The Back to the Mac event held today introduced the new Macbook Air 11.6" and 13.3" models, Facetime Beta for Mac, Mac App Store, iLife 11 and had a preview of Mac OS X Lion. This included Launchpad, Mission Control, App autosave and Full screen Apps.
The theme of the event was back to the mac, but I couldn't help but think of it as the move towards a better, more powerful iPad
Steve claims they took what they learned from the iPad and are applying that to the Mac. I think this was their plan all along. Just like how Apple had the iPad but released the iPhone first, they are still training us. The question is for what?
The Macbook Air is what happens when an iPad and a Macbook hook up. Look for all Macbook Pros to become just like the Air, maybe not in the next iteration but in the next two iterations starting with the elimination of the 13.3" Macbook and possibly Macbook Pro. Other hardware and software manufacturers better take notice of this quickly if they are to keep up with customer expectations going forward. What do I mean?
The Air has instant on capabilities. Using an iPhone and iPad, the time it takes to turn on my Macbook Pro or even the time to wake it up from sleep is beginning to seem frustratingly long. Going forward, I cannot imagine any piece of equipment I use which doesn't turn on instantly. Even my camera better catch on.
Things like Auto-save and Full screen applications are already all the rave on the iPad. Simplifying the user experience is the single most important thing Apple is doing, but Apple is also setting the standards to which all others must compete.
Apple probably had the Mac App Store idea a long time ago, but didn't think the time was right. Imagine if they had released this a few years ago. There would have been an uproar about how it wouldn't work. Now after years with iOS devices leading to more people complaining about streamlining the installation process on OS X, we have the Mac App Store. It seems like the best idea ever. Although at this time I am sure the standard installation process will still remain for developers that do not want in.
This marriage of iOS and Mac OS will continue until we have one gesture/touch based software device powerful enough to run anything we can throw at it. From applications such as Photoshop, to programming using Xcode, to games like Flight Control but with all the speed, battery life and ease of use we have come to love.
I wonder what this OS will be called...