I don't think Apple wants to abandon their desktop market at all. However, they could be introducing a new thing - a new Apple TV style device that's designed to connect to monitors and act as a workplace bridge for iPhones and iPads.
If you could get a $100 or $150 AppleDesktop that only ran App Store apps, but hooked up to a monitor/TV and allowed BT keyboard/mouse, would you do it?
It could be the AppleTV store, or the iOS App Store, or even the Mac App Store that's backing it, but it would definitely be an interesting competitor vs. a Chromebox, as it could function without internet (which might make it a perfect "computer" for your aging parents). The fact that it couldn't run OSX or sideload apps would clearly protect Macs from some cannibalization.
If you could get a $100 or $150 AppleDesktop that only ran App Store apps, but hooked up to a monitor/TV and allowed BT keyboard/mouse, would you do it?
It could be the AppleTV store, or the iOS App Store, or even the Mac App Store that's backing it, but it would definitely be an interesting competitor vs. a Chromebox, as it could function without internet (which might make it a perfect "computer" for your aging parents). The fact that it couldn't run OSX or sideload apps would clearly protect Macs from some cannibalization.