I had a simple epiphany the other day when I purchased the Master Chef app on my iPhone. It’s a great cooking app that features countless tips, videos and demonstrations for aspiring cooks. But I had a small qualm with it: I could only enjoy the app on my iPhone. This meant I couldn’t play it on my Macbook Air. So it made me wonder, how can a company who created a massive app ecosystem prohibit its users from enjoying any app on any device?

Now you might think the answer to this is simple since an app purchased on a touch screen device is fundamentally different from one that resides on a traditional laptop device like my Air. But when I looked at the MasterChef app, one that has some basic text and a list of videos, I realized that enabling touch isn’t a requirement to enjoy this app. And if you look at the recent release of Mac OSx Lion you’ll start to notice a resemblance to iOS.

Developing on Multiple Platforms

We can’t forget to mention that in order for the Master Chef app to function on my Air, it would require developers to create an entirely new app catered to my laptop device. This is extra work for what is at the moment a smaller market. It’s my belief though, that the Macbook Air will soon become a predominant player in the market. It’s my opinion that the Air is one of Apple’s best products available. Their machines are only getting faster, thinner, lighter and to the surprise of even power users, are triumphing the need to purchase a Macbook Pro. An SSD flash drive with no movable parts makes the Air lightning fast. Not to mention, there are 3G enabled add-ons to the Air that make them completely wireless. But I digress. My point is, once the public begins using these ultra light laptops and once the price begins to lower, there will be a need for more apps to exist in the OSx app ecosystem.

iPad

You see, the difference between the iPad and the Air is essentially a keyboard. I say that loosely as the Air is capable of many more tasks compared to the iPad but from a high level, they look and feel very similar. The way we’re using apps instead of software is another reason I think we’ll see a convergence. What I mean is that apps are becoming lighter, smaller, more oriented to a simple number of tasks or a simple purpose and cloud based. Plus independent developers are leading the development of these apps and because of the giant market available to them, the price of the apps is ridiculously low. This is much different than previous software models.

One Operating System

I think it’s evident that Apple is heading in this direction already. With the release of OSx Lion, we’re seeing a lot of iOS features on laptops. The gestures on my Air allow me to navigate through my computer quickly and easily. I really think that in a few years, there will be one amalgamated operating system. I also think that the iPad and the Macbook Air will become a single device as well. I can’t say I know how they will do it, but I’ll leave that up to Apple.

About the author: Zaid Rasid is the founder of the internet marketing blog Better Social* Skills. He provides social media, lead generation & brand awareness advice to small and medium sized businesses. For a practical look at how online marketing can work for you, visit www.zaidrasid.com or follow him on twitter: www.twitter.com/zaidrasid