Can Mac OS X succeed as a mobile platform? | Hacker News Reader

Can Mac OS X succeed as a mobile platform?

blogs.computerworld.com

15 pointsantfarm10 comments

From Steve's original iPhone presentation in 2007: these devices already run Mac OS X. Of course, iOS is a version of Mac OS X that lacks things that mobile devices don't use (such as all of Aqua), and adds things that they do (like Cocoa Touch); and, it runs on ARM chips instead of x86.

But the answer to the article is simple: of course the Mac desktop doesn't belong on very small mobile devices, which is why iOS exists.

Note: This article is from 2007.

The author should have kept in mind that Unix is used on everything from mainframes to desktop computers to smartphones.

Which smart phones were running Unix in 2007?

They weren't super common but there was a handful of Linux smartphones in 2007.

I assume the point of posting this is how wrong Haskin turned out to be?

Microsoft's attempt to make Windows Mobile/CE run just like Windows, only smaller, was why it failed. It was always awkward to use. However, they beat Palm OS, and I think that was Microsoft's downfall, in the end. They assumed that they beat Palm because Palm wasn't Windows, and therefore they couldn't hope to beat the Windows juggernaut. This was shown to be a fallacy when they lost to iOS. Palm lost because Palm was mismanaged. Now, facing real competition from a true mobile platform, Microsoft realized that the Windows model could not scale down unless it was the only option the consumer had. Necessity being the mother of invention, Windows Phone 7 is the result.

Now, if Microsoft has truly seen the light, it would show in their tablet strategy. So far, I see only the same old song-and-dance: "The OS for the tablet is Windows 7." It is clear that the mentality has not changed, and this is the reason I don't think WP7 has a chance either. The management still doesn't understand that the market has changed.

The best measure of success (if you're a shareholder at least) is this:

http://www.macrumors.com/2011/01/31/apple-rakes-in-over-half...

50% of the mobile industry profits. Much better metric than units shipped. Doesn't seem to include the iPad either.

Tough business, punditry. You have to be right enough to get people's attention and wrong enough to make it interesting.

Good thing they went with iOS instead.

You know IOS basically is OS X right? The difference between IOS and WinMobile/CE is that microsoft tried to take the desktop paradigm and shoehorn it onto a phone, whereas apple took the strong core from OS X but started from scratch with the UI to build a touch and mobile friendly OS.

Microsoft generally botched it with Windows CE/Mobile (I recall counting five full seconds for the 'Start' menu to open), so I suppose it was a reasonable question to ask of Apple back in 2007.

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