14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft brought personal assistant Cortana to the desktop with Windows 10, and it appears that Apple is planning to do the same with Mac OS X 10.12.
Screenshots obtained by MacRumors depict Apple’s digital assistant running on OS X, with icons showing up in the dock and the menu bar.
And still, it appears that Apple might be aiming for a strategy that is slightly different from the one embraced by Microsoft. In Windows 10, Cortana replaces the search feature and can perform search both locally and online. Apple, however, will offer Siri alongside a search option, although that could change before the new feature goes live for users.
At this point, the Siri implementation in Mac OS X is still in its early days, so it uses different icons for the menu bar and the dock. While the menu bar uses an icon that reads the word “Siri,” the dock icon is a rounded waveform that aligns with the design of the other icons. Furthermore, the menu bar icon is placed just near the search feature, which is living proof that a different implementation than Microsoft’s is in the cards.
Apple is believed to be planning a public preview of Siri on Mac OS X at WWDC in June, and during this event, the company is also expected to demo an early version of iOS 10.
Digital assistants on the desktop
Microsoft brought Cortana on the desktop with Windows 10 in an attempt to unify its platforms and offer a similar experience on all devices. Cortana comes on PCs with the same features as on mobile phones, so it’s offering a wide array of goodies that are suitable for all devices.
Apple might want to follow the same path as Microsoft and thus bring together its devices even more, although it’s not yet very clear how exactly Siri on the desktop is going to work. Hey Siri is already supported, and the chances are that all features currently on the iPhone will be implemented too, although some other specifically tailored for the desktop could also be added.
Without a doubt, Apple and Microsoft will go head to head in the digital assistant fight, but for the moment, Redmond still seems to lead the pack and be the first to come up with new implementations.
