Perhaps there is some kind of curse surrounding the eight generation of operating systems, but it appears that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is being hit by problems that impacted Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) just over a year ago. According to rumors circulating on Thursday, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) may not be ready to release the full iOS 8 at WWDC. The company is, according to reports, planning on releasing iOS 8.1 in order to make up for missing features.
The rumors, which were picked up by 9to5Mac.com‘s Mark Gurman, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is going to take the focus off of iOS 8 at its next worldwide developers conference. Instead the company plans to focus on its desktop release OSX 10.10. That release is set to be a big departure from the previous version of the operating system. iOS 8 appears to be languishing as a result.
Apple pushes iOS 8 features back
After the major release of iOS 7 last year, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) engineers appear to be taking a bit of a break. The company’s mobile team is apparently delaying a slew of features that were supposed to be included in the initial release of iOS 8 because of various issues.
According to 9to5Mac sources familiar with the development process are saying that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has already begun to work on iOS 8.1. The operating system mirrors Windows 8.1 in some ways, though Apple has, at the very least, planned its release before the uninspiring appearance of iOS 8.
There is no obvious news on which parts of the Apple operating system will suffer from the division of the release into two parts, but it seems likely that the company will seek to put the big ticket features, like its Healthbook fitness application and its standalone iTunes Radio application out with the initial release rather than relegating them to a lower level of publicity in future.
OS X takes center stage
Desktops and laptop have not been a really important market for Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) in more than ten years. Despite all of the effort the company has put into developing excellent products in those categories, sales are very light compared to those in its core mobile markets. The Cupertino firm is set to continue developing wholeheartedly in those categories, however, and the next WWDC will apparently set it at the center of the company’s offerings.
OS X 10.10 is set to be a major departure for the design of the company’s desktop OS, at least according to rumors. The design of the operating system is set to follow the values set up by iOS 7, which Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) released last year. The future that Tim Cook is writing for Apple takes place on the Desktop as well as on mobile. that will be apparent at the next WWDC, though perhaps not for the best reasons.
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is a huge company, but there are still limits to its efforts. If the firm is completely flipping OS X, while upgrading iOS 8 and likely working on a wearable interface, something’s going to have to slide. Luckily the company’s working on getting the expected features of iOS 8 out there promptly.
