Other than UI and other surface differences, the fundamental distinction between a Mac and an iDevice is... what it is.

A Mac is a real computer. I can run any code I want on it. I have root.

An iDevice is like a game console. I can only run App Store apps (without jumping through a lot of hoops). I do not have root (without again jumping through many hoops or ugly hacks).

If Apple wanted to unify the platform they have two choices. The first is to abandon the "real computer" market entirely. The second is to make iDevices real computers by unlocking them.

I suspect they'd rather keep two platforms.

Under the hood they both share a lot of code, so it's not two totally distinct platforms. It's more like two sets of defaults and two "skins."

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macintux 2 hours ago | parent | next [-]

I think the friction of using a keyboard/pointing device with a touchscreen, or fingers with a desktop interface, is too high to unify them. I know it's been done, I'm unconvinced it's been done well.

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bottlepalm 2 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

MacBook Neo has in a way unified the platforms. The only difference is essentially what OS is booted up with the chip.

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jsheard 2 hours ago | parent [-]

That was already the case with the M-series chips, which are shared between Macs and higher-end iPads. The Neo just extends it to the A-series as well.

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bottlepalm 2 hours ago | parent [-]

Yep I know, and now using a last gen A chip, I feel they are really rubbing our faces in it.

Like Apple is saying, "Nice iPhone 17 Pro w/ A19 w/ vapor cooling chip you have there; you know you run a full general purpose OS on it, but we're not gonna let you, nanananana :p"

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medhir 2 hours ago | parent [-]

No exactly, Apple is playing in our faces, all while people continue to defend the “differences” of device categories and the subsequent justification of shipping iPhones and iPads with locked bootloaders.

	▲	bottlepalm 44 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		Unless you work for Apple or hold significant stock then I don’t see the logic in defending this choice to hamstring the iPhone. But even as an investor, I think Apple could bring a lot of people/money to the Mac ecosystem by getting them in with an iPhone lapdock.