2012 Predictions: Macworld's annual forecast of the year ahead

Macworld - At the end of every year, we take the requisite look back, and the end of 2011 was no exceptionwe reviewed the year in iOS, the year in Mac, Apples financial performance, the year in quotes, and Macworlds most read and most loved and loathed stories.

But the new year is just as much a time to look forward. We started last week with Dan Morens Apple and the year ahead, but every January we also survey a number of Macworld contributors and friends for their predictions for the upcoming 12 months. Specifically, we ask our participants for their forecasts for Mac OS X, iOS, and Apple hardware, as well as for each persons pie-in-the-sky wish for the world of Apple. You'll find such hopes and wishes below.

For those prognosticators who also participated in our 2011 predictions article, weve also noted how each fared last year, using a scale of 0 to 4, with each of the four topic areas worth one pointpartial credit awarded, of course. Take these scores with a grain of salt, as theyre admittedly subjective; plus, how do you score The Macalope, really?

Jacqui Cheng, Senior Apple Editor, Ars Technica

Last years score: Mac OS X, 1.0; iOS, 0.5; hardware, 0.5; pie, 0. Total = 2.0/4.0

Mac OS X: My OS X-related prediction from last yearintegrated cloud servicesended up coming true, so why not keep running with that? This year, I hope to see even further integration with cloud and Internet services. An obvious example is iMessage on the desktop (who doesnt want that?), but Im also thinking bigger, like the caability to set up a new Mac from a cloud-based backup or, at the very least, from your Time Machine backup at home while youre out and about.

iOS: Siri made a splash when it debuted with the iPhone 4S, and Id like to see Apple open up the Siri API to third-party developers. She (it?) already works reasonably well with Apples own apps and services; wouldnt it be nice to be able to use Siri with your favorite third-party apps, such as one of my favorite CTA (Chicago) apps, Buster? (Siri, when will the freaking Milwaukee bus arrive!?)

We may also finally see the end result of all these recentand mysteriousmapping-related acquisitions Apple has been making. What is Apple doing with Placebase, Poly9, and C3 anyway? Maybe the employees are still going through the hazing that Steve Jobs started when their respective companies were first acquired.

Hardware: We didnt see any cosmetic changes in the iPhone in 2011, so 2012 is prime for it. What those changes will encompass is anyones guess, but thinner, lighter, and sexier will undoubtedly be on the checklist. More RAM and a better processor, too? Apples got this. Of course, this is a boring and predictable answer on hardware, but there are few things Im more sure of than this. Want something a little crazier? Maybe Apple will even offer the 2012 iPhone in colors this time, laying waste to Colorwares entire market. That would be enthralling, wouldnt it?