Tim Cook says Apple won't merge Mac and iPad

Posted:
in iPad edited April 2018
Amid rumors that Apple is working on cross-platform software initiatives to bridge its two most popular systems, CEO Tim Cook is denying speculation that the company will eventually weld the two platforms together.

Mac App Store on MacBook Pro


"We don't believe in sort of watering down one for the other," Cook told the Sydney Morning Herald in an interview published on Thursday. "Both are incredible. One of the reasons that both of them are incredible is because we pushed them to do what they do well. And if you begin to merge the two ... you begin to make trade offs and compromises.

"So maybe the company would be more efficient at the end of the day. But that's not what it's about. You know it's about giving people things that they can then use to help them change the world or express their passion or express their creativity. So this merger thing that some folks are fixated on, I don't think that's what users want."

In December, rumors surfaced about project "Marzipan," a plan to allow iOS apps to run on Macs, controlled by mice, keyboards, or trackpads. The effort may be intended to foster better support of the Mac App Store, which hasn't done nearly as well as its iOS counterpart -- but is more probably something like the "fat binary" or "universal binary" approach that was needed for the migration from 68K to PowerPC and then from PowerPC to Intel.

More recently, Apple was reported to be working on project "Kalamata," an effort to design custom processors for Macs. New silicon coupled with backwards-compatible software OS implementations could conceivably make it easier to develop a flexible platform, though no results are expected until at least 2020.

Cook also addressed the implications of a comment he made several years ago about using an iPad as his primary device. For the moment, he uses a mix of hardware.

"I generally use a Mac at work, and I use an iPad at home," the CEO said. "And I always use the iPad when I'm travelling. But I use everything and I love everything."
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 76
    Step 1: Build a strawman and light it on fire: "We will never merge the two if doing so would mean compromises."

    In other words, "We are in the process of merging the two." Putting an ARM chip in the macs and running the OS on the ARM isn't the same as merging, I suppose...
  • Reply 2 of 76
    Apple is really starting to bother me.  First, Mac updates simply do not happen with enough frequency - regardless of the product. Second, Tim Cook's "Upgrade Fun House", to get a 1TB SSD or more ram is DEFINITELY NOT how I want to buy a computer.  And now, making a "MacPad" (an iPad that can run macOS) seems like low hanging fruit, but Apple doesn't want to do it.  Apple used to enter existing product categories, innovate them, and be more successful than those that created them.  Now .. they have a CEO touting the benefits of "staying in lanes."   Apple ... You've become a boring company. 
    edited April 2018 xzulkruppSpamSandwichLatko
  • Reply 3 of 76
    avon b7avon b7 Posts: 7,623member
    Sometimes I wish these CEOs would just not expand on things. They often make themselves look foolish.

    "Both are incredible. One of the reasons that both of them are incredible is because we pushed them to do what they do well. And if you begin to merge the two ... you begin to make trade offs and compromises"

    Yes, you make compromises. You make trade--offs.

    That's exactly what the iPhone is.

    Compromises and trade--offs themselves aren't the problem. The results of them might or might not be. That's why you make those trade--offs and compromises in the first place.

    It would have been better to just say we have no plans to merge the two and leave it at that.
    edited April 2018
  • Reply 4 of 76
    FranculesFrancules Posts: 122member
    Good approach 😊🖖
  • Reply 5 of 76
    The cross platform worked very well for Microsoft. And google has killed the market with there chrome net books.  Apple is not a me two company and that is why I love them. I use my MacBook when I need a MacBook. I use my iPad when It’s feasible. I lastly I use my iPhone when I have to get things done and don’t have the either of the iPad or MacBook. 
    perpetual3randominternetpersonmwhitespheric
  • Reply 6 of 76
    tipootipoo Posts: 1,141member
    I thought we all somewhat knew this, Marzipan being more to reduce dev work of making both an iOS and Mac app, not cram them together. And perhaps A series processors will be in 2020+ macs, but that doesn't mean iOS. 

    I'm good this way. Rather the powerful A series in a clamshell then trying to make macOS on a tablet. 
    Solithtmwhitesphericjony0
  • Reply 7 of 76
    Step 1: Build a strawman and light it on fire: "We will never merge the two if doing so would mean compromises."

    In other words, "We are in the process of merging the two." Putting an ARM chip in the macs and running the OS on the ARM isn't the same as merging, I suppose...
    That’s not what he said at all, and placing quotes around your claims to attribute them to Tim Cook is misleading at best and deceptive at worst. 
    randominternetpersonSolirobin huberasdasdmwhiteStrangeDaysGG1chasmmattinozRayz2016
  • Reply 8 of 76
    I don't have a clue what Apple is doing in the future in terms of ARM processors but it appears as though Wall Street is very unhappy with whatever the company is doing. I only know that Apple seems to be designing computers to suit itself and not necessarily the consumer. I like Apple computers and have been using them for decades but other computer companies seem to give customers more freedom of choice. It's a waste of time for me to complain because I doubt I could run any company better than Apple is doing.
  • Reply 9 of 76
    robin huberrobin huber Posts: 3,949member
    I wonder what he said will do anything to change the minds off Apple commentators, most of whom predict a future merge. 
  • Reply 10 of 76
    wood1208wood1208 Posts: 2,905member
    Apple need to produce light low price MAC book call MAChrome so new pencil $299 iPad and similar priced Machrome at lower end especially in education market can compete well with everyone. Than, rest middel to high end iPads and MAC products.
  • Reply 11 of 76
    Apple is really starting to bother me.  First, Mac updates simply do not happen with enough frequency - regardless of the product. Second, Tim Cook's "Upgrade Fun House", to get a 1TB SSD or more ram is DEFINITELY NOT how I want to buy a computer.  And now, making a "MacPad" (an iPad that can run macOS) seems like low hanging fruit, but Apple doesn't want to do it.  Apple used to enter existing product categories, innovate them, and be more successful than those that created them.  Now .. they have a CEO touting the benefits of "staying in lanes."   Apple ... You've become a boring company. 
    I strongly disagree. Tailoring the OS to the device and corresponding Use case is a better approach.  And I believe Apple is far from boring.  The integration between the Mac, iPhone, iPad, watch, and AirPods, while not perfect, is exceptionally executed, to the point where the market cannot generate a competitive alternative.  For me, so well executed that I don’t even think of looking for alternatives.  

    The engineering and quality of the hardware is still second to none.  Take the iPhone X. Not only did Apple raise the bar for OLED displays, in order to achieve the near bezeless design, they had to employ a difficult and expensive technique of folding the edges of the display that other manufactures won’t do because it is too expensive.   This is the kind of innovation that is invisible to naked eye, and one that can’t be evaluated using crude, third party device breakdowns.  

    Moreso, consider their innovations in machine learning.   While other companies rely on cloud computing to provide services, monetizing your data and thereby yourself in the process, Apple figures out how to do it using on device processors. I suspect this is also due to the extremely tight integration of hardware and OS that everybody seems to be taking for granted nowadays.  Privacy is hot topic, yet no one wants to acknowledge Apple’s achievement.  

    I could go on and on.  Is Apple perfect? Absolutely not.  But they are way ahead of the field in many respects.  
    urashidSolimwhiteasdasdStrangeDaysprairiewalkertmaybkkcanuckRayz2016spheric
  • Reply 12 of 76
    urashidurashid Posts: 127member
    wood1208 said:
    Apple need to produce light low price MAC book call MAChrome so new pencil $299 iPad and similar priced Machrome at lower end especially in education market can compete well with everyone. Than, rest middel to high end iPads and MAC products.
    Apple execs will commit Seppuku before they name any of their products "Chrome" :smile: 
    king editor the gratemwhiteStrangeDays
  • Reply 13 of 76
    I don't have a clue what Apple is doing in the future in terms of ARM processors but it appears as though Wall Street is very unhappy with whatever the company is doing.
    Then it is about time that Apple gave Wall St the finger and went private. Then Wall St would have to turn their attention to someone else. 
    Wall St is a blot on society. Well, the so called Analists who just love to speak out of their backsides about things they have no real understanding of and often to the benefit of their friends who will be shorting thier targets.
    Have I covered everything?
    mwhitemattinozchia
  • Reply 14 of 76
    mike1mike1 Posts: 3,275member
    wood1208 said:
    Apple need to produce light low price MAC book call MAChrome so new pencil $299 iPad and similar priced Machrome at lower end especially in education market can compete well with everyone. Than, rest middel to high end iPads and MAC products.
    Why? Competing with no profit is pointless.
    Much like comments with poor grammar and spelling.
    SolimwhiteStrangeDaysGG1liquidmarktmaychia
  • Reply 15 of 76
    berndogberndog Posts: 90member
    I’d still like to have an iPad with all the workings of an iPhone along with an Apple Watch and a pair of EarPods. Eliminating the need for the separate phone. I have no need for the massive computing power of a Mac but I need more screen than an iPhone offers. Presently I must have the iPhone to operate the Apple Watch! Why?
  • Reply 16 of 76
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,834member

    In December, rumors surfaced about project "Marzipan," a plan to allow iOS apps to run on Macs

    Actually no, that isn’t the plan, that was just AI’s take on a poor headline from another rumor source. Those closer to development don’t believe that’s the plan at all, and that it is instead about more unified app dev via new frameworks. Again, read Gruber’s take:

    https://daringfireball.net/2017/12/marzipan

    “One user experience” is neither possible nor desirable. The truth is that this effort by Apple is almost certainly not about cross-platform applications but instead cross-platform frameworks for developers. It’s developer news, not user news.
    edited April 2018 tmaymattinozpscooter63sphericchia
  • Reply 17 of 76
    lmaclmac Posts: 206member
    If we're not merging the platforms, why do all the Mac/iOS apps keep getting feature reduced on the Mac in order to work the same as on iOS?
    tallest skilcropr
  • Reply 18 of 76
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,834member
    Step 1: Build a strawman and light it on fire: "We will never merge the two if doing so would mean compromises."

    In other words, "We are in the process of merging the two." Putting an ARM chip in the macs and running the OS on the ARM isn't the same as merging, I suppose...
    So this merger thing that some folks are fixated on, I don't think that's what users want."  - Tim Cook
  • Reply 19 of 76
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,834member

    Apple is really starting to bother me.  First, Mac updates simply do not happen with enough frequency - regardless of the product. Second, Tim Cook's "Upgrade Fun House", to get a 1TB SSD or more ram is DEFINITELY NOT how I want to buy a computer.  And now, making a "MacPad" (an iPad that can run macOS) seems like low hanging fruit, but Apple doesn't want to do it.  Apple used to enter existing product categories, innovate them, and be more successful than those that created them.  Now .. they have a CEO touting the benefits of "staying in lanes."   Apple ... You've become a boring company. 
    Nope, they just know what they’re doing. You people have been squawking about a macpad since the ipad was rumored. It wasn’t a good idea. The iPad was. It still is. 

    Try a Dell, man. You’ll surely be happier there. 
    mike1anomeliquidmarktmaypscooter63Rayz2016chia
  • Reply 20 of 76
    mwhitemwhite Posts: 287member
    berndog said:
    I’d still like to have an iPad with all the workings of an iPhone along with an Apple Watch and a pair of EarPods. Eliminating the need for the separate phone. I have no need for the massive computing power of a Mac but I need more screen than an iPhone offers. Presently I must have the iPhone to operate the Apple Watch! Why?
    Ever heard of the Apple Watch series 3?? No phone needed.....
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