The idea of Apple laptop running on iOS, the tech giant's mobile operating system, has long been suggested, but CEO has dismissed the notion again.
Apple CEO Tim Cook told Independent.ie that the company will not create a "converged" iPad and Macbook and it strong feels that customers are not really looking for it. "So we want to make the best tablet in the world and the best Mac in the world. And putting those two together would not achieve either. You'd begin to compromise in different ways," Cook said.
With the release of iPad Pro and smart keyboard, is merging iOS and OS X into one operating system really not the path Apple is taking?
"It's true that the difference between the X86 [personal computer] and the A-series [Apple iPad architecture] is much less than it's ever been," Cook explained. "That said, what we've tried to do is to recognize that people use both iOS and Mac devices. So we've taken certain features and made them more seamless across the devices. So with things like Handoff we just made it really simple to work on one of our products and pick it up and work on the next product."
The notion of a converged Macbook and iPad emerged again with the release of Microsoft's Surface Pro, which uses its desktop operating system. The Microsoft Surface Pro 4 is marketed as 2-in-1, which means it can be used as a laptop or as a tablet.
According to Computerworld, some analysts believe that Apple will eventually produce a notebook that runs on iPad's OS. Tim Bajarin of Creative Strategies said, "If Microsoft and their partners are successful in making 'convertibles' the standard laptop configuration over time, will Apple be forced to follow suit?"
Bajarin added, "My best guess is Apple uses iOS on any device that needs a touch interface. Which means, if they do a convertible, it would be iOS based. And they would keep the Mac and OS X focused on the trackpad and very keyboard-centric."
