price of $225 in 2013. Part of that may be the to the fact that 700,000 of those sales went to the Pebble, which can be had for as low as $99.

But remember this is just a survey, and surveys can be wrong.

In any case, those numbers cover all the companies making such gear. In addition, Smartwatch Group blames anticipation for Apple Watch is dulling sales last year. Or maybe you can say sucked the air out of the room, because smartwatches didn’t do terribly well in the holiday quarter by any estimate.

Now even without Apple entering the picture, it may be true that sales will increase to a large degree this year, simply because there will be a greater variety of products to buy. But that assumes those who buy these gadgets like them enough to buy more for other family members, and recommend them to friends and coworkers. If the word of mouth is bad, that would hurt future marketing efforts to expand the market.

Now unlike most of those other smartwatches, Apple is going full bore into the fashion market. By hiring executives from the fashion industry, Apple is buying expertise to be sure, but Jonny Ive has made it quite clear he treasures fancy devices, including watches and cars. It’s hard to attack his taste even if you don’t always agree with his design choices.

Just as interesting is how the average price will change with Apple Watch. Even if only a small number of high-end Editions are sold, and price estimates range from $5,000 or so to as high as $20,000 when equipped with the most expensive band, it will have a huge impact. In addition to increasing the average selling price, Apple’s margins will be high, particularly on the more expensive versions that will be sold as jewelry rather than gadgets. Obviously the internal workings of the cheapest Apple Watch and the most expensive version are the same.

But how many will Apple sell?

That’s the impossible question to answer. I assume Apple has internal surveys to demonstrate potential demand and all, and there’s a claim that Apple would build five million units for the initial rollout. Total sales estimates for 2015 are pegged at upwards of 25 million, or maybe as high as 40 million. But that would be a particularly fast uptake considering a “mere” 7.5 million iPads were sold in the first six months after it was released.

Expectations for Apple, however, are extremely high nowadays. So Apple would be expected to beat or exceed total industry sales within a month or so. If demand is strong, you wonder how that would impact other smartwatches. They are by and large sold as gadgets rather than jewelry. Success might also depend on how Apple handles future proofing. You see when someone pays thousands of dollars for a wristwatch, unless they just love to buy lots of them, and have the budget to support such luxuries, they would expect the thing to last for many years.

But given the pace of technology, Apple Watch will mature quickly from year to year. One suggestion is to allow you to swap out the internal module and replace it at a relatively low price, thus keeping the product current. That would also require retaining the existing form factor for a while to make such swap-outs more affordable, since they’d cover a wider range of potential units. You’d assume, though, that Apple’s design sensibilities would have considered a design that would be meant to exist for a number of years.

In other words, the technology would continue to advance without actually making it look much different. It’s not the same as the Samsung strategy of having a number of smartwatch configurations, some even using different operating systems.

Now at some point, Apple will change the Apple Watch form factor, perhaps making even smaller designs with essentially the same components. That, again, would depend on how technology progresses and what sort of additional features Apple might want to bake into the product.

I am wondering, for example, when it will be possible for Apple Watch to do all or most of its stuff without tethering to an iPhone. When that happens, sales growth would soar since you wouldn’t be forced to own a recent iPhone to get the most value out of them. I predict a year or two at most. But those products are likely already under test, and that will fuel even more rumors.

I’m of two minds about Genius Bar. The idea is surely compelling enough to make it one of the most important features of an Apple Store. Assuming the Genius staff knows what they’re doing, which is usually the case, it gives you a way to get free hands-on help direct from Apple. You don’t have to depend on someone at a consumer electronics store who might be a dunce (all right, they’re not all dunces), and lead you astray. The Genius is trained by Apple and should be able to readily solve most routine and not-so-routine problems.

Of course, when I call upon Apple to help, it’s anything but routine. That’s my lot in life I suppose. I also hate waiting, and even when I make an appointment, I still have to hang around for a while, and I hate sitting around and waiting. It reminds me of a doctor’s office, where the patient is seldom greeted even by the physician’s assistant at the appointed time.

Well, there are reports the Genius Bar, as it is, is due to be replaced with a system known as Concierge that offers what may be a more sensible approach. You’ll still be able to book your appointments online, but if you rush into a store without the reservation to get help with a hardware or technical support issue, how long you wait will be based on the nature of the problem.

So if your MacBook’s screen is dead, or your iPhone’s battery is toast, you’ll get priority over someone who merely has a relatively simple support question. Either way, you’ll receive reminder texts on your smartphone — and I presume they won’t force you to use an iPhone — indicating the original appointment, a reminder to get back to the store, and a final message indicating that a tech is ready to see you.

According to published reports, retail head Angela Ahrendts, who hails from the fashion industry, is working with Jony Ive on the redesign. Of course, we’ll have to see if it really launches on the week of March 9th as claimed.

Regardless, the idea does seem to have merit, though I’d think that anyone with a serious problem would want to actually schedule a session rather than rely on an uncertain wait time that would depend on how many people without reservations actually show up.

Such a scheme would be similar to the practice at some restaurants, such as the Cheesecake Factory chain, where they supply customers with pagers to alert them when their tables are ready. So would Apple give you a pager if you didn’t have a smartphone — or your broken iPhone was the object meant for repair?

I also wonder whether the former members of Genius Bar would appreciate being part of a Concierge, especially since the latter implies a hotel’s information booth. I’m not belittling hotel employees mind you. But if the new scheme addresses the problems of the old, and results in fewer people milling around the store hoping to get served, that’s a better deal.

The other possible change is displaying the Apple Watch in a carpeted area, which would give that section of the store a touch of class. Laying carpets throughout the entire store would seem to make less sense, since it would entail more frequent cleaning and probably less durability than tiles. Interior decorators are free to chime in.

Certainly anything that makes your Apple Store visit more enjoyable, less frustrating, has to be helpful. Happier customers mean more sales, and has the chain hit a wall in terms of potential sales growth? But adding a jewelry counter displaying a product with a potential five figure price tag will surely boost total sales at all outlets regardless.

When I consider the future improvements — or at least changes — in the Apple Store setup, I wonder how Apple would handle big box and even auto sales. If an Apple connected TV set is coming, it would seem these existing retail stores are too small to manage, except for maybe sticking one or two units at a specific place in the store, but what do they replace? Since the size of an Apple Store is usually fixed, unless there’s a way to take over an adjoining retail location, how many items can they display before it gets too cluttered? Or maybe that’s already happened.

And if Apple goes into the car business, just what would they do to overhaul the usually miserable auto buying experience? I cannot think of any vehicle purchase that didn’t leave me drained.

Consider a typical example: The other day I helped a relative trade down at a used car dealer. She had managed to keep up with the payments of her current car, but just barely, and it was too large and much too expensive to maintain. So I took her to the dealer, a store that once employed her late husband, in search of something smaller, cheaper and with a less daunting infotainment system.

I predicted she’d be there for at least two and a half hours, and that was being conservative. She didn’t believe it, because her husband handled all previous vehicle purchases usually without her presence. Indeed, it only took 15 minutes for her to accept a recommendation that the salesperson and I made of a suitable vehicle. That was the easy part.

She made some requests about financing, and she even had a tentative approval from the bank who handled the previous car loan. So it should have taken no more than a few minutes to calculate the new price and prepare the sales and loan contracts. Negotiations, after all, were brief.

But it took an hour before she got the final pricing, and another 45 minutes for the finance person to greet her to complete the transaction. From here, she had to sign multiple documents, sometimes several times, before she was done. Each document had to be printed separately in an ancient impact printer, shades of the 1980s. It began to remind me of a dry cleaner with a similar retro layout.

After two hours and 15 minutes, she left the dealership. We were both exhausted. Remember, this was a fast deal, with a predictable pricing. It wasn’t just someone walking into the dealership and having to endure a full-on sales pitch.

If Apple can overhaul such typically torturous experiences, and come up with an affordable vehicle that provides an appropriately elegant motoring experience with high style, they might get my business. For now, though, I’ll be sure to visit a nearby Apple Store after Concierge debuts, if it debuts, at least when something needs to be fixed.

Understand that Apple hasn’t held a press event since last October. After last month’s quarterly conference with the financial community, Tim Cook has given speeches, met with the President and granted a few interviews to friendly reporters. But it’s not that a lot of new material can be found in those statements, at least when it comes to unexpected new gadgets and services.

Sure, we have heard about new datacenters powered by renewable energy. This will be a boon to the solar industry no doubt, and certainly it’s nice to know that there will be more employment opportunities as a result. Being able to better cope with growing online traffic will no doubt make your iCloud experiences more reliable, and maybe give Apple enough capacity to cut the price for the optional packages, but it’s not exactly a new product or service, and hence it’s not worth much in the way of a rumor.

Now because something is rumored doesn’t mean Apple is going to deliver anything new. Take that connected TV set hinted by the pithy comments the late Steve Jobs made in a certain authorized biography from author Walter Isaacson. But having the magical interface that would revolutionize your TV experience doesn’t mean that it has to be done with a TV set. After all, the TV market is old and saturated. It’s not the equivalent of music players, smartphones and tablets, where the existing markets were not being well served before Apple entered the picture.

That’s something that the critics haven’t noticed.

The same is true for mobile payments, which basically went nowhere until Apple Pay came along. But financial tools aren’t very sexy.

But what about streaming video players? They are selling reasonably well, sometimes to so-called cord cutters, but they are all variations on a theme and the potential has yet to be realized. Even Apple TV, liberated from hobby status, hasn’t changed all that much except to sport the typically flat interface derived from iOS 7 with more channels. And thus more clutter.

The rumors have more or less eliminated the possibility of a TV set, and are focusing on how Apple might expand Apple TV. Would it sport a new, spiffy interface that echoes the promises, or exaggerations, from Apple’s late co-founder? What it serve as a sort of TiVO, as a front end to existing cable and satellite services, or is Apple planning their own streaming service? Adding 4K support would be an afterthought, since it’s just so expected.

Or is anyone paying attention anymore?

It seems that the focus of recent rumors, up through last week, was mostly about a MacBook Air with Retina display, with an almost 12-inch display. That display size is supposedly based on the resolution of the iPad Air 2 expanded to match the dots per inch of other Macs with Retina displays. Well, except for the iMac 5K of course.

There’s even talk of an iPad Pro that may or may not sport a 12.9-inch display and serve as a pro tablet of some sort. Maybe it’ll be useful for content creators, or perhaps the enterprise, but surely not the mass market. I wouldn’t think of buying one, at least not at this point, but if it somehow stopped the erosion of iPad sales, maybe Apple would consider taking this route.

The rumors about Apple Pay are mostly about expanding the system to more stores and financial institutions, but mobile payment systems aren’t sexy. At least Apple is doing better in this space than other companies, far better.

Apple Watch will arrive in weeks, so maybe there’s little point speculating about the final specs and pricing, although the prospect of a $20,000 top price may appeal to those who feel that spending that princely sum on some fancy electronic gizmo is a badge of honor. Clearly the Apple Watch Edition won’t come cheap and that places this smartwatch in a totally different arena than the competition. The rest are just gadgets that may at times seem attractive enough, but they hardly qualify as jewelry.

So in that sense, Apple Watch, despite the superficial resemblance of some of the features to other so-called smartwatches, really has no direct competitor. Well, until the premium watch makers get in on the act. There’s already the promise of one from TAG Heuer.

Last week, though, talk of an Apple Watch was essentially supplanted by talk of an Apple Car. No, not just the infotainment system, or full control of the dashboard, but the entire vehicle with the seats, engine, transmission, wheels, axles, transmission, sunroof — the whole Megillah.

Such a vehicle, no doubt electric powered, and possibly with self-driving capability, would seem to pit Apple against Tesla. It doesn’t seem as if Apple would enter the car business with an affordable model, at least for starters, though one never knows. Tesla’s smaller, cheaper Model 3, expected to be sold for between $35,000 and $40,000, is not due until 2017. The rumors about Apple’s automotive project, code-named Titan, speak of production by 2020, plenty of time for Apple to consider entering the higher end of the midsized and compact luxury markets. That’s where annual sales expand from the tens of thousands to the hundreds of thousands.

At least with an Apple Car, regulatory requirements and emissions and insurance industry testing will require that they let the cat out of the bag many months before such a product ends up in an Apple showroom somewhere. So ongoing rumors right now are going to be decidedly premature, unless Apple gives up the whole thing and the stories eventually vanish without having anything to sustain them. I mean, some industry executives have suggested Apple has no business building cars. They also said that about music players, smartphones and tablets, and some even said Apple went too far with personal computers.