As strange as it sounds, it seems like macOS is becoming more and more like iOS and iPadOS. When you trace the history of macOS back over the decades, it never looked more like iOS than macOS Ventura.
macOS Ventura has changed the UI to prioritize features found in Apple’s other handheld devices, particularly its System Settings app and Launchpad. But what does this mean for Mac? Is macOS being like iOS and iPadOS good or bad?
macOS is becoming more like iOS and iPadOS
Let’s start by looking on the bright side. Surely Apple, with its billion-dollar research and development department, must know what it’s doing. There are some advantages to going this route—and here are the ones we can think of.
Simplicity and familiarity for new Mac users
The iPhone is by far Apple’s most popular product, with hundreds of millions of units sold annually worldwide. And one of the main reasons why people prefer iOS over Android devices is their ease of use. iOS is intuitive, with no hidden menus; Everything is displayed on the home screen just a few taps away.
Furthermore, the wild popularity of the iPhone makes it one of the most widely used operating systems in the world. As macOS becomes more like iOS, any new Mac user will know their way around a Mac better than if they were using an iPhone before getting a Mac.
One of the biggest barriers preventing Windows users from moving to macOS is learning a new OS. So, if people had to learn less to understand how macOS works (thanks to their iPhones and iPads), it would tip the scales in favor of Macs in the Mac vs. Windows debate.
That way, not only does Apple win more converts, but converts will also have an easier time as they instinctively know their way around their new computer.
better consistency
Despite how different macOS and iOS are currently, you can still enjoy the continuity features of the Apple ecosystem. But let’s imagine how much more could be achieved if Apple integrated the operating system even more. The boundary between Mac, iPad and iPhone will become even shorter, and you can get richer experience from your Apple product.
For example, Apple may design it so that once you download an app to your iPhone, you can choose to automatically download these apps to all your devices.
Thanks to Apple silicon chips, we can now install some iPhone and iPad apps on Macs. However, many of these apps are not well optimized for macOS; Some freeze and crash when you run them on a Mac. If the macOS structure was more like iOS and iPadOS, Apple could have capitalized on that and given us a seamless and comprehensive app experience.
touchscreen mac
In the past, there has been much speculation about Apple building a touchscreen Mac. But as time passed, these speculations gradually came to an end. The major argument against touchscreen Macs is that the iPad exists. However, with macOS moving towards a more mobile orientation, this could mean that Apple may surprise us with a touchscreen Mac in the near future.
The iPad and the Mac are becoming more and more similar to each other at roughly the same rate. The iPad now uses an Apple silicon chip and virtual memory, making it powerful enough to function like any Mac.
Meanwhile, the Mac can now run iPad apps, which require more of a finger than a pointer. While this doesn’t explain exactly where Apple is going next, it’s certainly added fuel to the touchscreen Mac analog fire.
New additions to macOS Ventura also make the Mac touchscreen-ready—especially the System Settings app. It now takes priority over the settings you’ll find on the iPad and iPhone. It also encourages sidescrolling and displays a vertical orientation that can be better navigated on touchscreen devices. So, if Macs become touchscreen now, there won’t be much to change in the Ventura.
In the past, there has been much speculation about Apple building a touchscreen Mac. But as time passed, these speculations gradually came to an end. The major argument against touchscreen Macs is that the iPad exists. However, with macOS moving towards a more mobile orientation, this could mean that Apple may surprise us with a touchscreen Mac in the near future.
The iPad and the Mac are becoming more and more similar to each other at roughly the same rate. The iPad now uses an Apple silicon chip and virtual memory, making it powerful enough to function like any Mac.
Meanwhile, the Mac can now run iPad apps, which require more of a finger than a pointer. While this doesn’t explain exactly where Apple is going next, it’s certainly added fuel to the touchscreen Mac analog fire.
New additions to macOS Ventura also make the Mac touchscreen-ready—especially the System Settings app. It now takes priority over the settings you’ll find on the iPad and iPhone.