The Evolution of Apple's OS Strategy
Posted by Andrew | Filed under Mac OS X
The past week, we have seen the introduction of the world’s largest iPod touch, known as the iPad. Isn’t that annoying how people are still calling it a big iPod? It isn’t, it is the next natural evolutionary step in Apple’s strategy for it’s operating system line.
Remember, at their heart, the iPhone, iPod touch and the iPad operating systems all are based on Mac OS X and use Apple’s Objective-C as it’s programming base. And this last week, Apple announced the introduction of multi-tasking and the beginning of what appears to be a file system for the iPhone and iPad. The iPad also has stripped down versions of the iWork applications for a third of the price.
So, what’s the next step for Apple’s portable OS? Well, you can only go up. I’m talking about the future of Mac OS X, like version 10.7 or 10.8. Imagine an iMac or a MacBook with a touch screen and multi-touch capability and a Finder based on the iPhone/iPad experience. It could be the largest contribution to computer user interfaces since Apple introduced the mouse back with the original Macintosh in 1984.
I can hear John C. Dvorak and his quote about their being no evidence to support that people want to use a mouse in my head right now. But, with the success of the iPhone and with 300,000 iPads out the door on day one of sales, their is a mountain of evidence to support that people want simple multi-touch interfaces.
And that is always what Apple has excelled at, giving people what they want in simple, easy to use and understand packaging. Designed by Apple in California, built in China.
