For those who haven’t heard, Apple recently announced the newest update to their operating system.
The new OS, named “Mountain Lion,” comes hot on the heels of last summer’s “Lion” update. It is certainly an evolutionary upgrade, rather than a revolutionary one. Its notable features include a new messaging app, a systems-wide notification center and simpler sharing options.
Apple has always taken pride in making machines people want to use. Right now, that means making them simpler for users. Apple has gotten a lot of flak lately from critics because of this strategy. Some are commending Apple for making the computing experience more user-friendly, but I’m not one of them.
Let me begin by saying I am an Apple fan to my very core. Some of my earliest technology-related memories involve me playing “Mac Bugs” on my dad’s Macintosh SE. I own a MacBook Pro, iPod Touch, iPad and plan on purchasing an iPhone in the next couple of months.
That said, I do not like the direction the company is going in.
Apple is having extraordinary success with the iPad right now. They literally made an entirely new product category, a category no one knew they needed, and have pioneered a new era of computing. But because of that, they have no precedents to follow.
Many believe tablets are the future of computing, and, for the everyday user, that might be true. For power-users, businesses and even students, it is not the case. I have attempted to work solely with my iPad, and it is a clunky experience. Some keyboard ninjas are able to type at a decent pace using software keyboards, but any accomplished typist will always be faster with physical keys. The introduction of iCloud helps remedy the nonexistent file-system of iOS devices, but without automatic Mac support, it is crippled.
Tablets are simply at a point of consumption rather than production. They are meant to view content, not create it. Imagine my surprise, then, when directed to Apple’s “Mountain Lion” homepage, there was a banner reading, “Inspired by iPad. Re-imagined for Mac.” Mac computing is very different from iPad computing, and the latter should not be emulated.
Sure, these updates seem great right now. Who doesn’t like more sharing options, a unified notification center and game center support? Everyone does, and if they say otherwise, they are just being a critic for the sake of being one. This influence represents a shift toward a unified OS, something I am not excited about.
Apple has a good thing going right now. But instead of attempting to design a unified OS, Apple should look at the Mac and iOS as very different products. Macs should always represent productivity, while the iPad should represent entertainment. Advertising the iPad’s influence on the Mac is not a good business strategy.
Technology is known for having extremely short life cycles. Usually, though, it is the hardware that falls victim. New advances in technology allow companies to pump out a new model every year; it is a business, after all. Paid software updates tend to be more rare.
Apple seems to be shifting to a new model. They are offering the bare minimum of features per update with a smaller price per update.
This has worked for iOS, so I understand why Apple wants to do it with the Mac. By offering a few must-have features per update, Apple hooks the customer. Instead of paying for one big software update, it’s more of a pay-as-you-go plan.
It is underhanded because they are not looking out for their users: They simply want more money.
Macs and iPads are very different machines for very different tasks. Instead of trying to unify the software, they should be working on ways to keep them separate. Keep the Mac in the home office and the iPad on the couch.