“Apple is working on a new type of ‘user experience’ that combines iPhone, iPad and Mac apps, according to Bloomberg,” Nicholas Fearn writes for V3. “The project could see the company produce an operating system and chip platform uniting iPhone and Mac in a way originally envisaged by Canonical with its failed ‘Ubuntu for phones’ project of 2013.”
“Although Apple hasn’t officially announced the plans, [Bloomberg reporter Mark] Gurman’s sources believe that the company will start by rolling out some sort of framework to software developers next year,” Fearn writes. “”Starting as early as next year, software developers will be able to design a single application that works with a touchscreen or mouse and trackpad depending on whether it’s running on the iPhone and iPad operating system, or on Mac hardware,” he wrote.”
“Gurman spoke to leading app developer Steven Troughton-Smith, who believes that these plans would streamline software development,” Fearn writes. “‘Unifying the apps could help the iOS and MacOS platforms ‘evolve and grow as one, and not one at the expense of the other,’ he said.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Moving Macs to Apple processors won’t happen tomorrow, but it’s certainly a possibility longer term.
Think code convergence (more so than today) with UI modifications per device. A unified underlying codebase for Intel, Apple A-series, and, in Apple’s labs, likely other chips, too (just in case). This would allow for a single App Store for Mac, iPhone, and iPad users that features a mix of apps: Some that are touch-only, some that are Mac-only, and some that are universal (can run on both traditional notebooks and desktops as well as on multi-touch computers like iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and – pretty please, Apple – Apple TV). Don’t be surprised to see Apple A-series-powered Macs, either. — MacDailyNews Take, January 9, 2014
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I’ve always wanted to own and control the primary technology in everything we do. — Steve Jobs, October 12, 2004
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• In order to build the best products, you have to own the primary technologies. Steve felt that if Apple could do that — make great products and great tools for people — they in turn would do great things. He felt strongly that this would be his contribution to the world at large. We still very much believe that. That’s still the core of this company. — Apple CEO Tim Cook, March 18, 2015
SEE ALSO:
Why Apple would want to unify iOS and Mac apps in 2018 – December 20, 2017
Apple to provide tool for developers build cross-platform apps that run on iOS and macOS in 2018 – December 20, 2017
The once and future OS for Apple – December 8, 2017
On the future of Apple’s Macintosh – February 6, 2017
Tim Bajarin: I see Apple moving many users to an iOS-based mobile device over the next 3-4 years – November 7, 2016
What comes after OS X? – January 9, 2014
Don’t preschool the Mac OS.
99% of Apple’s income comes from consumers not producers. And consumers only need iOS. But us producers still need a truck Mac OS.
My ten year old daughter said poison to my ears. She said she wants a laptop for Christmas
I said I’d get her a MacBook. She said “nooooo. I want a chrome book like they have in school”
She didn’t stop.
She said. “Apples are really confusing to use and they are not good for gaming”
Think of how much is disturbing there. First she’s right. Second macs owned the education market but blew it like enterprise. Next macs aren’t perceived by kids as good for Games. That’s for real. My office is full of twenty year olds who hate macs for gaming. Next. How stupid is Apple for having NO footprint in the gaming industry? You know that little industry that’s bigger than Hollywood. The one industry that like music and film would tie the entire Apple ecosystem for youth together. So obvious unless you’re “light on your feet” Tim Cook who didn’t have any desire to do gaming as a kid but rather skip rope. So tired of Apple missing huge markets as a big shareholder.
So as wrong as it is,,, So to NOT make my kid feel uncool she’ll probably get a chromebook like the other cool kids.
Yes because a 10 year old’s needs are also the needs of the rest of us. My 9 year old & 6 year old granddaughters are delighted to use Macs and amuse themselves with.
always have to be a c*nt? I mean who raised you, a bunch of werewolves? Have you got not a single decent bone in your body? or are you a sociopath and don’t understand social norms?
I could ask you the same thing and it would actually be valid. Love these cowardly anonymous posts aka horse’s ass with no name.
Peter c*nt and his upvote scam are back.
Take your down vote like the disliked SOS troll you are.
Peter c*nt and his upvote scam are back.
Really? You have nothing better to do with your time adolescent troll?
OK, unifying iOS and macOS may be fine and dandy, but the really big unknown is: Will Apple tabletize the Mac or will they Mac-ify the iPad? The answer may very well have different outcomes and consequences for Apple and its user base. I, for one, have always believed the so called content creators or the people who have to do any sort of heavy lifting on an iPad need to use a mobile version of the Mac rather than a more featureful iOS.
OS X is signicantly better than iOS. Making my Mac more like my iPad would be a disaster. If Tim Cook goes this route he needs to be institutionalized.
Letting the macOS run iOS apps does not mean anything other than that. To turn the macOS into macOS Lite® would be death to many users and force abandonment to Windows or Linux. Plain and simply a full-on & pro capable macOS hooked to multiple 5-8K monitors is not going to be accomplished by a freakin’ tablet anytime soon. End of story.
Saying the macOS will become iOS is a prediction only John Dvorak would love – and also be wrong about. (If anything iOS will become more like macOS doing things like adding a file system.)
“If anything iOS will become more like macOS…”
Perhaps in some ways.
But we already have the example of so-called Pages, which, at version 6.3, is still a pretty but castrated version of the functionality of 4.3 — really only fit for Grandma Doris to make a birthday card for little Jimmy. NOT a viable business program, even for my very modest small business.
You DO realize that Apple has been pushing abandonment to WIndows or Linux for some time now, right? I’ve helped several people who were tired of waiting for Apple to do anything in the “big iron” area, and they’re better off for it. They decide when they want to upgrade and pretty much have a pick of whatever’s on the shelf. The iMac Pro is another push, and the Mac Pro will be another push. Anyone who sees what those products are, can’t stand them, yet STILL stay with macOS as a desktop… I guess I don’t know what to say about that.
We’re in a PostPC world, if you’re using macOS, it will be in order to produce content for iOS devices. If that’s not your use case, you’re going to be more and more disappointed as time goes on… so just make that jump to Windows or Linux now, get used to how things work there, and leave the iOS ecosystem behind.
I’ve been feeling pushed away from Macs. The idea of switching over to Windows makes me sick.
I’m waiting for the Mac Pro next year before I bail. I’ve made many threats already. I just prefer to stay in the Mac ecosystem though I am well aware of the upside (and downsides) of switching to Windows or Linux.
I don’t worry about iOS as I simply use those devices as entertainment and communication devices. My orientation for a Pro machine is more workstation (like the Cheese Grater) for which the 2013 Mac Pro was an abomination anathema. Currently a 2007 (upgraded to El capitan) and a 2010 (upgraded Nvidia card and RAM) will see me through until I can get a look at what Apple will have wrought next year. Meanwhile I have a nice PC Workstation all spec’d out just in case on standby. 😉
What Apple ecosystem?? Seriously, what’s the ecosystem that other platforms don’t have? Or need? So someone on windows can’t backup their phone and access Spotify? They couldn’t care less about the same branding. So Apple has an audience that does care and Apple offers less and less options. Amazon of all companies is beating Apple to the punch with key “think different” products. Tying the home together. Deny it?
http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-ecosystem-2016-6
Apple and Amazon are two different companies with different marketing objectives, especially effecting security and data-mining.
The two platforms are for different purposes and merging the two OSes will be nothing short of a disaster for both
I don’t think they’re working to _unite_ anything. They’re making it easier for developers to write code that will compile and run on Intel and ARM processors, the OS’s will stay separate. This is in preparation for a world where Intel becomes a smaller and smaller slice of Apple’s offerings AND Apple’s ARM processors continue to improve year over year.
In the end Apple’s processors only have to execute code produced by Apple’s compilers, so they can optimize the heck out of that. Intel’s chips will always have an internal micro-compiler to try to deal with the requirements that come from being a general purpose offering. That adds complexity and delay where Apple’s chips will be executing 64 bit instructions far more efficiently.
How I read the rumor is that Apple wants to make it easier for software developers to make apps work on IOS or Macs, not unify the hardware. With companies like GE, IBM and others embracing Macs, there still is a need for good desktop apps.
If a dev can take his IOS app, add some features and compile it for Mac use, that extends the Macs push into the enterprise and also allows for a better, unified experience that Apple started with Continuity.
While Cook isn’t jumping on stage yelling “Developers, developers, developers!!!”, the recent moves by Apple with the iMac Pro, iOS, coders school, etc. tells us that the recognize that in today’s world, the apps drive the hardware sales.
I don’t have a lot of experience on an iPad. That is my wife’s machine. She does a lot of work on Pages as is constantly coming to me for help. I find trying to do many things on IOS Pages much more difficult than doing them on MAC OS Pages. When she has a real need now she uses my MacBook Air to get her work done. In my opinion, as a Mac user since 1984, they have lost their way. It no longer “just works” I have sent several emails to Tim Cooks office about this and I encourage you to do the same.