Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Mouse support for iPad would actually let it be a true, productive laptop. I know Apple won't do it because it would blur their product lines, but they really should.
No they shouldn’t. I have not seen any hybrid devices that didn’t have some sort of compromise. Adding a mouse to the iPad kills the entire point of have a versatile tablet especially when the Pencil has similar precision.
 
Yes, ok my writing was a bit one sided. many people love it, some people don't. But for example the non T shaped cursor keys, can you really make a solid argument why this is better on productivity?

I'll play. I use the left and right arrows the most and like the full-size versions better.
 
At one level that does sound cool, but from another it's really a bad idea!

A Phone or Tablet GUI is not the same as a Laptop or Desktop. Even now just in iOS we have the constant Ying & Yang between the iPhone and iPad code changes to be more intune with their unique GUI needs.

I think the goal should be the apps core primitives should be common and then the overlay of the given platform should be applied. That way the programmer can be selective on what he wants to turn out... an iOS, MacOS or other and if they think it makes sense to offer it across multiple OS's then compile it for them from the same base.

I think Apple is seeing the larger storage options in iOS devices now coming out as being what allows them to do this. But is that the best use of all this storage?? I think not!

I don't want bloat on my iPhone or iPad with MacOS stuff and even my MacBook Retina is still tight for storage so I surely don't want extra stuff on it either.

Skinny code is still in vogue!! Long live skinny code!!
 
Last edited:
I don't think they're going to remove the ability to run Windows anytime soon. A lot of people use that feature.

Sure, but the present and certainly the future is about software & not the OS people are using. Apple wouldn't think twice about killing Windows support if it meant their own ecosystem would benefit.

I'd say Windows support was on borrowed time unless Windows on ARM becomes a very viable option and isn't just restricted to that Windows 10 S crap...
 
If someone needs mouse support use a Mac (or Windows machine if you’re in that ecosystem). That’s why those devices exist.
 
My main worry about universal apps is bloat.
The next MacOS is supposed to drop 32-bit support. And the current iOS dropped it already. So there’s room now. Also Apple added technology to the App Store to reduce the download size based on device... I think?
 
This is huge if true. It probably means UIKit is coming to Mac (arguably should have been there a while ago) but also that that version of UIKit will also be smart enough to detect touches or mouse input. Which could mean... mouse control is coming to iPad.
 
So are they changing all the macOS system library APIs to match those of iOS? That would be nice because it's hard to find help when you're making a native Mac application!
[doublepost=1513793716][/doublepost]
Microsoft is using ARM chips again too. So that isn’t an issue.
It is an issue because most third-party Windows software is x86-only (much of it still 32-bit even). And the only reason to use Windows is third-party software.
 
I am mac user from 1992, Powerbook 190 and you aint seen anything. But platform is doing just fine

If I correctly interpret your saying I've not seen enough to know what was "good," then I beg to differ. One need not have been at the table when the Declaration of Independence was signed to have realized the quality, magical transformation of what it was like to use a computer having a solid, dependable, unique-looking, clean, efficient, and intuitive interface compared to Windows' random reinventions every 3-4 years. Back Apple massaged a great & matured product annually until around 2014 when Jony Ive & others starting dabbling a la Microsoft and introduced dumbed-down UI elements in Yosemite, crapping all over what used to be an efficient and unique platform.

Here in this thread's topic, I fear more change for the sake of change and not for ultimate customer use benefit.
 
They lost an opportunity to sync the version numbers... macOS could have gone up to eleven last time. And then this news would have made more sense.

I really thought it would be the end of the X operating system as we knew it, but it didn't happen. Surely it's coming down the pipeline.
 
This is brilliant, I don’t think they should create 1 OS, but things like this will make things like handoff more seamless and hopefully be a big step for Mac games too as iOS games become more advanced.
There is already shared underlying os and certain frameworks between Mac and iOS. Almost certainly Mac will become another target in the iOS app, like watch or tvOS.
 
The issue with this idea is that it makes consumers feel like they can use one device instead of two, while decreasing the need for iCloud and custom Mac and iOS accessories. Right now we have three core devices to monitor for updates: iPad, iPhone, and Mac. As much as we make fun of their lack of intrest in the Mac It is still a key product and they do want us to buy new ones. They solved the issue with PC's not making much return by avoiding cutting edge components (except the iMac Pro which includes a 3x markup).

I have been half joking that with friends that our iPhone should be our computer and the iPad and Macbook/iMac/Display/Apple TV should all be smart devices we can use the iPhone with. Just like there is a custom UI for CarPlay, there would be a custom UI for each of these. We thought the iPhone would bring more attention the Mac, but the opposite occured. The iPhone is the key revenue for Apple, and everything else is an accessory for ecosystem. Universal Mac Apps support this idea. The problem with my idea is that while it makes it a lot easier to get into the Apple Ecosystem it isn't as sticky as having three $1000k+ devices in your home.


With Apple's turning their back on macs/macbooks and trying to convince people "what's a computer" when you have an ipad with a Bluetooth keyboard & pencil on-hand (for only $129 & $99 extra each), a question to ponder is:

Do Apple engineers design MacBooks/Macs on their phones/ipads, or vice-versa.
 
I haven't looked at developing macOS apps for a few years, but AppKit always felt so archaic and not worth the time to get into. An expanded UIKit that works across iOS and macOS that supersedes AppKit would be awesome.

I don't see much down side to Apple doing this, it would probably help them keep their own stuff more up to date on the Mac too.

Messages for instance would be helped a lot, it's obvious the Mac version has a lot of technical debt and can't even send or receive half the content the iOS apps can.
 
I’ve been saying this for years. The universal OS. An app would run on all hardware, showing features that would work on that hardware. Move to more sophisticated hardware, and more features would be there.
This is a developer thing. Today you can build one app that has targets for iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, and Apple Watch. This will add a target, Mac.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Krevnik
This will actually become the end of Mac Apps

The mac app store is already a ghost town with a scattering of abandoned apps. The software world will continue to ignore it and this change will not mean anything.

Edit: Well except a few fart apps and apps of that caliber will be ported to the mac.
 
Yet the default email app notifications still do not sync properly across the mac, iphone, and ipad. I have to open the app to get the badge to disappear on my mac if I open the email on my phone/ipad and vice versa.
 
Adding a mouse to the iPad kills the entire point of have a versatile tablet especially when the Pencil has similar precision.

Except a mouse is a tremendously easier tool than pencil to use when sitting in a certain position and doing certain work tasks. Similarly a pencil isn’t easy for hovering over pixels or doing other technical tasks. The idea to start combining things too much is such a bad idea, but makes sense in only today’s Apple offices where everything is treated like a minimalism & hardware-reduction design contest.
 
  • Like
Reactions: bwintx and DevNull0
This is good if it helps developers create applications that integrate better into both platforms. I doubt Apple wants to cannibalize the mac platform, it's still an extremely large business. The fear is if they did move away from the macOS environment to simplify and created a fully walled garden. I currently like macOS for the Unix / POSIX compliant foundation, the ability for virtualization of multiple other operating systems, and its customization once you disable some of the gatekeeper function.

The biggest fear is that they create a unified operating system feature / visual wise and it becomes extremely restrictive in abilities. If this is done for the sake of making app creation more streamlined and making the creation of even an ARM-based Macbook more possible while keeping the desktop environment, that'd be great... as long as they support emulation of x86_64 in this environment.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.