“Apple added Siri to the iOS, creating an easy way for users to search and perform tasks without the need for an on screen keyboard,” Karl Johnson writes for T-GAAP. “With Siri, Apple basically created a smart operating system. While Siri is still limited, it shows the direction for the future of operating systems beyond mobile. For Apple, this means Siri is likely to be headed towards Macs and OS X.”
“The rest of the industry has already taken notice. Google has Google Now, and in April Amazon purchased a Siri competitor Evi. The industry sees voice control as the future, and the major players are working hard to integrate it into their operating systems,” Johnson writes. “Apple will be announcing their next Mac OS (10.9) in June at WWDC. Developers are expecting Siri to be one of the main new features. Can Apple just drop in Siri as is, or do they need to improve it for the Mac?”
Johnson writes, “The question’s not if Siri is coming to the Mac, but when is Siri coming to the Mac and how integrated will it be at launch?”
Read more in the full article here.
Related articles:
Apple patents point to Siri controlling iTunes on Mac and more – September 13, 2012
Apple patent application describes bringing Siri to the Mac via iPhone pairing – March 29, 2012
Siri: The ace up Apple’s sleeve – February 6, 2013
the most useless possible feature on my MBP
Yeah but these kinds of features will evolve to the day they will be more like HAL. Gotta start and implement somewhere and sometime. I don’t use Siri a lot (have to remind myself sometimes she’s there) but when I do it’s usually fun and helpful.
“Open the pod bay doors, Siri”
“I’m sorry, peterblood71, I can’t do that.”
Sorry, had to be done.
Siri is already apart of OSX. The authour has it wrong.
However useless to some or not… having the ability as a feature to the OS is amazing.
Voice commands go back in Mac history as far as OS 8.
“Computer” launch illustrator.
“Computer” what time is it?
“Computer” tell me a joke.
Johnson writes, “The question’s not if Siri is coming to the Mac, but when is Siri coming to the Mac and how integrated will it be at launch?”
Johnson, obviously does not have a MAC running 10.8.x
The names “Now” and “Evi” seem rather lame. They just don’t “sing.”
i agree, “Wait” and “Envy” better suit the competition.
Has a long way to go but Siri works well for me and one just has to have a little imagination to see the potential. Obviously like humans if you have a strong, lazy, obscure or difficult accent it struggles but then maybe it can educate people to actually communicate better so we can all understand them better, be it human or technological listener.
I use Siri exclusively as my Maps interface. It’s one out of a million features, but it works faster than launching another app and typing in a bunch of stuff, almost always with zero pain.
I believe a day will come where everything is this easy and efficient. Matter of time. And Apple technology will, as usual, be blazing the trail.
I agree – Siri access to certain apps is easier than manual, particularly when it is just one piece or information. I can ask and then do something else while Siri retrieves and tells me.
I think that would be a useful feature on a desktop. Ask Siri for temp or forecast while still working in the application at the forefront.
These are small time savers, but they add a level of UI polish that Apple should have.
I agree that Siri is good with directions/maps. My issue with Maps isn’t that it is missing things, only that roads appear white against the pale yellow background … not enough contrast to make them out clearly. Would prefer they be black or another darker color.
I am happy to see people using Siri.
Thats the key here, use it and Siri will learn.
Siri was yet another differentiating factor to iOS.
Wonder why the competition was allowed in less than a year to offer similar features?
They all copy Apple.
Filtering out background noise is critical for voice recognition to work well. I think this will require new Mac hardware, so it can use an extra microphone to isolate ambient noise the way current iPhones do.
Perhaps Apple could even take some cues from biology – use two microphones like ears to triangulate the direction and distance of a sound sources – then it could ignore a room full of chatty people and listen to the person in front of the computer.
Also, to ignore the song currently playing on iTunes. If I have to turn things off before I can use it, I’m not gonna.
Well, on benefit, if you fall down while your Mac is awake and you can’t get up. Maybe Siri can give emergency services a shot.
The Clapper is sort of a touch based gesture device.
absolutely – not an issue – Siri will be an assistant in your scenario.
Will you have to speak into the mouse to use Siri on the desktop?
i can sit back about 4 feet and Siri understands my voice and can take dictation just fine.