Apple Thoughts: Will iOS Merge with OS X?

"Jean-Louis Gassée is back, making his predictions for the future of Apple's operating system plans, which he sees as heading inexorably to a combined form of iOS becoming Apple's OS inside all Apple devices."

It seems inevitable that some of the ideas that Apple created for the iPhone and iPad would make their way over to OS X. I think it is unlikely, however, that there will be one universal Apple OS running on all of their devices. A laptop/desktop OS has to be different than a slate/phone OS. Much of that has to do with user interface issues. It's much harder, for example, to use a touch screen all day if it is sitting vertically in front of you. It's easier to use a touch screen if you can look down at it and it is almost horizontal. And Apple can't possibly lock down OS X in the same way they lock down iOS. For one thing, they need developers to be able to compile code on OS X. That fact alone makes it impossible to lock down. I think there will be cross pollination between both platforms, but they will remain distinct.