Apple have always seemed a little inconsistent when marketing it's corporate identity. Perhaps this simply reflects a desire to be innovative. It is after all an ideas company (MS take note instead of copying Apple's ideas).
In my opinion, Apple has been
extremely consistent in their corporate image. Many, many, many people recognize the Apple logo, the "i" nomenclature is most always associated with "Apple" or "iPod" so even if other companies use it, "Apple" is what comes to mind, and Apple's commercials have been extremely consistent in their branding (the "Switcher" commercials with consistent music and film, the iPod commercials with silhouettes dancing, and the Apple logo itself). Apple, at the very least, is AT LEAST AS consistent as any other marketing by any other company.
The 'i' suffix served products such as iPod well, but now that other imitiators have jumped on the bandwagon, Apple seems uncertain where to go with some new product naming (e.g. Apple TV).
Why do you say they're "unsure" of where to go after "i"? Apple is still using the "i" in some naming conventions (namely, their computers, iPods and consumer-oriented products like the iPhone), and seems to be using the Apple logo instead of the "i" in their home entertainment products. At least, that seems to be where they're going to me, and they don't seem "unsure" in the least.
It wouldn't surprise me to see a new logo. Not necessarily a good move though.
It would surprise the hell out of me to see a "new" logo. I wouldn't be surprised to see the Apple shape itself used in another fashion, perhaps 3-D looking again or something, or some new color scheme, but I do think that for the forseeable future, Apple will use the single Apple outline, all by itself, for their logo. What makes you think they'd go in a new direction with the logo?
