There have been some interesting changes in the long-running battle between Apple and Microsoft. Both companies are now trying to make their products more like each other's products, but they do not take the same path.
On the one hand is apple. Apple claims that its iOS app store App Store has become the platform of choice for developers worldwide. However, with the launch of the new 10.5-inch iPad Pro and the new iOS 11 system that will be introduced this fall, Apple is working hard to make its tablet work like a Mac or Windows PC.
The other is Microsoft. In the past five years, it has succeeded in making the Surface series touch screen computer a strong opponent of the Mac. From the current situation, it seems to be the iPad. With the latest version of the Windows 10 S operating system, Microsoft is trying to make the Surface device work like an iPad, and expects it will drive the development of the Windows Store, making it an important competitor to the iPhone and iPad App Store.
Although the concept of "computer" encompasses more and more concepts, the two companies have the same goal, which is to become the preferred platform for developers to develop innovative applications and customers to complete their work. The end result is that we are in a strange situation: Microsoft is trying to make Windows work like Apple iOS, and Apple is trying to make iOS work like Windows.
It is the speed of the competition between the two sides. Whoever finishes this transformation is the winner.
Apple tries to draw on Microsoft's strengths
Apple has said many times that it sees the iPad as the future direction of computing. This iconic tablet is both light and thin, equipped with Apple's famous high-quality touchscreen technology. It achieves a balance between battery life and performance. In 2015, when the big screen iPad Pro was launched, Apple CEO Tim Cook positioned it as a replacement for laptops.
In fact, Apple's bet on the iPad is its bet on the App Store. Compared with traditional software, application software is easier for customers to upgrade and safer to use. For developers, the App Store handles payment transactions and provides end customers with a centralized market for applications. For Apple, a 30% cut in each transaction can add a lot of revenue to the company.
Apple is focused on making the iPad a futuristic computing device, which may be one of the reasons it is unwilling to develop and launch a touch-screen version of the Mac. In an interview with BuzzFeed, Craig Federighi, head of Apple Software Engineering, said that Apple considers the iPad to be a product between a mobile phone and a Mac. It combines the best of both mobile phones and Macs. Attributes.
As a replacement for laptops, the problem with the iPad is that the iOS operating system is not very suitable for office tasks. Multitasking on the iPad is tricky compared to a Mac or PC, and transferring files between applications is also very difficult. Most iOS versions of office applications have been simplified, and their functionality is not as powerful as desktop PC applications. The gap between the expectations and reality of Apple's iPad has hampered its plan to turn tablet PCs into serious office equipment and led to a decline in iPad sales.
In the upcoming iOS 11 system, Apple will take some major steps to fill this gap. In addition to other new features, the upgraded operating system will have an additional application manager and a new file system. Users will be able to drag and drop images and files between applications.
These new features are reminiscent of some features of Microsoft Windows 8. Of course, the concept of “a tablet that can replace a laptop†was originally proposed by Microsoft when it introduced the Surface in 2012.
It's not hard to understand why Apple wants the iPad to work like a PC. It hopes to add more new features like the PC to the iPad can help it sell more iPads and attract those who want to get all the benefits of the tablet. With a broader customer base, Apple has a greater chance to persuade developers to develop powerful office applications and make the iPad a more reliable office device.
Microsoft tries to learn from Apple's strengths
At the same time, Microsoft has also been learning and learning from Apple's strategy. Microsoft's Surface series includes a Surface Pro that integrates laptops and tablets, a high-end laptop Surface Book, an all-in-one PC Surface Studio, and a Surface Laptop to be launched for student users. Microsoft is bringing its software to it. Integrate your own high-end hardware.
The biggest advantage of Microsoft is the iPad's biggest weakness. In addition to the Surface laptop, other Surface devices are equipped with a full version of the Windows 10 system and a full set of desktop software programs. Users can use the various versions of Office, desktop Chrome, Steam game store, and so on that they already have.
On the contrary, Microsoft's weakness is Apple's strength. Compared with Apple’s App Store, the Microsoft Windows Store offers far fewer applications, so Surface users can’t use many of the smartphone and tablet apps they already know. As the PC market continues to shrink and the smart phone market grows, more and more programmers begin to develop applications for the iPhone and Android, instead of developing software programs for Windows.
Microsoft tried to solve this problem. Windows 10 S is a streamlined operating system that will debut on the Surface Laptop. It can only use applications from the Windows Store. Microsoft said that this means that battery life and performance will increase significantly, but the price is that users can not install old Windows applications including Chrome and Steam.
Microsoft is peddling Windows 10 S to student users, so if developers want to develop applications for this part of the user, they must develop applications for the Windows Store. Microsoft has persuaded Apple that the latter will introduce iTunes to Microsoft’s application market later this year.
But obviously, when Apple and Microsoft are trying to eliminate the line between laptops and tablets, they are trying to learn from each other's strengths and make up for their weaknesses. Eventually, as the PC and iPad get closer, we will have to reconsider our need for computers.
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