[Big Mac]

Originally Posted by Hardmac

Toward the End of Mac OS?

If you were wondering what will be the name of the future version of Mac OS X, you might be surprise by the potential future changes. One of our sources told us that Apple might be deciding about a totally new branding for its OS, similarly to what has been done with the iPhone. They are currently thinking of using iOS as the default naming/branding of Apple OS. We would then have iOS desktop, iOS server and iOS mobile. The final decision is not taken yet, however, the proposal seems to be well supported by the high management, it would give a better exposure and unity to Apple OS platforms while making communication easier.

Oh boy. If this rumor comes to pass it's really going to drive into high gear that speculation that Mac OS X will be merged with iOS in the future, killing the Mac as we know it.
it. Fun stuff.

I really hope this is just a disinformation campaign. It would be mightily foolish for Apple to kill the Mac OS brand.

[lpkmckenna]

I doubt that Apple is gonna rebrand OS X as iOS. Regardless, it's important to remember that iOS is a fork of OS X, and Apple will always maintain a significant degree of cross-pollination.

[Brien]

Well, I've already prepared for the day when Apple kills the consumer Macs (namely the notebook line) in favor of larger iPads. Back at D8 Steve said that the age of the Mac has come to an end, and while some people will always need a computer (he likened them to trucks vs. cars), most people can get by just fine with an iPad. This doesn't surprise me all that much given his thoughts.

[OldManMac]

Yes, I'm sure Apple's just going to give up on tens of millions of Macs sold annually, at a higher per unit price, and profit.

[PB2K]

err..you understand it wrong. Apple will kill their desktop and notebook lines as soon as they need to, that might take another 5 to 10 years. At that time you probably wont work with a large desktop anymore. And you'll laugh about them.

[Spheric Harlot]

1. I doubt this is true.

2. Why does anybody care what it's called?

3. If they expand the consumer iOS into the "computer" line, that just means that they'll be expanding functionality of iOS to cover more and more of the things people do with "regular" computers, increasingly marginalizing the legacy mouse/menu/window-based OS design. How is this NOT a no-brainer?

I thought it's been established as completely obvious that this is the way computing is headed?

[OldManMac]

Originally Posted by PB2K 

err..you understand it wrong. Apple will kill their desktop and notebook lines as soon as they need to, that might take another 5 to 10 years. At that time you probably wont work with a large desktop anymore. And you'll laugh about them.

I understand it correctly. I don't think the end of the desktop is near. Something like 40% of Apple's sales is desktop, and many people have both in their homes/businesses, precisely because the smaller screen is harder to view, especially as one ages. A desktop is also a better value, in terms of price/performance, than a laptop, and even more so than a device like the iPad. I think the iPad is a phenomenal device, but it isn't going to replace my desktop.

[Eriamjh]

I heard Apple will be dropping the X from OSX.

Mac OS, welcome back.

[Spheric Harlot]

Wake me when they rename it "System X".

[The Godfather]

Perhaps OSXI will be iOS for Intel and classic OSX apps will run in a hypervisor environment like Classic or Bluebox
Apple Rhapsody Blue Box
Or even worse, Apple will phase Intel out of the consumer line and include it only in pro machines.

[The Godfather]

Originally Posted by lpkmckenna 

I doubt that Apple is gonna rebrand OS X as iOS. Regardless, it's important to remember that iOS is a fork of OS X, and Apple will always maintain a significant degree of cross-pollination.

The last part of your sentence is wishful thinking and should not be confused with fact.
It is important to remember that Steve likes to remove legacy technology, and might see Cocoa as legacy, thus preferring to build upon Cocoa Touch.
Unless 10.7 brings in more new exciting features, which prompt developers to exploit them and PC buyers to pay attention to them, I will keep saying that OSX is losing steam and the cross pollination is more akin to a drone mounting a queen bee.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6kqqDQ19tg

[Spheric Harlot]

****in' bees…

[The Godfather]

Developers expect iOS and Mac OS to merge over time
Perhaps I was wrong, but perhaps not.

[OreoCookie]

I think these rumors are misinterpreted: it's not that iOS will replace OS X, it's that iOS will gain popularity and will eventually become an important OS in the consumer space. And it makes sense for Apple to re-use innovations for the other OS platform.

Why should Apple give up on part of the market where they're actually making a lot of money on? They manage to skim the cream of the desktop and notebook market, I don't see any reason for them to force a change here.

Steve Jobs is expecting a move from mouse-centric computers to touch-based computers for the main stream consumer market -- and I think he has a point. If you look at the sheer momentum behind this form factor, it seems to me that computer companies agree this may be the next big thing. But that doesn't mean we won't see any mouse-driven computers anymore. Just as OS with GUIs which have superseded command-line based computers haven't killed cli-based OSes completely. They're still there and useful for special applications.

[The Godfather]

Originally Posted by OreoCookie 

Just as OS with GUIs which have superseded command-line based computers haven't killed cli-based OSes completely. They're still there and useful for special applications.

This idea cools my angst. If the command line is still easily accessible, while not being the main mode of computer interaction, mouse driven applications will retain their rightly deserved space in the inevitable iOS for desktop Macs, which will look like giant iPads.

[BadKosh]

You will always need kick-ass desktop platforms to do the rendering and such required in high end media.

[rickey939]

Odd, I heard OS X was to be rebranded as OS X Pro...

I expect it to happen too. iOS and MacOS X now have feature parity at the foundation level. It only makes sense.

[Big Mac]

You expect what to happen? Mac OS X rebranded as iOS, or Mac OS X's GUI merged with the iOS's GUI?