What if Apple fused iOS and OSX?

You might find some relevant information in some of the existing threads on this topic:

Apple to Begin Merging iOS and OS X With Quad-Core A6 Chip Next Year?
Advantages with OS X + iOS combo?
Lion: OS or iOS?
Is iOS Mac OS XI?
The hole OS X/iOS cross breed thing concerns me...
Lamenting over OS X and iOS
OSX is becoming IOS Pro
iOS X - the future of iOS and OS X

 

I would probably make my SL machines last as long as possible. Especially if the fusion was to much to the iOS side.

iOS is designed for devices with limited input methods and limited abilities. It also works well with users who don't use their computer to the limits as in they just want to surf the net, check email, and watch media.

OSX is more for those that need more powerful abilities like full multitasking. iOS freezes apps that are put into the background most of the time.

It is true that as iOS et. al. becomes more powerful we will see more people going to having just a tablet PC, but desktop PC's will always need to be there for more powerful computing. I am sure of this since as tablets become more powerful so will desktops. The level that is in question are the laptops.

 

iOS is a subset of OSX. There isn't that much difference between them as people think - they share many libraries. That's how it's always been from the beginning. Hence I find it difficult to answer your question.

 

I hear podcasters say things like the IOS-ification of OSX . . . . .

OK they added launchpad which looks like the iPad program launcher. So what . . . If you don't like it, you don't have to use Launchpad.

Did they remove features from OSX that made it a more powerful operating system? Yea spaces and mission control are changes that some don't like. There will always be change and not everyone will be happy. I just can't see IOS on the desktop/laptop in the near future. Too many people can't get a long with IOS only functionality.

 

I agree, and the iOS-ification of OS X is probably something to do with trying to bring over more of the iphone/ipad crowd to an apple desktop.

I wouldn't mind some more integration between some apps between my mac and my iOS devices.

 

Most people overlook, that the hardware does not exist, to support a iOS-like OS on the desktop (Or do we have "retina" touchscreens on our desktops?). ARM-based designs are good for low power, mobile devices (phones, tablets). Touchscreens are also good for mobile devices, but not very useful on the desktop.

 

The other thing they claim indicates moving OSX towards IOS is the Mac App store. I don't see it that way . . . I just think the Mac app store is a nice way to distribute software. I'll buy all my Mac software there if I can.

 

They won't be fused.

OS X will be eliminated as soon as iOS is mature enough and versatile enough to replace the vast majority of OS X use cases. (It doesn't have to be a complete replacement; Apple has repeatedly demonstrated that it will drop the older platform once the newer platform is close enough.)

This has not happened yet. But OS X is a legacy platform. It continues to exist, like IBM's mainframes, because it continues to make money, but Apple is doing zero development on it other than updates and ports from iOS. All the new features in OS X come out for iOS first.

 

I'm ready for LiOS.

So is it possible in the foreseeable future that Lion, and iOS merge together to truly become one OS for all Apple devices?

What would the advantages, and disadvantages be to something like this happening?

 

I wouldn't want them too, iOS is great for ipads/phones/etc touch devices but I don't use the 'new' stuff in lion that resembles the Ipad/Iphone stuff at all.

 

I have been reading some . . Seems IOS and OSX are closely related, with IOS being a subset derived from OSX. Both are "unix" like under the covers, which more easily seen on OSX. So to over simplify. Why no take things from one to the other when it makes sense? They may never move to a single operating system . . . maybe they are closer than we thing, with simply UI stuff on top.

xcode is used to develop both . . . just different SDK's right?

 

If they did fully fuse them fully, I'd have to start looking at a linux alternative or maybe even (*GASP*) windows.

Lion already has changes that are crippling the power that Mac OS X has.

 

Like what? I have been a Mac user for a year and only used Snow Leopard and Lion. What did they remove?

 

Spaces. And proper Exposé, which also got crippled a bit in Snow Leopard.

Imagine going from this:

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to this:

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But I guess the majority where not using Spaces like this, thus Mission Control is fine for most consumers.

 

I grew up with DOS, Windows and HP-UX. I understand Spaces. I tried it on Snow Leopard but decided that I did not run enough apps at one time to make it sensible in my mind. My Mac is my personal computer so I am not running lots of apps at once.