
Tim Cook on merging macOS and iOS: “I don’t think that’s what users want” - mr_toad
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/04/tim-cook-on-merging-macos-and-ios-i-dont-think-thats-what-users-want/
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meesterdude
This is great - if it hold out.

> But that's not what it's about. You know it's about giving people things
> that they can then use to help them change the world or express their
> passion or express their creativity.

Tim says this... and this is also what users have come to expect of apple; but
their products as of late very much reflect a different set of priorities. The
notion of iOS and MacOS merging didn't come out of nowhere - thats the
direction apple was/is heading.

As a lifelong Mac user, it's obvious we're second class citizens to apple,
whos focus is primariy on iOS. IIRC, They don't even have a dedicated MacOS
team anymore - everyone is doing IOS dev. And, it shows in the quality of the
system.

I honestly think apple has already peaked and has started to decline - and i
think they need to, to get hungry again. But with all the money they have, I
don't think they'll be hungry for quite a while.

~~~
Blackstone4
Does MacOS need to be #1 priority at Apple?

We've gone from OS-as-a-Platform to Browser-as-a-Platform (albeit on an OS).
Operating systems have matured and have become relatively stable.

I feel MacOS has an edge in the market given the excellent trackpad (i.e. the
#1 way to interact with a mac or any computer), iCloud, and honestly it just
works.

Outside of Chrome, I use VS Code, VLC, FaceTime, iCloud, Dropbox, Zoom, and
the Terminal.

~~~
lou1306
> Operating systems have matured and have become relatively stable.

The bugs in High Sierra (passwordless root [1], APFS data loss [2], the App
Store preferences vulnerability [3]) seem to suggest otherwise. I have a MBP
at work which is still on Sierra, maybe next summer I will be confident enough
to upgrade...

[1]: [https://www.theverge.com/2017/11/28/16711782/apple-macos-
hig...](https://www.theverge.com/2017/11/28/16711782/apple-macos-high-sierra-
critical-password-security-flaw) [2]:
[https://www.macrumors.com/2018/02/19/apfs-bug-macos-data-
los...](https://www.macrumors.com/2018/02/19/apfs-bug-macos-data-loss-disk-
images/) [3]: [https://www.theverge.com/2018/1/11/16877992/high-sierra-
bug-...](https://www.theverge.com/2018/1/11/16877992/high-sierra-bug-apple-
app-store-settings-password-preferences)

~~~
Blackstone4
Yes these are serious bugs and it's important for Apple to prioritize
security. Apple could be doing a better job here.

My point was that many users have gone from running apps on OS's to browsers.
The focus has shifted from producing the best-in-class OS to creating an OS
which can run a best-in-class browser.

With this in mind, does MacOS need to be #1 priority at Apple? Security still
needs to be a priority across all product lines

~~~
lou1306
It doesn't "need" to be a priority. However, some Apple products (the MBP in
particular) were big among professional users who now feel a little left
behind.

Also, This is not limited to the software level. See the new MBP: there is no
option for a laptop with top specs and no Touch Bar.

~~~
Blackstone4
Yeah agreed that Apple could be doing more with their Mac product line. I
would like a better MacBook Air (with retina and less bezel around the
screen....more like the Dell XPS 13) and a more powerful reasonably priced Mac
Mini.

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ggm
It's definitely not what this user wants. This user wants a real ESC key back
too

~~~
nadioca
BTW they need to bring back the previous generation keyboard with a descent
key travel.

~~~
AmericanChopper
I love the new keyboard, as well as the ultra-low profile of the new macs.

~~~
r00fus
New keyboard is great. Trackpad is too big and sensitive (has it gotten better
with high sierra)?

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deltron3030
Devs and other creators want workstation grade productivity within a mobile
form factor, solving the problem when switching between both worlds for
mobility. Some devs who value mobility and change their location often, don't
even want to get used to working on a big screen.

Current phones, while providing enough horsepower for development, are
handicapped by they screen real estate, something AR could fundamentally
change. Who'd buy a laptop if you're more productive with simple AR glasses
connected to phone?

That's the future Apple is facing. While not a merger of both OS, macOS could
just be an AR app on your phone that you'd use with your AR glasses.

~~~
yoz-y
I'd like to see some AR screens, but for me they would have to have an insane
resolution (way beyond 8k, so that the virtual screen is "retina") and be able
to create completely opaque surfaces.

There are lot of transparent screens in science fiction but those seem
useless. Companies have not invested a ton of time and money into anti-glare
screen for nothing.

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petecox
I was surprised when this story was published in my local newspaper and picked
up internationally as Apple have been firm in their product segregation that
they have no public plans to

(a) release an iPhone desktop dock (c.f. Samsung DeX) (b) merge iOS and macOS
into one toolkit (UWP/KDE Plasma) (c) merge Macbook and iPad (Chrome OS
tablet)

(Disclaimer: not being a current Apple customer, I'm sure Cook doesn't
particularly care what _I_ want. However I am comforted that others do think
different.)

~~~
yoz-y
I think that the a) and c) are kind of at odds. If one has everything in the
cloud then they do not really need docking. Docking also seems to be quite
niche as people prefer laptops when they need to move a lot. As a heavy mac,
iPhone and iPad user I really hope they will not merge the UI toolkits though.
It would be nice if they merged parts of their APIs and modernized the mac API
but for me mouse+keyboard and touch are too different to use similar kinds of
controls.

~~~
petecox
(a) i'm thinking home usage. An 8 core machine with 6GB RAM is plenty - plug
in a keyboard, mouse and screen, who needs a mac mini? OTG and/or a hard disk
attached to my wifi router is all the local storage I'd need, let alone the
cloud.

(c) _If_ Google pulls off seamless integration of Android apps on a Chrome OS
tablet then the rumoured ARM Macbook may have users wondering why they can't
run their favourite iOS apps too.

But that's just me, I guess, and _my_ wants.

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xHopen
I dont want it at all, It doesn't have any sense. You don't need to do it to
have a Superior software in iPad than in a Mac os, each device is for what it
is.

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golemotron
What we want is a laptop with a working keyboard - not this buttterfly
keyboard that sticks for every mac user I talk to.

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Xuper
Not sure Apple has the software engineering talent-time for that. Even
Microsoft still struggles with unification.

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dzhiurgis
Merging appstores tho...

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dingo_bat
Since when has apple done stuff that "users want"? Which user wanted the
headphone jack to be removed? Which user wanted NFC to be disabled?

