CUPERTINO, Calif. — Apple Inc. chief executive Tim Cook wants to make its Mac more like an iPhone.
In an interview, Cook unveiled a new version of the company’s Macintosh operating system that incorporates several features from the software that powers Apple’s hit mobile devices.
They include Apple’s messaging service, notifications app, gaming center, sharing features and integration with the company’s online service iCloud — all pioneered for the iPad and iPhone, which use the software known as iOS.
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Named “Mountain Lion,” the new version of Mac OS X is the clearest sign yet of Apple’s belief that the mobile, laptop and desktop world are destined to converge — and that Apple wants to be a catalyst.
“We see that people are in love with a lot of apps and functionality here,” Cook, 51, said, pointing at his iPhone. “Anywhere where that makes sense, we are going to move that over to Mac.”
Cook said Apple will make an early version of the software available to developers Thursday and will start selling it to customers in late summer.
Apple’s moves come as fiercer competition among hardware makers is leading them to compete over software and giving consumers a familiar experience across various devices. That is leading to a convergence between different categories of devices that could have wide ramifications across the technology industry.
Cook said he already thinks of Apple’s iOS and OS X operating systems “as one with incremental functionality.” He said both laptops and tablets will continue to coexist, but he did not rule out that the technologies could converge further.
To read more, go to The Wall Street Journal.