Merging OS X and iOS would be a “waste of energy” says Phil Schiller

With the major revamp made to iOS 7 and with the changes introduced in OS X Mavericks, many had speculated that it would come to the point where Apple would unify both operating systems, kind of like how it has been speculated that Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 could eventually merge and form one unified platform. As it stands there is some cross platform functionality and shared features in iOS and OS X, such as the ability to send/receive iMessages along with the notification center, for example.

According to Phil Schiller, merging the OS X and iOS operating systems would be a “waste of energy.” Schiller was giving an interview with MacWorld on the eve of the Mac’s thirtieth anniversary. Asked about the chances of such a convergence, Schiller had the following to say: “We don’t waste time thinking, ‘But it should be one [interface!]‘ How do you make these [operating systems] merge together?’ What a waste of energy that would be.” Apple’s software head, Craig Federighi, added that, “The reason OS X has a different interface than iOS isn’t because one came after the other or because this one’s old and this one’s new. Instead, it’s because using a mouse and keyboard just isn’t the same as tapping with your finger.”