Aug 18 2011
How Apple unified iOS and Mac OS X
What Apple has done by unifying iOS and Mac OS X is create two platforms that share a common purpose ‘to be the best OS in the world’ on both smartphone and tablet as well as the desktop.
Since iOS was first released Apple have made so many advancements that it only made sense for them to look at some of those improvements and see which ones could actually bring something great back to the Mac. They have succeeded in bringing the some of the best features of the iPad to the Desktop without losing what made Mac OS X Mac OS X. All features they decided to migrate offer real benefits to Mac users without making the Mac feel like it’s trying to be an iPad. In this article I aim to highlight some of these great features that Apple has brought from the iPad back to the Mac.
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Springboard becomes Launchpad
The springboard is probably the most recognizable feature of iOS that has made it’s way over to the Mac. The springboard made is so easy to organize and launch applications on the iPhone and iPad. On the Mac we have always had the dock to Launch applications quickly but its not that great for keeping your apps organized in a way that is easy to view and access, This is were Launchpad comes into its element it gives you pretty much exactly the same experience as on iOS, Allowing you quick access to all your applications on your Mac, As well as giving you the ability to organize them into ‘folders’.
Springboard on iPad and Launchpad on the Mac
By no means does Launchpad replace the dock it just compliments it, iOS even has its own ‘dock’ allowing you to place a small number of frequently used apps in the dock so you can quickly access them from any homescreen which is really the same as the dock on the Mac, Its there to keep your most frequently used apps in. What Launchpad has done for the Mac is to make it possible to launch any application without having to first navigate to the applications folder in Finder.
The dock and Launchpad work together to offer a fantastic application launch solution, Neither overshadows the other they just make life easier when it comes to working with all your apps.
Uninstalling an app even works just like on iOS now, Literally all you have to do is hold down an apps icon in Launchpad, All the icons will begin to ‘wiggle’ just like on iOS then you can simply click the delete button and its gone.
Scrolling
Scrolling on the iPad and iPhone has always been amazing just swipe your finger up and down or left and right and the content just moves with you. On computers scrollbars are just something we are all used to using, Obviously most of us have used a mouse with a ‘scroll ball or wheel’ built-in to get through a page of content faster. The thing is Apple introduced multi-touch trackpads to its MacBook range nearly 3 years ago but until Lion came along we haven’t really gotten the most out of that hardware.
What Apple has done is bring multitouch scrolling from the iPad to the Mac, In effect changing scrolling on the desktop as we know it. Using a trackpad on our MacBook’s or using a Magic Trackpad or Magic Mouse with our iMacs we can now literally just flick our fingers and Mac OS X will just flow through a page of content.
Because of this Apple had to completely change how scrollbars appear and act on the Mac to work the same way they do in iOS. Now scrollbars are only there when you need them, Overlaying the content of a page rather than having a dedicated space in an applications UI. When they are not in-use they literally just fade away, You completely forget about them as your fingers do everything it just feels so natural.
Scrollbars in Safari
The Character Picker
iOS has always had the ability to suggest alternative words when you make a spelling mistake with Lion Apple has made this a standard feature across the entire OS. When you make spelling mistake Lion will automatically attempt to correct you just like it has done on the iPhone and iPad for years, This makes typing so much quicker as you hardly ever have to stop typing when you make a mistake to correct it as amazingly Lion most of the time makes the right correction for you.
Full Screen Apps
Full screen support has now been integrated system wide in Mac OS X so that you can enjoy working completely undistracted just like on the iPad. Sometimes its great to focus on one window so that you can just get things done. Coupled with gestures full screen support just works beautifully you can just swipe between apps with a flick of your fingers.
Mail and iCal and Mail and iCal in Full Screen
Applications in iOS have always been this way as on a smartphone or tablet it’s just so much better to focus on one app at a time. Apple could have integrated this feature really badly but they haven’t it just works, Giving users the option to choose which windows they want full screen is great as you can still do other things in different spaces.
Resume and Auto Save
All applications in iOS have three states, Open, Suspended and Closed, This has now been applied to applications in Lion, When you close an app that supports ‘resume and auto save’ within Lion all windows and data go into suspended animation just like they do in iOS so when you return to an app your back to where you left off before.
This can be a life saver if an application crashes as your work is not lost its been saved so you can just get back to what you were doing before disaster struck.
Mail, Address Book and iCal on Mac OS X with iPad apps in Background
Mail, iCal and Address Book
Mail, Address book and iCal have been around on Mac OS X for quite some time and with the iPhone and iPad Apple created versions of these apps for iOS. Lion has unified each of these apps to look and feel the same across both the Mac and iOS platforms.
What Apple has done is taken the improvements they made on the iPad versions of these apps and merged them right back into the Mac. Using these apps has now become so much more of a joy.
iPad users will feel right at home as the interfaces are almost identical across the two platforms so the learning curve is really small.
Mail compose window in full screen view
Summary
The unification has most definitely got a business aspect to it to. Each time someone buys an iPad or iPhone or even an iPod they become potential Mac customers, People buy things they feel comfortable and familiar using, So by creating common features across both platforms they attract new customers and in turn make more money which after all is why Apple is in business.
The improvements made in Lion will only go to strengthen Apples position in the desktop computer market just as iOS has done in the mobile market.
HoyMac | How Apple unified iOS and Mac OS X | ChrisWrites.com
Aug 18, 2011 @ 04:17:03
[...] the rest here: How Apple unified iOS and Mac OS X | ChrisWrites.com a-common-purpose and app apple best common-purpose create-two has-done ios mac phone smartphone [...]
Aug 31, 2011 @ 15:44:59
Summary
The unification has most definitely got a business aspect to it to. Each time someone buys an iPad or iPhone or even an iPod they become potential Mac customers, People buy things they feel comfortable and familiar using, So by creating common features across both platforms they attract new customers and in turn make more money which after all is why Apple is in business.
The improvements made in Lion will only go to strengthen Apples position in the desktop computer market just as iOS has done in the mobile market.
Yes, to the chagrin of power users and others who work on their Macs. Lion has diminished my workflow so much it is useless to try working in Lion. And that’s not just me, Apple Forum is full of similar complaints. Many are going back to Snow Leopard, including me.
Jan 23, 2012 @ 10:09:38
Great read.Just purchased a Mac PRO and loving LIOn and the integration with my 4S