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With the launch of the new iOS 7, OS X Mavericks, iWork and iLife, Apple is continuously dissolving the boundaries between the operating systems of mobile phones and computers.
Although Apple has been criticized for its strict censorship system in its App Store, Apple's ecosystem is so successful that third-party application providers find it difficult to leave Apple, and other platform competitors have also tried to replicate the user experience provided by Apple's ecosystem. Apple's all-encompassing ecosystem includes everything from iCloud, iMassage, GameCenter, to FaceTime, and even accessories that support AirPlay and AirPrint.
In the past, people bought iPhones, iPads, and Macs because they could do different things on each device. But for many people today, those distinctions have faded. Now, iPhones can do things that only iPads could do before, iPads can do things that only Macs could do before, and even Macs can do things that only iPhones could do before. And the latest versions of iOS 7 and OS X Mavericks make it easy to seamlessly switch between the screens of iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Along with the new operating systems, Apple also shipped free software (iWork and iLife) with these powerful devices. Next, we'll show which apps have crossed over in performance with the new software updates.
Listen, Speak, Voice Control and Siri
Speech recognition on both iOS and OS X has been enhanced, OS X Maverick can now listen and write without a network connection (it can record what you say and convert it into text), and Siri can do more.
Of course, Siri as an intelligent voice assistant and voice control on OS X are completely different things. If you want to experience the voice like Siri on your Mac, you can only download the system voice package named Samantha (which can read the selected sentence or word on Mac). Therefore, many people like me are very much looking forward to seeing Siri appear on OS X in this system update, and with a different voice from Siri.
Create photos, videos, and music
For a long time, Apple has included the iLife suite, iPhoto, iMovie, and Garageband, with new Macs. Now Apple is also including iLife with iOS, narrowing the gap between iOS and OS X. Although the iLife suite sold on iOS before was not very expensive, this time Apple made it clear that no matter which device you choose, you can use it to create what you want right away.
Not only that, Apple has also made it much easier to share your masterpieces with others online. Photo Streams on iCloud allows you to share photos with family and friends who don't use iCloud. And, in the new version of iMovie, you can directly transfer movies on iOS or OS X to Apple TV. So, as long as you use Apple devices, you can polish your masterpieces on any platform.
Enjoy movies, TV, music, podcasts, and even books
Apple's ecosystem first existed in the form of iTunes's music library. Since then, iTunes has gradually expanded to include movies, TV shows, and entire series of open courses from prestigious universities on iTunes U. In the latest versions of iOS 7, OS X, and Apple TV, podcasts can be synchronized across all Apple devices.
Moreover, OS X Mavericks can now read books just like on iOS. If you still doubt that reading books on Mac might not be very convenient, think about how you record and read notes on Mac, and share excerpts from books.
Edit text, spreadsheets, and presentations
In order to balance the two platforms, Apple decided to bundle the iWork suite, including Pages, Numbers and Keynote, with new devices equipped with iOS and OS X. In addition, the online collaboration feature released by Apple this fall allows you to edit the file you last modified on another device on any device.
Transfer content between devices and friends
iOS7 has deep integration with Flickr, Vimeo, Twitter, and Facebook, allowing you to share your purchases, photos, links, and videos directly on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
On OS X, you can even share these things to LinkedIn. With iCloud, your contacts, emails, web bookmarks, reading history, and tags are synced across all your devices. Now, even usernames and passwords can be shared between devices through iCloud Keychain. The only thing that seems to be missing from this seamless sharing experience is AirDrop. AirDrop allows you to quickly transfer content directly to nearby devices. However, for now, iOS devices can only AirDrop content to iOS devices, and OS X can only AirDrop between Macs. Initially, Apple created the ecosystem to allow people to manage and use the music they purchased on iTunes, but over time it has evolved to include all kinds of purchased content, even your own creations. Now Apple allows you to manage your creations and purchases on any Apple device you own.
The iterative updates of Apple's system allow each device to provide the same experience without having to install the same system, which also allows people to better choose which Apple product they need more. However, it is questionable whether such a strategy will make people buy more Apple products to meet different needs or just choose one product that best suits them in the post-PC era.
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