Shuttleworth: Apple Will Merge Mac and iPhone 414
Barence writes "Canonical founder Mark Shuttleworth claims Apple will follow Ubuntu's lead and converge the iPhone and MacBook product lines. Speaking to PC Pro to mark the upcoming launch of Ubuntu 13.10, Shuttleworth said that the failed Ubuntu Edge smartphone — an attempt to bridge mobile and desktop computing devices — had set an example that others will follow. 'We've seen a very interested ripple go through the industry, and an uptick in interest in convergence,' Shuttleworth added. 'People are saying yes, mobile processors are catching up with the desktop. When Apple announced the iPhone 5s, it called the processor "desktop-class," and I don't think that was an accident – it was sending what we think is a very clear signal that it will converge the iPhone and the MacBook Air.'"
Why did they not roll this out anyway? (Score:5, Insightful)
So why don't you roll it out now Mr.Shuttleworth?
You don't have to make hardware. You could even buy some Nexus devices and flash your OS on then sell them.
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https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Touch/Install [ubuntu.com]
Re:Why did they not roll this out anyway? (Score:5, Informative)
You might want to add the following exceptions: networking devices, servers, appliances, automation, workstations, TVs and a shit load of other stuff.
You basically can't brick these devices. I would flash a build, but it is only for Maguro/Mako/Grouper/Manta and I have a Toro, which would mean no working cellular.
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I hope so too. I will be leaving VZW for that phone and because they are douchebags in general.
Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)
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I've never seen an Ubuntu phone, but I do believe it has 2 seperate UI's with the same colours and effects.
While Windows 8 has a desktop UI and a non-desktop UI on the desktop.
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Just replying to point out that you have this backwards.
... well, the tablet can be either way, but the phone is primarily a vertical (e.g., portrait orientation) display.
PCs and laptops have horizontal (e.g., landscape orientation) displays, and the phone and tablet
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Perhaps you should consider a new computer. [apple.com]
My failure was actually awesome success... (Score:5, Insightful)
...only no one understands that yet.
That is why I predict that some day, someone successful will try doing the same thing I've failed at.
Which proves, regardless of success or failure of that theoretical venture I just described, how awesome and ahead of its time my concept was and how brilliant I am.
In fact, the failure I mention was not my failure at all - it was the failure of the world to recognize the opportunity to exploit my genius.
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In fact, the failure I mention was not my failure at all - it was the failure of the world to recognize the opportunity to exploit my genius.
Sir Clive Sinclair talking about the C5?
Re:My failure was actually awesome success... (Score:4)
Mr. Shuttleworth probably has an Amiga Computer... best darn computer ever (just ask someone who owned one), ahead of its time, and completely forgotten nowadays...
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But a modern Aluminum V6 with direct injection, making 320 hp/300 ft-lbs torque and weighing 150 lbs? That would be cool in a bike.
Uh... No it would NOT.
Clearly you are not an experienced motorcyclist. First off, any 1000cc sport bike will blow it off the road. Second, you can't get 320 hp/300 lb-ft torque to the ground - bike tires have curved cross-sections (necessary for turning) that limit the size of the contact patch, and thus the amount of power you can lay down. Third, 150 lbs is too damn heavy. So you end up with a extremely heavy bike, that handles like crap, gets beat by almost every sportbike on the road, and is way dan
Next generation of the iWatch capability? (Score:3, Interesting)
I can't decide if this is brilliant or stupid. Perhaps Apple could one day create a laptop shell fitted for a phone but not until Apple first pulls off the iWatch. I see this concept being an extension of wirelessly transferring functionality to another device as the Phone Watch combo should provide. Am I being short-sighted here?
Re:Next generation of the iWatch capability? (Score:4, Insightful)
Yeah, Apple will never catch Google or Microsoft in the tablet space...
(snicker... Microsoft!? really?)
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Re:Next generation of the iWatch capability? (Score:5, Funny)
MS is racing with Google in attempting to take a larger bite of tablet market share pie
That's mostly apple pie, buddy.
Re:Next generation of the iWatch capability? (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Next generation of the iWatch capability? (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Next generation of the iWatch capability? (Score:5, Funny)
C'mon, you know deep in the Apple dungeon they have a Hari Seldon vault where Jobs' pre-recorded holograms pop up telling them what they need to do next.
Re:Next generation of the iWatch capability? (Score:4, Interesting)
The truth is that the stock price for a lot of companies, and Apple in particular, does not reflect the financial success of that company or the company's products. Just compare Amazon's numbers to Apple's [bloomberg.com] and you'll get what I mean. Stock prices today are more driven by bets on where that price will be in 15 minutes (or 15 milliseconds), not how well the company will be doing in a few years. As such, stock prices for high-tech companies are not a valid way to measure the company's success in the marketplace.
Shuttleworth works for the NSA (Score:3, Interesting)
I simply cannot believe anyone who works for Canonical any longer.
In 2009, Jane Silber became the CEO of Canonical in 2009. Canonical makes Ubuntu.
Jane Silber's previous job was at that military contractor, namely the C4 Division of General Dynamics. It turns out that at the C4 Systems division is all about using computers for spying.
From their website: "General Dynamics C4 Systems is a trusted leader in the development of intelligence and information gathering systems for national defense and homeland security. These systems are designed to receive, process, exploit and disseminate information -- in different forms and often from different networks -- and distribute relevant information to operators, both in the field and at higher headquarters."
The Register story about Jane Silber. [channelregister.co.uk]
In 2012, G.D. C4 Systems gave 96% of its $14,000 of campaign contributions to Republicans, which could suggest C4's leadership takes a hawkish attitude about war and has a disregard for human rights. OpenSecrets link.
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Right, I've been saying this for years. Before that, she worked in Japan, where the government has been refusing the apologize for war atrocities for years. Even today, Koreans aren't recognized at Hiroshima, despite being one fourth of the death toll. Why is Jane Silber anti-Korean? Why does Ubuntu hold a racist ideology?
And let's not even get started on her work for General Health, a health risk assessment firm.
Re:Shuttleworth works for the NSA (Score:5, Insightful)
My last job was corrosion testing. I would test various materials and coatings for their corrosion resistance - basically, I would make things rust.
My current job is building robotic assembly equipment. Despite my last job, I do not make the robots rust.
Re:Shuttleworth works for the NSA (Score:5, Funny)
You know you always have that urge ,deep inside you, eating at you all day.
Re:Shuttleworth works for the NSA (Score:4, Funny)
My last job was corrosion testing. I would test various materials and coatings for their corrosion resistance - basically, I would make things rust.
My current job is building robotic assembly equipment. Despite my last job, I do not make the robots rust.
You're obviously an exception. I took a job as a bag boy in a supermarket when I was in highschool, and to this very day keep putting things into bags.
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LOL, well I did suggest that the magnesium parts they were using might not work out so well...
Re:Shuttleworth works for the NSA (Score:4, Funny)
Yes, now she can implement her devious plan to spy on 0.01% of American households running Ubuntu desktop! Muwhahahahha!
Re:Shuttleworth works for the NSA (Score:5, Insightful)
C4 Systems gave 96% of its $14,000 of campaign contributions to Republicans
$14,000 huh? That's fucking nothing. NOTHING Elections take millions, if not billions. $14K might as well be a fucking joke.
which could suggest C4's leadership takes a hawkish attitude about war and has a disregard for human rights.
Yeah, I guess it could be taken that way, if you're delusional. Stop making us liberals look bad with this nonsense. You're no better than the idiots who say that anyone who donates a dollar to the democrats should be hanged for inciting socialist revolution. Fuck off.
Shame on the idiots who modded you up. They need to have their mod privileges revoked.
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On the other hand, someone that makes systems meant for spying probably has a firm grasp on security systems
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Too much credit (Score:4, Interesting)
Hilarious article. Shuttleworth is giving himself entire too much credit. Is Apple is doing this, they won't be following his failure. They'll be following Microsoft's still-in-process move of trying to combine the two.
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Comparing them Shuttleworth seems to at least be losing far less money doing it.
Re:Too much credit (Score:5, Insightful)
The hilarious bit isn't that Shuttleworth says this, but that someone thought it was news that he did.
Re:Too much credit (Score:5, Insightful)
Yeah, I love the ego of this guy. He seems to forget that Ubuntu's market share is still puny compared to Apple and Microsoft, and nobody is "following his lead" on anything.
Honestly, I doubt that many outside of the Linux community are even paying all that much attention to his statements.
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Is Apple is doing this, they won't be following his failure.
Failure? Shuttleworth has neither given up nor been surpassed by another competitor in this area. He's simply pointing out that Apple appears to be planning to copy him once the hardware is there. Given the benchmarks on phones coming out this fall, that time will be soon.
Shuttleworth should not be looking back over his shoulder. Especially not at Apple. Apple is shrinking into irrelevance. iOS 7 is their Vista.
Keep your eyes on the prize and focus on making the best product Mark.
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So by which measure are you measuring that by?
1. The rate at which users upgrade their current phones to iOS 7?
http://techcrunch.com/2013/09/19/ios-7-adoption-already-as-high-as-35-in-one-day-apple-and-developers-reap-the-rewards/ [techcrunch.com]
2. Year over Year growth of iOS device sales (we will know in about two weeks)
3. Third party developer support?
http://furbo.org/2013/08/02/app-updates-for-ios-7/ [furbo.org]
idiots (Score:2, Insightful)
Nobody anywhere has the patience to sit there and create a powerpoint presentation for a school project on a damn phone no matter how fast it
Re:idiots (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:idiots (Score:5, Insightful)
So what do you think happens when you add a bluetooth keyboard and mouse plus a full display via HDMI?
If I could do that I would not need a desktop at work. I just need a web browser and ssh.
Re:idiots (Score:5, Insightful)
Even if you do that tablet and phone OS's don't work great. Everything runs full screen all the time. One of the perks of having a big full screen is having enough room to work with multiple windows.
The simple reality is that the windowed application concept is incredibly useful, mature, and powerful. I can understand why it doesn't work on small mobile devices and why they don't use it there, but its foolish to hobble a desktop system by making it match the design choices of a mobile platform. Particularly when those design choices were made because of limitations that don't exist on the desktop.
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Take a deep breath.
The whole point is that when this stuff is attached you fire up a different window manager. There is no reason you could not fire up gnome when HDMI is attached.
Re:idiots (Score:4)
I know, doesn't that suck? It's also impossible to change! They're forever stuck operating in that mode and no one knows why...
No joke! Too bad you can't, you know, dynamically swap between interfaces or something. But for some reason it's impossible...
Re:idiots (Score:4, Insightful)
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What about the OS sucks for those devices?
Please explain. I think you mean the window manager sucks. The fun thing about linux is you can have more than one. So run something like unity when in phone mode and then fire up gnome when the HDMI is connected.
Then make gestures with the keyboard (Score:3)
The applications still expect to be interacted with using touch and gestures.
A properly written application would support the Bluetooth keyboard that users can already pair to a phone or tablet. It would also support accessing all features from single-touch, which a mouse can easily simulate, even if only for accessibility to people with only one good finger. A properly written operating system would accommodate applications whose developers haven't yet added keyboard support by feeding gestures to the UI layer. The Page Down key, for example, might generate a slide from the bottom
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Tablets are the same.
Touch (even multi-touch) is a step backward in human computer interfaces.
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Docking the phone to a keyboard and screen is what is interesting.
Or in a laptop.
Or a phone in a tablet in a keyboard.
And so forth.
Not sure this will be the future, but it's a neat concept.
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Oh yeah, seemed to work well for Motorola, they sold tens of hundreds of Atrix phones!
And don't forget the wildly popular Asus PadFone products.
Docking is pointless nowadays... (Score:4, Interesting)
Docking is a concept from back in the day, when laptops were significantly smaller in dimensions than "real" honest-to-god workstations and when connecting to various peripherals meant dealing with a bunch of cables, not all of which your average laptop could be connected to at the same time, and when syncing over various computers was a nuisance.
Also, one of the main reasons for laptop size was not elegance or even portability (they were quite heavy, compared to their abilities, thanks to those old hardware components and batteries) - but screen size.
Small screen + small, often even incomplete keyboard + alternative pointing solutions that were never as useful of precise as a mouse + short battery life + not enough ports to plug in all those wired peripherals = need for docking.
You need docking if you need to connect to a bigger screen, a wired network, another separate cable for a printer, one more for a scanner, one for a modem, perhaps an external CD or floppy drive...
All of that, apart from the bigger screen, can be done over wifi/bluetooth.
Or is not needed anymore - like that old 14400 modem.
Meanwhile all your files now fit neatly inside your laptop, can be transferred to other devices without the use of cables, or you keep them online.
Which leaves only 3 devices you'd need a dock for - bigger screen, full-size keyboard and full-size/full-function mouse.
None of which can really get smaller than they need to be. Even screens actually got bigger, only losing their backside.
All of the peripherals that you need docking to ALREADY TAKE UP SO MUCH SPACE YOU CAN JUST AS WELL ADD A FULL-BLOWN COMPUTER.
Like inside the screen.
The only reason left for docking is cost-saving.
By paying way too much for memory and processing power jammed into a tiny phone instead of using off the shelf components which are dirt cheap and super fast in comparison.
Re:idiots (Score:5, Informative)
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At some point, the CPU's built into phones will be powerful enough to handle most desktop applications for businesses without a noticeable performance hit. We're not quite there yet, though. Maybe in three or four more years, perhaps.
Hard core gamers will always want the latest $500 video card from AMD or Nvidia, though... and there will likely continue to be a niche market to support them. Everyone else will continue to buy whatever laptop they can get from their employer or for under $600 from Newegg or B
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Re:idiots (Score:5, Insightful)
NOBODY WANTS THIS! Who's running Apple, Balmer?
If you read the article, you'll realise that this is not Apple, but Mark Shuttleworth claiming to know what Apple are going to do. It is like me saying "Linus Torvalds is going to implement the Win32 API directly and you saying "who is running Linux? Steve Balmer?"
It's quite funny actually. He admits his own attempt failed to reach its crowd funding target, but the support he did get "blew him away" which implies that he was never expecting the crowd funding target to be met.
The rest of your post is exactly why Apple would be stupid to consider merging their laptop and tablet lines.
Apple's actions say they won't (Score:5, Insightful)
Everything Apple has been doing since the iPhone has come out has been moving in one direction: Two operating systems, built on a common core, which share various elements that make sense.
Apple is not Microsoft. They don't think you have to have "one OS to rule them all." Apple knows that what's good for a touchscreen device is not as good for a traditional laptop or desktop.
Yes, they have taken some features from iOS and moved them over to Mac OS X. However, they're almost universally optional and/or superficial. You never have to use Launchpad if you don't want, and all the autosaving features can be disabled if you prefer to work under the more traditional document management paradigm.
This idea is one that has been often proclaimed quite loudly by critics of Apple who say that everything's going to be locked down and if you buy a Mac, it'll be exactly like an iPad with a keyboard, but it doesn't have any real basis in reality.
Dan Aris
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Well the direction I think it really ought to go is one OS multiple interfaces. I don't *need* a different filesystem on phone vs laptop, certainly don't want different calendar apps, mail apps, etc.
The CPUs are getting plenty powerful. When the device is mobile should down some cores to control power. Put into the laptop case; the other cores get powered up, the bus is connected and the OS sees the additional peripherals. Maybe a more powerful graphics processor, additional storage, keyboard, large di
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Everything Apple has been doing since the iPhone has come out has been moving in one direction: Two operating systems, built on a common core, which share various elements that make sense.
Apple is not Microsoft. They don't think you have to have "one OS to rule them all." Apple knows that what's good for a touchscreen device is not as good for a traditional laptop or desktop.
Really? God help us if they merge the iOS7 interface into MacOS. Frankly I feel they have lost direction with the passing of Jobs. They do really stupid things now, like emulate the look, and behavior, of Android.
Re:Apple's actions say they won't (Score:5, Insightful)
Not at first. Give it time.
In a few years, what will really be the functional difference between the Macbook Air and an iPad with a clamshell keyboard? Additionally, as Apple continues to grow their marketshare in the laptop segment, OSX in its original iterations will become a more lucrative target for malware. Now before anyone gets pissed at me for saying that, I chose the word "lucrative" for a reason. 8 times out of ten, people with Macbooks will:
1.) Have some money to spend.
2.) Label themselves as "not computer people".
3.) Be of the persuasion that Macs can't get viruses.
Now yes, I know there are plenty of slashdotters here who got a hand-me-down Mac from work, spend as much time in the Terminal as in Safari, and run Sophos on it because you never know. However, let's say that these qualifications apply to even a third of the people who buy a Macbook, and pretend you're a malware writer. You've got millions of people who you KNOW have money, who you KNOW are not technologically savvy enough to discern a real warning message from a fraudulent one, and who are all but certain that they are invulnerable to the very type of attack you plan on performing. It sounds like the perfect storm to me.
Apple is aware that these types of people are amongst their customers, and in many cases, amongst their loudest evangelists - you'll never get better advertising than to say "Other computers were complicated, but I can finally Facebook my kids!". For these kinds of people, the walled garden is a feature, not a bug. For these people, there needs to be a solution. Apple gave one: the Mac App Store.
At first, it was optional.
Then, it was a part of the OS.
Then, it was enabled by default.
Then, you get a warning if you turn off the OS's blocking of sideloading.
Meanwhile, Apple is making money hand over fist on software for their mobile platform. For the majority of their demographic, being able to run iOS apps on their laptop is a quantum leap forward.
Even if they don't merge, there will be a point at which the lines are so blurry it won't matter.
Functional difference easy to delineate (Score:3)
In a few years, what will really be the functional difference between the Macbook Air and an iPad with a clamshell keyboard?
The Macbook UI will primarily controlled be controlled by touch offscreen (mouse/pad), the iPad will be primarily controlled by touch on screen.
That is the difference, and there is no reason to have that change.
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A lot, actually.
First, their Mac line will still run Intel CPUs, while the iOS line runs ARM based processors. You can't really merge the two for various reasons.
Second, the Macs are "open" devices, while the iPad is a walled garden. This is a fundamental problem that cannot be simply washed away. Either you run x86 binaries on iPad freely, or you run walled garden apps on yoru Mac.
Don
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8 times out of ten, people with Macbooks will: 1.) Have some money to spend. 2.) Label themselves as "not computer people". 3.) Be of the persuasion that Macs can't get viruses.
And nine times out of ten Windows users are practically computer illiterate, what's your point?
(BTW, my point here is that I know more developers (when only counting those who have some kind of choice, if you're working for a bank that mandates Windows 2000 Pro on all developer desktops because it's corporate policy then you're not really interesting in this case) who use Macbooks/iMacs/Mac Pros running OS X than I know developers who use Windows Whatever)
An example that others will follow (Score:4, Funny)
Imitation of a failed example is the sincerest form of flattery.
Form factor? (Score:2)
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also phones have limited ram and storage. 3g/4g/LTE is not all over has small caps and very high roaming costs.
An apple dual phone / laptop may need sd slot's / usb ports.
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Over 2GB of RAM is limited? 64GB of disk?
Wifi is found on all these devices. USB on the Go already exists for that purpose.
Ahem, back when we wore onions on our belts, it was the fashion at the time, we were plenty happy with MBs of RAM and Disk.
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2GB of RAM is a limit :) Technically all computers have RAM/disk limitations.
Are these limits sufficient for your needs? Depends on what you are doing.
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Says who?
Lots of businesses are still using less. Hell, my laptop barely beats that. All I need is ssh and web browser.
MS has already done this... (Score:2, Insightful)
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Was looking for this comment, though you're already modded down.
Shuttleworth has had limited success with Ubuntu in terms of a monetary return, so showing himself as an "innovator" (and we all love the new UI don't we?) is kind of laughable.
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I just tried to use Windows 8 for a year, hating but tolerating it. Last week I found out the hard way that the built-in backup in Windows 8 doesn't make an image to recover from in Windows 7. So despite using two-different backup solutions, I still had to re-install all of my Applications again. Faced with throwing money at a decent imaging backup solution or just putting 7 on the machine, the choice became obvious.
I don't think we need that kind of "innovation" on the Desktop, where I can actually use thi
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Makes sense (Score:3)
In fact one of the reasons for microsoft making that abomination of an os windows 8 was because they thought apple was very close to coming out with a os with ios and osx combined together.
Combining osx and ios together would make a lot of sense for apple because osx lacks games while ios lacks serious programs for content creation. Putting the two together will give apple the perfect os for content consumption and content creation to better take on windows.
when you consider that valve will be coming out with a linux based os to play steam games and microsoft shutting down gfwl, there is getting less and less compelling reasons to own windows. Even programs like ms office and autocad can be found on osx.
Following Ubuntu? (Score:2)
Jesus, if Apple is following Ubuntu, then Canonical is following me, because I posted here in 2008 that Apple would eventually have a "Mac Mode" on their iPhones so it could work with a wireless KVM as a desktop computing environment, just as soon as the CPU and bandwidth were available on some sort of Moore's Law curve, and that would end the Mac.
But to me, that's obvious to somebody 'skilled in the art' and I wouldn't egotistically assume anybody who implemented this was following me. Nor do I expect a p
64-bit processor seems to indicate it (Score:2)
I was having pretty much the same thought myself.
Why would you want a 64-bit processor on a phone?
The two possible answers is:
1: They want to prepare for the future where you would actually want that, and by enabling it now they will start moving developers over.
2: They want to make a desktop version of iOS, probably with the aqua layer as a possibility (and since iOS basically runs the same kernel as OSX it should be quite easy to tack on) which will create hybrids.
With a lightning connector, it should be
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Why would you want a 64-bit processor on a phone?
The ARM 64 chip runs iOS software faster in 64 bit mode than in 32 bit mode _right now_, so that's a reason.
Moreover, the ARM architecture has changed by removing instructions that limit the clock speed in 64 bit mode. So you _could_ increase clock speed with the same technology if you change 32 bit code to take more cycles. Once most apps are available in 32/64 bit, that can be done and you get a nice jump in clock speed at no additional cost.
Re:64-bit processor seems to indicate it (Score:5, Insightful)
I was having pretty much the same thought myself.
Why would you want a 64-bit processor on a phone?
The answer right now is: A processor with the ARMv8 ISA will be more powerful per clock and draw less power per clock and use less transistors per area than the previous ARMv7 would allow. It'll be a cheaper, faster and less power consuming than its predecessors. THAT'S the reason. Let's do it. Oh, it'll be 64-bit with no drawbacks too since we already have all the software tools and knowhow to make the leap, so let's do that too.
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The two possible answers is:
I think there is a third, which is sort of related to your number 1:
3. ARM is clearly moving toward 64-bit. If you are redesigning your processor anyway, are you going to make a new 32-bit chip that won't last into the days where phones get more RAM, or are you going to go with the modern architecture that you can stick in your cheaper phones going forward?
And of course having a "desktop class" portable chip of their own does expand their flexibility in laptop offerings, but ARM still can't touch Intel righ
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No.
The difference from phones to computers is not the processing power, storage capacity, ram, etc.
It's the form factor. They will never converge because it's two very different usage patterns.
Is Shuttleworth fucking stupid? (Score:2, Insightful)
Seriously, though!
Canonical forces a mobile interface on a desktop OS; Flops
Microsoft forces a mobile interface on a desktop OS; Flops even harder
Shuttleworth:"Apple will merge their mobile and desktop platforms"
Not if they're smart, Mark, not if they're smart...
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case in point
mp3 players - were very much a niche item until iPod came along
smart phones - apple would have you believe they invented them - of course this is not true
tablets - nothing new here
currently - there are several players out there bringing "smart watches" on the market - they will probably fail to garner much inte
Failure Is Success, Up Is Down (Score:3)
So Mark thinks his failure is the obvious blueprint for Apple's success? Interesting.
Yuchhh! (Score:2)
Apple has been mucking up the Mac OS user interface ever since 10.4. Ever look at the latest version of iTunes on the Mac? It constantly flips into a stupid simplistic iPod interface where it scrolls backwards like you're dragging your finger and everything is a dead flat icon with no drill down hierarchy especially when at the iTumes Store. I hate it, the ultimate dumbing down of the Mac. Next thing you know they will be getting rid of the terminal window and console and we'll all be back to Windows 3.
Re:Yuchhh! (Score:4)
I'm looking at it now, I have no idea what you are talking about.
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They have to do something (Score:3, Insightful)
Apple have neglected the computing products for a long time (even removed "computers" from its name), and have made no secret of making its(not your) computers, non-upgradable, disposable electronics, rather than General purpose machines, The move to 64-bit arm is a heartbeat away, with the dream of a touchcreen iPad. I wish them success.
The reality is its computing sales have dropped for 4 quarters, and it looks like this will be another quarter of its sales dropping faster than the PC market...even with Windows 8 as a dead weight.
It looks like linux is going to continue to be the only bright spot in an otherwise lackluster market. The Irony of years of "Year of Linux" meme is kind of sad how quickly Microsoft and Apple gave there duopoly away (at least Apple still has 13% of the smartphone market)
Why lie about results? (Score:4, Insightful)
Mac sales were actually UP in Q4 last year - so how have they "dropped for four quarters"? As for the other three quarters, it's dropped something like 1% while the rest of the PC market screams into the ground at mach 3. All of which ignores the computers coming down the pike that will boost Mac sales again...
I'm not sure what leads you to introduce lis into every Slashdot post you make. But you really should consider at least sticking to the truth when you troll, it's marginally more effective.
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Surely Apple's decline is a result of neglecting their PC line
What neglect? Retina Macbooks last year. They've already done the Haswell Macbook Air earlier this year. They've also incrementally updated the line with other features also.
That is why Apple Mac sales are not sinking at the rate all other PC vendors are sinking at. Staying level is a remarkable accomplishment when the rest of the industry is in steep decline.
Only the Mac Pro was really neglected, but that's a part of the market that doesn'
Hardware != Software (Score:2)
Just because the two may have the same CPU ( which let's say for the sake of argument - they will) - it'doesn't mean people want an "iOS experience" on a MacBook pro. Chance
"the failed ubuntu edge" (Score:2)
> Speaking to PC Pro to mark the upcoming launch of Ubuntu 13.10, Shuttleworth said that the failed Ubuntu Edge smartphone — an attempt to bridge mobile and desktop computing devices — had set an example that others will follow.
Perhaps, especially the "failed" part.
Although Apple execs are probably contractually forbidden to mention Microsoft, there's been two failed attempts so far to bridge mobile and desktop computing devices. It's going to be interesting to see what Apple comes up with.
TIDYAD (Score:2)
TIDYAD.
Not an original prediction (Score:2)
Wow. (Score:2)
So despite the fact that Apple COULD have done this already and hasn't, and the fact that they've said repeatedly that they don't think it's a good idea (google "toasterfridge"), and the fact that they're currently hugely successful in NOT doing so... all these things added up and you think they ARE going to follow the "trail of failures" of merged OSs blazed by Ubuntu and MS? Nope, I just don't see that happening.
Someday in the future, CEOs won't be allowed to talk about other companies and celebrities won
Morons who don't grock User Interface. (Score:4, Interesting)
When you have a physical User Interface that is different, what should the user interface on the different devices be? Different?! Yes, this shit isn't rocket science.
Now, the trick is -- and it's one I've been working on -- to take an approach something like the Open Desktop Project, but extend it to suit new interfaces. I've experimented with 3D OS interfaces in both parallax (camera based head tracking) and VR (goggles)... I've experimented with combinations of that with and without tablets and smart phones, and with interfaces without the 3D -- Even going 80 column retro textual.
The OS provides functionality that all these interfaces use to present themselves. We need a way for applications to present features like the OS does, and let interfaces be skins atop that functionality. Don't like the "ribbon" interface? Screw it, use the old one. Like the app, but would rather use it on the desktop with a keyboard, or in 3D parallax or with a VR display? Want to use it via VT100 terminal instead? You could if we had a Functional System in addition to the Operating System. An Operations System... Imagine it, you build a TRUE "Application": Grouping and positioning functionality, arranging the flow of data and interaction. Then the OS attaches functionality to the interface based on its installed set of functions. This is ALMOST what some programming is like, and you can get a sense that it's where we're going if you line up all the IDEs... You see drag and drop coding, and others sticking to terminals --- YES! Both, let one serve for the other. You've veered from the path and lost sight of The Unix Way(tm): Do one thing and do it well. Interfaces are not Functionality!
I'm beginning to see hints of this emerging naturally, not requiring spurning or disrupting of force: Eg: In Android applications can publish "intents" and other apps can utilize their functionality without tightly coupling to the program Input / Output data interface... The same will need to occur at the interface level as our interfaces become everything from ceilings to the air vibrating with your vocalization and ultra sonic tactile feedback. You will adopt the new way, but you organics will do it the dumb slow inefficient emergent way instead of seeing the goal and working towards the design intelligently.
Every one of your soggy organic brains is too moistened and distracted by shiny bits of UI, and dreams of megalomaniacally ruling the entire stack; Like a bunch of fools who don't understand basic distribution principals: When the system is vast and varied you don't funnel activity / traffic / etc into single a single locus! Imagine if all information in the universe had to pass through a single point just to be processed into the Next frame?! NO, that's NOT what Physics does to make stuff move, it's what you do to REBOOT the SIM! ::BANG::
The answer isn't to unify the interfaces. That's daft. The answer is to separate Content from Style, divide Functionality from Display. YOU KNOW THIS, it's a core to any MVC framework... Humans! Gah! so retarding.
Of course they will converge (Score:3)
Of course iOS and MacOS will converge. Mac is too open. Apple would like to have all it's customers locked into the market place where they receive both money and power as they have 100% say of what 'apps' will and will not ever see the light of day.
Microsoft will do the same with the Windows platform if they can ever even get their phone market off the ground. Otherwise they will just fade away into irrelevance.
Meanwhile with even desktops getting locked bootloaders it will be harder and harder to put Linux or any other non Apple/Microsoft OS on any piece of hardware, desk/laptop, tablet or phone.
Google however doesn't even seem to be interested in any sort of 'desk/laptop' OS. Sure, there is Chrome but if you really want to write something that requires some power are you going to get it from HTML5?
Even if you like one or both of Mac/Windows without any competition they will have no reason to innovate. Will they compete with one another? I doubt it, they haven't for most of the past. Instead one dominates while allowing the other to survive in order to avoid antitrust problems. We are going to see innovation slow down to what it was in the 80s and short of getting hired by Apple or Microsoft none of us will have a chance to contribute ourselves.
We should be very afraid for the future.
Maybe Windows 8 is a bad implimentation (Score:2)
When are the idiots in upper management tech going to realize that no one in their right mind wants anything to do with touch on the desktop?
I want touch screen on my Desktop. I would pay serious money to access my Google Play games on my Linux Desktop in a Window, What I don't want is Windows 8 interface or Gnome 3, or be tied to any touchscreen only interface.
Re: (Score:2)
I want touch screen on my Desktop.
Why?
What possible use is there for a touch screen, when you have a mouse and keyboard?
Finger painting?