So here’s how the story goes: In October 2012, Tim Cook puts Jonathan Ive in charge of software as well as hardware. Eight months later, iOS 7 is put on display at the WWDC. Well, actually just the iPhone version. The iPad version will come soon, according to published reports. The conclusion: Apple spent just eight months on remaking the iOS.

Really?

As you might imagine, an operating system development project doesn’t happen overnight. It took Microsoft three years to move from the well-accepted Windows 7 to the Windows 8 train wreck. Even that forthcoming 8.1 refresh, said to make critical changes to address customer concerns, is little more than a glorified service pack or maintenance update, and no doubt a serious rush job as far Microsoft is concerned.

Compare that to Apple’s decision to release iOS and OS X roughly annually. Roughly, because it appears OS X Mavericks will arrive 14 or 15 months after the debut of OS X Mountain Lion. Perhaps that’s the result of Apple deciding to move some OS developers to the iOS project. Or maybe not, since that’s just a rumor that was never officially concerned. Maybe it’s just taking Apple longer to make all those promised under-the-hood improvements.

But when it comes to iOS 7, there’s an unfortunate assumption that the actual work began in October and somehow Apple managed to whip enough of it into shape to make a credible presentation at the WWDC. That, however, is only partly true.

It’s a sure thing that Apple was outlining the changes for iOS 7 long before Ive got involved. It’s likely that all or most of the interface changes you see were crafted by Ive, but it’s just as likely that most of the new features you’ve seen so far, visible and otherwise, were on the drawing boards even before iOS 6 was released. It’s absurd to think those features appeared out of whole cloth in October, as Ive rushed to consolidate his position and make the initial design changes.

But that won’t stop the media from making up stories.

It’s also a sure thing that any defects found after the public release will be attributed to the rush to complete iOS 7 in time for the WWDC and for the next generation iPhones and iPads. On the other hand, it’s also true that all previous iOS versions shipped with various bugs of one sort or another that required a few maintenance updates. It would be naïve to expect anything different this time, although I also expect Apple has been seriously stung with complaints about buggy releases. Maps for iOS 6 comes to mind, so maybe there will be a more stable release this time. We’ll see.

Already I’ve read a number of reports that focus on the iOS 7 features that appear to mimic, in whole or in part, features from other mobile operating systems. Control Center? Well, take a look at Android and even Windows Phone. Application switching? Doesn’t that scheme remind you of Android and WebOS?

It’s also true that some of Apple’s changes step on the toes of iOS app developers who may have to give up some money-making software, boost the features to make them indispensable, or focus on other products. But this is the plight of any developer who builds a utility that somehow enhances OS functions in one way or the other. They are filling gaps left open by Apple, but such approaches invariably exist on life support. Nothing stops Apple from borrowing or being influenced by these apps as operating systems are upgraded.

While some would prefer that Apple leave well enough alone, it’s not easy to deliver 200 new features every year, and many new features will answer concerns from iOS and Mac users. In the interim, third-party solutions may arise to fill the gaps. Apple will finally get around to doing it for themselves in a way that is reminiscent of the third-party app, or moves in a different direction. Regardless, developers will be hurt.

Indeed, some hope that Apple will provide more OS hooks for developers to do their thing. What about third-party keyboard apps for the iPhone and iPad? What about expanding OS X’s sandboxing feature to accommodate mission critical apps that tap system capabilities that aren’t being sanctioned now? Well, at least with the Mac, you can get your apps from any source you want. OS X Mountain Lion’s Gatekeeper will put up first launch warnings, but that’s nothing you can’t get around, so it’s a minor inconvenience.

Some would like to see the iOS offer an approved way to get any app you want from any source you want so long as you take responsibility for the consequences. Android doesn’t prevent you from doing that, but you have to jailbreak your iPhone or iPad, which may have warranty implications unless you can restore your device if it needs repair. But Apple built the iOS from scratch, without the baggage of the past, and the fact that 97% of mobile app malware is on the Android platform has to count for something.

Meantime, iOS 7 sure looks promising for something that only took eight months to develop.

The other day I read an article over at Laptop magazine’s site that essentially explained why the Android platform has serious problems. No, it’s not about missing features that are already available in iOS or Windows Phone. It’s not about fragmentation, where there are so many different hardware configurations, and little or no ability to upgrade the software to the latest version.

The key problem of Android is security. This is clear when you read that article at Laptop magazine entitled, “Best Android Security Apps 2013.” There are five in that listing, with Avast Mobility Security by AVAST Software earning the top rating of 4.5 stars. There was no perfect contender.

But it’s not about which app scored the best. It’s about the need for such apps in the first place. You aren’t, for example, reading anything about the “Best iOS Security Apps 2013” or any year, because there is no demonstrated need for security software on Apple’s mobile platform.

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When Apple’s Craig Federighi gave a relatively short but highly-praised demonstration of OS X Mavericks at this week’s WWDC, I had to ask, “Is that all there is?” You see, Apple has traditionally promised over 200 new features with recent OS X upgrades. Here there are a few dozen at most, including the backend features, such as compressed memory, which are designed to speed up performance and boost note-book battery life.

Considering that iOS 7 got a huge upgrade with flat icons, layers and translucency, I had to wonder whether such a look would also migrate to Apple’s desktop OS. But all the screenshots shown so far of the Mavericks beta, released for developers this week, merely revealed a look that is very much the same as OS X Mountain Lion. Sure some “real-life” or skeuomorphic elements that inhabited such apps as Calendar were removed with a humorous flourish. But otherwise, things don’t seem altogether different as far as the look and the feel is concerned.

Now the theme isn’t as important so long as it’s smooth, uncomplicated and simple to navigate. Major changes in looks may suit from a marketing point of view, because they announce difference, and the differences appear to be huge for iOS 7, although most functions work the same as they did before.

However, Apple has already been dogged with criticism over adding iOS-style scroll bars to OS X, so I can understand that some of you may prefer that things stay the way they are. Apple seems, for now, more focused on features that actually make OS X work better.

The Finder tabs are a case in point. It’s not a feature that’s unique in a file browser, but it does offer a solution to organizing the Finder that should have appeared years ago. The Tags feature expands upon the original Labels concept in a useful way.

One key question: Will such enhancements eliminate the need for third-party Finder replacements, such as Path Finder? Not completely, as Path Finder is a far more inclusive product. But it will help your organize your work more efficiently. The enhanced Multiple Displays feature, which essentially makes each screen work identically, will please content creators who were irritated over the way it was organized, or not organized, in previous OS X versions.

Assuming most of the serious bugs have been fixed, adding Maps seems to be a good concept, particularly in the way key functions are integrated into Calendar. This is the sort of thing for which Apple is famous, but they don’t always do well.

Some suggest iCloud Keychain, the ability to store and encrypt passwords in the cloud, and have them automatically update on Macs with OS 10.9 and mobile gear with iOS 7, may reduce the need for password wallet apps such as iPassword. As usual, it’s a question of having extra functions that justify the current $24.99 purchase price for a single user license for iPassword.

But the most significant enhancements may well involve what Apple calls Advanced Technologies, a title for all the stuff that’s supposed to give your Mac a performance boost. However, some of the tools are apt to require that developers get with the program and update their apps to support the key Mavericks features, and that may be a problem.

As it stands, many of the features in Lion and Mountain Lion are not supported by critical app suites such as Office for Mac 2011, the Adobe Creative Suite, and even QuarkXPress.

Microsoft promised Lion compatibility within a few months back in 2011, but the best I see is Full Screen Apps. Auto Save and Version remains missing in action.

Now with a promised fall release date, which means as late as December, it’s quite possible Apple will flesh out the feature set to be more inclusive, and provide a few things you might not expect. In a sense, Apple is four months behind the schedule of Mountain Lion, where developers had a beta in February 2012. So it’s quite possible Apple will call a media event this fall to launch the Mac Pro, refresh other Macs now that the MacBook Air has had its update, and perhaps offer a few surprises for Mavericks.

Will that mean that there will, indeed, be a new, flatter interface in our future? I wouldn’t presume to guess. It may just be that, considering all the work that had to be done to get iOS 7 ready, Apple will postpone OS X interface changes until next year. I suppose it’s also possible that system requirements will change from what developers are reporting, which essentially means that any Mac that could run Mountain Lion is compatible with Mavericks. That includes models introduced from four to six years ago.

The final question is the price. Will Apple ask $19.99 for OS 10.9? Or will they do the right thing and make it free for everyone? I would rather see the latter, which would guarantee that all or most eligible Mac users will download the upgrade quickly, particularly if there are no serious compatibility issues.

So let me get this straight. Before Apple demonstrated iOS 7, the pundits complained that little or nothing had changed in the past six years. It looked the same, after all, and Apple must make serious changes. Of course, hundreds and hundreds of new features were added, but some people don’t want to be bothered with facts. While Google and Microsoft had made major changes to their mobile interfaces, Apple was too conservative. I suppose keeping things simple and predictable has its detractors.

When possible preliminary artwork for iOS 7 appeared online, some suggested Apple was more or less imitating the flat tile motif of Windows 8. But they really didn’t know what to think.

The reality does have flatter artwork, but it’s definitely not a flat look. By clever use of translucency, layers and parallax, you have the feeling of looking at a 3D image, with differing levels of activity when you tilt the device. Wallpaper becomes alive, the Weather app delivers a video loop illustrating the conditions in the city of your choosing. Lots of things are going on, and to think it’s all so simple ignores the obvious.

But that doesn’t stop some critics from suggesting the buttons, icons, or whatever, aren’t distinct enough so you know what to tap. That reaction, from one commentator of curious credentials, comes across as downright absurd. It’s clear Apple didn’t try to emulate Microsoft. But that’s not sufficient. What about the features that Apple “cribbed” from the competition?

So we have the Control Center, which gives you a slide-up display of a small number of frequently used settings, apps and what-not. Want to turn off Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to conserve battery life? It’s a couple of taps away. But Control Center is far better than the Android alternative, which also puts the buttons on the Notification Center panel. For one thing, it’s not so easy to tap the wrong function by mistake and suddenly find yourself without a Bluetooth connection in your car, or using your wireless carrier’s data plan rather than the nearby Wi-Fi router. Can’t happen? It happens to me on a Samsung Galaxy S4, and I’m sure I’m not alone. So Apple appears to have taken the right direction here, though I await real experience with the update to say for sure.

One thing Apple does provide is predictability and elegance. If you already know the iOS, you won’t find yourself having much to relearn with iOS 7. Left to right and upward swipes shouldn’t confuse many people. Despite the changed OS theme and new functions, most everything works as it did before. Only better, it seems.

I’m particularly impressed with the way Apple will manage multitasking. On Android, it just happens, and apps will, from time to time, steal so much CPU power as to slow things to a crawl, and battery life will suffer severely. Android handset makers get around system bloat and inefficiency with an axe. More powerful handsets, with larger batteries so they hold out longer without giving out. These days, Google is fretting over fragmentation, the fact that only about a third of users of the platform are running recent versions of Android, and some have versions dating back to 2010. What about security updates? If the handset maker and wireless carrier say no, you’re out of luck unless you jailbreak the device and do it yourself.

With iOS 7, it will work with an iPhone 4, circa 2010, a second generation iPad, along with recent versions of the iPod touch. Hundreds of millions of Apple customers will be able to install iOS 7 on the day of its release, without having to jailbreak their gear or pray their carrier will push the update.

I notice, however, that Apple said very little about Maps during the WWDC keynote, though there are improvements that extend beyond greater accuracy. There’s a pedestrian turn-by-turn alternative, for those who prefer to walk, and a new way to deliver a nighttime interface. But still nothing about public transit. For now, it appears that Apple will rely on third-party apps, although I suppose that could change between now and the promised fall release.

If there’s a potential downside, it’s one that any huge interface change is apt to cause, and that’s the impact to developers. According to published reports, Apple has devised some 1,500 new APIs for iOS 7, which means lots of potential for developers to make their apps work better in the new environment. But it also means a lot of work may be required to bring their apps in line. I wonder, for example, how much of the new look is simply inherited, and how much must be crafted within an app.

And, as has been pointed out elsewhere, Apple has done a few things that step on the toes of some third-party developers, which is nothing new. Do you really, for example, need Instagram now that Apple has added some default special effect filters to the Camera app? How will iTunes Radio impact its most direct competitor, Pandora? What about all those little flashlight apps that appeared when the App Store debuted in 2008?

One thing is sure: Apple’s critics will have a field day blaming Apple for harming developers, taking eye candy too far and, of course, stealing features from other platforms. But the real success of iOS 7 will depend on the sum of the parts, and that’s where Apple does their best work.