As mobile technology becomes more and more popular, powerful, and profitable, software behemoths like Apple become more and more inclined to model their desktop software after what's running on their phones and tablets. An advance look at OS X Mountain Lion reveals that the Apple experience of the future will be increasingly centered around iOS.

 

Formulating a seamless software experience has been the goal of many a developer over the past few years. Cloud storage and device synchronization are the future of how we create, store, and publish data. But Apple doesn't seem entirely pleased that developers outside its umbrella have been coming up with effective methods of keeping all your data accessible from all of your gadgets at once. Mountain Lion will introduce several new features that seem to be designed to compete directly with existing third-party apps.

 

As a stab at the formidable Dropbox, whose ease of use allows me and plenty of others to swap files between multiple computers, Mountain Lion will feature an upgraded version of iCloud that allows you to upload documents directly to your personal cloud storage. Any synched document will be updated on all your devices as soon as you save changes, meaning you won't have any need for multiple copies of similar documents as you transfer your work around your home network. It sounds like it'll be a little more streamlined than the current Dropbox setup, but iCloud will still lack a browser with which to glance through all your uploaded documents at once.

 

The new incarnation of the Notes app also seems like it's trying to enter in the running with Evernote, the awesome word processor/productivity app with which I get most of my work done. Not only will Notes synch up neatly between its desktop and mobile versions, it'll also support images and email exporting. 

 

In addition to new methods of handling data, Mountain Lion also aims to change the way we communicate with our fellow Apple junkies. iChat will be replaced with the new Messages app, which integrates FaceTime and allows you to swap texts with mobile devices. But don't worry: it'll still support AIM and the like for those of you with friends stuck in 2002. Furthermore, Twitter exports will be integrated into several existing OS X components, like iPhoto and Safari. You won't even need to hop over to Twitter's website to post a new photo or link to your feed. 

 

Looks like Apple's making it increasingly easier to want to own all of their devices at once, feeding our stubborn addiction to their products. Probably a wise trend to cultivate.