Apple’s macOS Big Sur release brings major new design changes to the platform. The theme around the redesign has been iOS-ification of the operating system. While many have taken to Twitter or personal blogs or YouTube to rant about the design, it looks like Apple is laying the foundation for bringing touch support to the Mac in the near future.
Many have pointed out that the elements on macOS Big Sur look like they have been made for touch input. iMore’s Joseph Keller, in an article on macOS Big Sur said, “Man, this would work well on a touch screen.”
Apple has brought “Control Center” in macOS Big Sur over from iOS. The design of the controls look very similar to iOS and they do not seem to have been adjusted for pointer use on the Mac. The company is already planning to bring its own chips to the Mac, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if Apple creates a iPad/Mac hybrid.
As Macs will soon be able to run iOS apps following the release of ARM based Macs, we could see a lot of unification in Apple’s product line-up or at-least new products emerge as a result of the Mac’s transition from Intel to Apple silicon.
The dock on the Mac has also been redesigned with a new set of icons. A lot of users have complained about the icons, however, Apple’s SVP of Software Engineering Craig Federighi said that the new design will take some time to get used to.
The developer transition kit (DTK) released by Apple is powered by the A12Z chip, the same chip that is found on the iPad Pro. As the iPad and the Mac begin to share some many features such as mouse support on the iPad, it would not be surprising to see a touchscreen Mac or a detachable iPad/Mac hybrid.
