The battle of mutual copying between Microsoft and Apple

An interesting thing is going on in the battle between Apple and Microsoft. It is that both are making their products look like rivals, despite the different approaches.

Apple products are Apple Store iOS app store, is the destination for application developers worldwide. But launching the 10.5-inch iPad Pro and iOS 11, Apple is building features that make tablets work like Windows PCs and Macs.

On the other hand, Microsoft has spent the past half decade building a touch-screen Surface computer line to compete with Macs and target the iPad. The latest Windows 10 S operating system seems to be turning more Surface-like iPad devices, not least the Windows Store can become the rival of the App Store.

Both big men want one thing, which is to become the platform that users choose when they want to work, especially when the definition of "computer" is becoming more and more flexible. The end result is that Windows is trying to work more like iOS while iOS is more like Windows.The race is only a matter of who comes first.

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Surface Studio PC by Microsoft

Apple tries to become Microsoft

Apple has said many times that it will turn the iPad into the future of computers. The Iconia tablet is very thin and light, using Apple's famous high-quality touch screen technology, balancing between battery life and performance. Meanwhile, when the big screen iPad Pro launched in 2015, Apple CEO Tim Cook said it would replace the laptop.

In fact, betting on an iPad also means that Apple bet on the App Store. Compared to traditional software, these applications are easier to update and safer. For developers, the App Store handles payments and provides a centralized location for customers to find what they need. For Apple, 30% of each transaction is a bargain.

The focus of Apple on the iPad may explain their opening up on a completely touch-screen Mac. In an interview, the leader of Apple's software engineering team Craig Federighi showed signs that the company would launch a hybrid iPad between phone and Mac with many features of both.

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New file system will be released on iPad with iOS 11

The problem with using the iPad as a laptop is that the iOS operating system is not really suitable for working. Compared to Mac or PC, multitasking on the iPad will be quite confusing and sharing files between applications is also long. Most iOS apps are simplified and lighter than PC versions. This gap between Apple's desire and the reality has hindered their efforts to turn the tablet into a real working machine and play an important role in the business of this product.

With iOS 11 coming soon, Apple is taking a big step to shorten this gap. In the new features, it is worth noting that the application dock, the new file system and users can drag and drop images and documents between applications. As many Microsoft users say, these new features are reminiscent of what Microsoft has done with Windows 8. The story of "laptop replacement tablets" has been pioneered by Microsoft since 2012.

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Drag and drop functionality between applications will appear on the iPad later this year

It is clear that Apple wants the iPad to work more like PC by adding PC-like features to sell more iPads, attracting more customers. With a large customer base, Apple hopes to convince developers to build working applications and turn iPads into real work support devices.

Microsoft is trying to become Apple

Microsoft also uses tactics like Apple. With the Surface line of products, including a Surface Pro laptop-tablet hybrid, Surface Book high-definition laptop, all-in-one PC with Surface Studio and a computer aimed at upcoming Laptop students, the company is bringing Its software into the hardware itself is their strength.

The biggest advantage of Microsoft is also Apple's Asin heel. Surface devices, except the Surface laptop, all use the full version of Windows 10 and give users full access to computer programs. Users can select available Office version with Chrome browser versions, Steam game store .

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Microsoft Surface Laptop

In contrast, Microsoft's weakness is Apple's strong point. Windows Store has less choice than App Store so Surface users cannot use many applications for phones and tablets. As the PC market is going down and the smartphone market is booming, more and more people choose to develop iPhone and Android applications instead of Windows.

Microsoft is trying to fix this problem. Windows 10 S, a more compact version of the current OS will only use the application from the Windows Store. Microsoft says this will significantly improve battery life and performance but in return users cannot install old Windows applications, including Chrome and Steam.

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Windows 10 S is similar to Windows 10 but can only be installed from Windows Store

Microsoft is directing Windows 10 S to students and students, so if any developer interested in this object can build the application on the Windows Store. Microsoft finally convinced Apple to bring the iTunes application to the Microsoft market by the end of next year.

Obviously Apple and Microsoft are trying to erase the line between tablets and laptops by copying each other's strengths and trying to minimize their weaknesses. As PC and iPad get closer, users can realize what they really need on the computer.