Despite rumors and speculation suggesting the contrary, Apple does not have any plans now or for any point in the future to merge OS X with iOS. Apple executives said that doing so would be a "waste of energy" and indirectly poked a bit of fun at Microsoft"s strategy to have one OS for both tablets and desktops.
"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," Apple"s Senior VP of Worldwide Marketing, Phil Schiller told Macworld in an interview.
"You"ll see them be the same where it makes sense, and you"ll see them be different in those things that are critical to their essence," added Craig Federighi, Senior VP of Software Engineering. So far this is the stance Apple has already portrayed in both of its operating systems. OS X, for instance, adopted apps like Notes, Reminders, and Messages, plus features like Notification Center all from iOS. However, the apps aren"t just ports of their mobile counterparts; the Mac versions are designed with a keyboard and mouse in mind.
It"s interesting that Schiller and Federighi both expressed affection for the Mac even in the long term. The late Steve Jobs never quite predicted a phasing out of the Mac, but did once propose the idea that most people in the future would solely use iPads, i.e. tablets.
Source: TechnoBuffalo | Image via Apple