Jan 05 2010
6 Comments
Design, Interaction design, Personal, UX

Why can’t my Mac run iPhone apps?

When the iPhone opened the app store to third party developers and basically anyone who could afford the $99 SDK we we’re all amazed at the enormous success. Thousands upon thousands of great apps have been launched transforming the mobile marketplace forever as it can now compete with laptops on the go.

So, I ask, why the hell can’t I run my apps on my mac?!
I know that the iPhone OS, while based on OS X technology, isn’t the same operating system. But as a consumer I don’t care. Sure, most apps are just boiled down versions of larger applications for Mac or the web. But some of them are not, games especially are available only on the iPhone in that form.

Well I want to use some of them on my Mac!
And it shouldn’t be that hard, the SDK for developing apps can already emulate apps directly in OS X.
But I want to run them from iTunes or, better yet, directly from my dock. I already own them and they’re already stored on my Mac from constant syncing.

Please Apple, let me run my Apps on my Mac as well.

If you agree with this, retweet as far as you can!

Tagged , ,
  • http://palander.se Petter

    I think you’re on something here. I think widgets was a start, and there’s more coming. I’m sure there’s a mod but it’d sure hell be nice if you could download directly! The thing is the apps are made for the resolution 480×320 no more, no less, they’d have to be run in a window that big. But how hard is that? We’ll soon see!

  • http://blondieslasvegas.com Klink

    This is exactly what I’ve been looking for all day! It makes as much sense as NO picture texting till recently. I should be able to run my apps from my ITUNES!!!!!!!!!

    • Jesper Bylund

      I’d like to think it makes sense. But for some reason Apple hasen’t even said they’re working on it.
      Though to be fair, iPhone apps need an iPhone kernel to run.. But since it works in the SDK they could make it work in OS X
      in no time at all.

      Thanks for the comment!

  • Pingback: Jesper Bylund » How can I use iPhone apps on my Mac?

  • whizkid515

    The iPhone uses a different processor (ARM-based) than a Mac would (either PowerPC or x86/Intel), so you’d have to emulate the ARM platform on a Mac in order for this to be possible. This would cause a huge speed decrease, and would not be very helpful for developers to get a realistic idea of how the app would run on an actual iPhone (i.e. at the iPhone’s native speed).

    • Jesper Bylund

      A valid point for developers, but not for end users. The SDK for iOS comes with a emulator that does run on Mac’s and has the problems that you pointed out though, so I still can’t find a reason why end users shouldn’t be able to use them natively on OS X.