Allowing iOS applications as a general thing; rather than just for debugging/dev purposes, seems like an interesting move.
Apple has, at least historically, been motivated by concerns over UI consistency and adherence to design guides and such. While programs targeted at resource constrained ARM systems will, obviously enough, run on less resource constrained variants of the same ARM designs; the differences in UI/UX and interface design are going to be pretty stark. iOS applications are, in very large part, focused on small touchscreens and minimal multi-window requirements. Even the ones that use the native widget set look very little like OSX applications; and the (large number) of ones that don't often do their own thing entirely because when you occupy the entire screen while running there just isn't the same focus on UI consistency.
Given that iOS is the substantially bigger market, allowing native iOS applications to run, without even a token change by the developers, is an obvious compatibility move; but it's also very, very, likely to result in a ton of programs that have an iOS release, because you'd be crazy to ignore the mobile platform with an overwhelming chunk of the market that actually pays for software, never, ever, receiving a proper OSX release because, hey, the iOS version works.
This suggests that either Apple simply doesn't care anymore(which would be a departure from historical strength; but the sweet, sweet, app store and services money might well be enough of an inducement); or a concession to the fact that a lot of software already doesn't get a proper OSX release; it just gets a shitty Electron app; and Apple would rather have questionably-native software be iOS/pretty much a webview wrapper rather than Electron; even if it increases the odds that a given piece of software ends up being a shoddy port rather than a native build.
What? Electron-based iOS apps will also run on Mac. Whatever Apple's feelings are about Electron, this move has no impact on whether Mac apps are Electron or not.
They must really be nervous about Electron... (Score:2)
Apple has, at least historically, been motivated by concerns over UI consistency and adherence to design guides and such. While programs targeted at resource constrained ARM systems will, obviously enough, run on less resource constrained variants of the same ARM designs; the differences in UI/UX and interface design are going to be pretty stark. iOS applications are, in very large part, focused on small touchscreens and minimal multi-window requirements. Even the ones that use the native widget set look very little like OSX applications; and the (large number) of ones that don't often do their own thing entirely because when you occupy the entire screen while running there just isn't the same focus on UI consistency.
Given that iOS is the substantially bigger market, allowing native iOS applications to run, without even a token change by the developers, is an obvious compatibility move; but it's also very, very, likely to result in a ton of programs that have an iOS release, because you'd be crazy to ignore the mobile platform with an overwhelming chunk of the market that actually pays for software, never, ever, receiving a proper OSX release because, hey, the iOS version works.
This suggests that either Apple simply doesn't care anymore(which would be a departure from historical strength; but the sweet, sweet, app store and services money might well be enough of an inducement); or a concession to the fact that a lot of software already doesn't get a proper OSX release; it just gets a shitty Electron app; and Apple would rather have questionably-native software be iOS/pretty much a webview wrapper rather than Electron; even if it increases the odds that a given piece of software ends up being a shoddy port rather than a native build.
Re: (Score:2)
What? Electron-based iOS apps will also run on Mac. Whatever Apple's feelings are about Electron, this move has no impact on whether Mac apps are Electron or not.
so apple will do an windows 8 and we all know how (Score:2)
so apple will do an windows 8 and we all know how bad that turned out to be. Like I really need 20' 4 function calculator
Re: (Score:2)
Except a shitty software release can be fixed by another software release.
Shitty hardware releases are forever.