Apple’s mission to transform its desktop OS X software into something akin to its mobile iOS software looks set to continue, with reports suggesting that the next update will include Siri and Apple Maps.
The Cupertino Company has been giving its Macs the feel of an iPhone or iPad through various software updates over the past few years, including the homescreen-style Launch Pad and more recently iMessage, FaceTime and Game Centre.
It’s hardly a secret that Apple is currently testing a new build of OS X – those testing it have been browsing the web as normal, which then shows up on a website’s analytics. 9to5mac has clocked 10.9 users checking out its site and has investigated further, digging up some juicy features that are said to be making the jump from iOS to OS X.
In the latest version of OS X, Mountain Lion 10.8, we got a taste of Siri in the form of voice dictation. That familiar microphone logo is now present in many apps, allowing the user to speak and dictate text entry rather than using the keyboard. Apple looks set to expand on this in the next update however, bringing in the features you’d use Siri for on iOS – finding places, directions and doing web searches, for example.
Furthermore, Apple Maps looks to also be making an appearance on the Mac in 10.9. Of course, you’re not going to take your Mac with you and use it for turn-by-turn directions, but it will give an easily accessible desktop mapping program that’ll be useful for route planning, finding places and generally browsing the map.
“Early builds in testing of the next-generation Mac operating system, OS X 10.9, point to Siri and Maps integration coming to Mac computers next year, according to our reliable sources.”
9to5mac is usually bang on with information from its sources, and in our mind the two additions are the next logical step in Apple’s ‘iOSification’ of the Mac.
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Via: 9to5mac