“2002 when it announced the rack mounted server Xserve, in 2003 with the introduction of the consumer-oriented iSight and the Power Mac G5, in 2004 with the introduction of redesigned Apple Cinema Displays, in 2005, when an announcement was made that Apple Computer would start the transition of their computers from IBM’s PowerPC microprocessor line to Intel’s line of x86 processors, and in 2006 with the release of the Xeon-based Mac Pro and Xserve.”
You said ‘big consumer announcements’ not ‘big consumer devices’ – I would say the transition to Intel was also a big consumer-affecting announcement also.
Bear in mind ‘consumer’ does not necessarily mean average joe, but anyone who buys Apple’s products – so the Xserve is up there even though it would mostly be the tech industry consumers rather than ‘mainstream’ consumers.
All that said, no product announcements last year ; )