Apple showed off its vision of the computer's future at its "Back to the Mac" event today and, good news grabby types, it involves a lot of touching. Clearly Apple thinks that its iOS is on the right path so it's bringing a ton of the mobile OS's features to the Mac as part of Mac OS X Lion, which it announced will go on sale next summer.
Taking a page from the iPad and iPhone, Lion will center itself around app use. The newly announced Mac App Store (coming in 90 days, developers!) will recreate the iPhone/iPad/iPod touch App Store for the Mac. Searching and installing new apps will operate almost exactly the same way on both operating systems and will feature the same 70/30 developer/Apple pay split. Downloaded apps will automatically jump their way onto the Launchpad, which again will operate much like it does on the iPad by organizing apps into folders. The iPhone taught people how to use the iPad but this time it looks like everything will be in reverse –– the iPhone and iPad will have taught users how to use Lion.
But Lion is still an operating system for desktops and laptops so Apple has designed Launchpad to take advantage of the greater space on its different computers (which now includes a lighter MacBook Air, also announced at the event). That's achieved by using Mission Control –– a new hybrid Expose that uses elements of the Dock and Dashboard to bring up new screens for each task. It seems like it'll constrain activities somewhat but I'm guessing that the Mac won't have the same problems with multi tasking that Apple's iGadgets have had. These controls can all be accessed with simple swipes –– Apple is really pushing its Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad as the key interface for Lion.
Apple's iOS is a system that simplifies and speeds up the user experience with direct, touch-based controls and Mac OS X Lion looks to take much of those developments and bring them to the Mac. This may not be welcome news for people who demand total control over their domains, but for the rest of us this could be the start of a faster and easier way of computing.
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