Select Page

Well, “never” according to Apple executives. Phil Schiller signaled that Apple wasn’t even putting energy into it with this recent quote:

“We don’t waste time thinking, ‘But it should be one [interface!] How do you make these [operating systems] merge together?’ What a waste of energy that would be.” – Phil Schiller, Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing for Apple Inc.

Craig Federighi, SVP of software engineering, expanded on the topic;

“The reason OS X has a different interface than iOS isn’t because one came after the other or because this one’s old and this one’s new. Instead, it’s because using a mouse and keyboard just isn’t the same as tapping with your finger.”

“You don’t want to say the Mac became less good at being a Mac because someone tried to turn it into iOS. At the same time, you don’t want to feel like iOS was designed by [one] company and Mac was designed by [a different] company, and they’re different for reasons of lack of common vision.”

I agree with both statements. The mobile experience and needs of the mobile platform are different than that of a mature desktop operating system like OS X. Microsoft has tried to blur the line between mobile and desktop with disastrous effects.  Apple has been maturing the mobile experience and blending some of that into the desktop where it makes sense (like touch gestures and launch pad). They have created a similar, but not identical, experience.

Predictable experience that makes sense for the situation is really what is important. Complementary interfaces with a similar look and organization—but make sense for the user situation (mobile or desktop)– is what Apple is after.

However statements from Apple, like the ones above, have not stopped enthusiasts from dreaming up iOS/OS X hybrid concepts. There are many interesting hybrid ideas out there but none I believe Apple is going to execute. Which leads me to my hair-brained iOS/OS X concept which, of course, is almost brilliant.

Rather than a hybrid interface, my idea is to actually switch the interface depending on how the device is being used. If you have your phone out and about, the interface is iOS. Once you return to your desk, you could plug it into a charging dock-like device that attaches to a monitor, keyboard, mouse/touchpad–and the interface displayed onscreen is OS X. Developers could create super universal apps that work in iOS/iPhone/iPad or OS X desktop modes. None universal iOS apps would just run in a window . All your files, all your settings, all your programs pack up and go with you. Of course there are more than a few hurdles (like filesystem on iOS) but nothing insurmountable. Oh, and there is the issue that Apple would sell fewer desktops and laptops.

Brian Swanson is the managing partner of Inspironto LLC. He has spent more than 20 years taking up room on the bleeding edge of technology. He enjoys reading, thinking, and discussing new tech when not consumed with thinking about food.