Apple Announces 'iWork for iCloud' for In-Browser Use

I'm so *********g sick of docs in the cloud. Roughly every third time I open one of these apps on my iPad it sits spinning waiting to update (wi-fi at home, work, wherever), says I can't open the file because options have changed, that formatting is different from the desktop version, or that it has to make a duplicate copy. That last one is the most annoying; I end up with three versions of the same Keynote and have to flip through or remember which one was the one that I did change. Just give me back that damn iDisk/Dropbox option.

Glad to hear they're coming out with new desktop versions. Hopefully they'll actually play with the iOS ones.

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jnlauderdale said:

Can someone explain how iWork for iCloud can support IE if no version exists for the Mac platform? Are they saying it will support IE if you are on a PC?

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Yes. That seems to be much of the point of the online option: you can use it on any compatible browser, regardless of the platform.

vmachiel said:

Sweet! This is free?

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I had the same question too. Who will they get people to pay for it? Subscribe to a web site? So it seem like it would have to be free

But then if this is free why would anyone buy the desktop apps? Maybe the entire suite is going to be free now.

BTW, I just finished my first "real" or "serious" work g=using Google Docs and I was very impressed with the way it let's three people all edit the SAME documant at the same time. There is a chat window and we could post things like "second to last paragraph is weak, I'll fix it, got any ideas?" and then we can all watch each other make edits in real time.

Google Doc is free, Apple has to compete with a very good free product and with Office too. How to do that? Offer a better free product that even runs in Windows PC. I think Apple is aiming to kill Office. Maybe in 5 or 10 years??

I was really surprised by this. Came out of nowwhere. Fantastic this is me thinks. And I am looking forward to the new apps later this year.

I never bought keynote because I have to little use for it but with this there is no newd for me to buy it to create a presentation once in a while.

CmdrLaForge said:

I was really surprised by this. Came out of nowwhere. Fantastic this is me thinks. And I am looking forward to the new apps later this year.

I never bought keynote because I have to little use for it but with this there is no newd for me to buy it to create a presentation once in a while.

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It didn't really come out of nowhere. They pretty much admitted they were doing this when they canned iWork.com beta. What I'm surprised about is they didn't show any collaboration features (which is pretty much all you could do on iWork.com beta).

ChrisA said:

I had the same question too. Who will they get people to pay for it? Subscribe to a web site? So it seem like it would have to be free

But then if this is free why would anyone buy the desktop apps? Maybe the entire suite is going to be free now.

BTW, I just finished my first "real" or "serious" work g=using Google Docs and I was very impressed with the way it let's three people all edit the SAME documant at the same time. There is a chat window and we could post things like "second to last paragraph is weak, I'll fix it, got any ideas?" and then we can all watch each other make edits in real time.

Google Doc is free, Apple has to compete with a very good free product and with Office too. How to do that? Offer a better free product that even runs in Windows PC. I think Apple is aiming to kill Office. Maybe in 5 or 10 years??

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You still need the desktop apps to edit offline.
So if its free, someone with a cheap windows computer who is too poor to pay for office can just go to icloud and use iwork for free. This would be awesome!
It has the potential of disrupting the MS office cash cow.

jnlauderdale said:

Can someone explain how iWork for iCloud can support IE if no version exists for the Mac platform? Are they saying it will support IE if you are on a PC?

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Did you WATCH the keynote?! iWork! on a PC! in a WEB BROWSER.

ChrisA said:

I had the same question too. Who will they get people to pay for it? Subscribe to a web site? So it seem like it would have to be free

But then if this is free why would anyone buy the desktop apps? Maybe the entire suite is going to be free now.

BTW, I just finished my first "real" or "serious" work g=using Google Docs and I was very impressed with the way it let's three people all edit the SAME documant at the same time. There is a chat window and we could post things like "second to last paragraph is weak, I'll fix it, got any ideas?" and then we can all watch each other make edits in real time.

Google Doc is free, Apple has to compete with a very good free product and with Office too. How to do that? Offer a better free product that even runs in Windows PC. I think Apple is aiming to kill Office. Maybe in 5 or 10 years??

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they are never going to catch google docs. if we discount all of apples office apps experience before iwork then google docs is only a bit older and google docs is constantly being improved while iwork is ignored.

why not just put their weight behind libreoffice and that movement? they can do their fancy online app with them surely.

apple is spreading itself thin to compete in markets it dosent really care about in the long run. which if i recall is the opposite of the advice jobs gave to google

After......

too much guessing from the Mac community, Apple shows us iWork is not dead. Good news indeed and a good showing of how much wrong predictions can come, included mine. Really I was expecting an iOS only, if any.....

numlock said:

they are never going to catch google docs. if we discount all of apples office apps experience before iwork then google docs is only a bit older and google docs is constantly being improved while iwork is ignored.

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While they haven't updated it in a while I would hardly say they ignored it. More likely, iWorks was a less important part of Apple's move to a cloud based content delivery model. As other parts matured they turned their attention to document creation. They did do a beta a while back which surely gave them so insights into how to do it across tablets, computers and other connected devices.

why not just put their weight behind libreoffice and that movement? they can do their fancy online app with them surely.

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They wouldn't own it and couldn't control the user experience.

apple is spreading itself thin to compete in markets it dosent really care about in the long run. which if i recall is the opposite of the advice jobs gave to google

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Actually, I see it as Apple moving to expand and consolidate on a cloud based delivery model. If you view content as the centerpiece of their strategy this move fits in well.

jlc1978 said:

While they haven't updated it in a while I would hardly say they ignored it. More likely, iWorks was a less important part of Apple's move to a cloud based content delivery model. As other parts matured they turned their attention to document creation. They did do a beta a while back which surely gave them so insights into how to do it across tablets, computers and other connected devices.



They wouldn't own it and couldn't control the user experience.



Actually, I see it as Apple moving to expand and consolidate on a cloud based delivery model. If you view content as the centerpiece of their strategy this move fits in well.

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my view is mostly based on numbers because thats the app i use mostly (be it libreoffice, google docs, excel etc) as far as i know pages and especially keynote are rated highly. there are lots of basic features like pivot tables that are not even available and while you watch offerings like googles and openoffice/libreoffice in many ways blows past iwork both in features and usage then yes it is being ignored.


no they wouldnt own or control it but there would actually be a community of users and it would be a real alternative to ms office. nobody really uses this or will use it. so i ask controlling what user experience? i myself gave up and use google docs or libreoffice.

well fine if apple was actually great in everything they did but they have become so focused on their touch device(s) that they ignore so much and as we see are just now adding features that jb´s had 5-6 years ago. their venture in businesses like iwork, icloud, maps, imovie, facetime (although audio only is exciting) etc just to try and push the existing entities out of the way while a) offering worse solutions and b) not really giving it enough attention in the long run that they are competitive products.

I'm personally really happy about this.

I hate Microsoft Office. Its too cluttered for my simple office needs so I use iWork instead.

It'll be great to be able to use it in a browser while at work.

jnlauderdale said:

Can someone explain how iWork for iCloud can support IE if no version exists for the Mac platform? Are they saying it will support IE if you are on a PC?

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All you need for this to work is an iCloud account. If you have the iWork suite on a Mac, you can continue working offline. But if not (as with a PC), you can work on your documents via iCloud.

I'm really glad about this. The current syncing system between Macs and iDevices is okay (better than nothing), but I'm still not happy with the iDevice interfaces. I mean, needing three separate steps just to make an indent? Really? So hopefully the iCloud interface will be as simple and intuitive as the Mac version. Then I won't need the iDevice version unless I'm offline and desperate.

badlydrawnboy said:

Was I hearing things, or did he also say that they'd be releasing new desktop versions of the iWork apps later this year?

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YES!! I can't wait! It's long overdue.

Keynote

I think the biggest feature here is not having to convert your keynote into powerpoint if the presentation system doesn't have a convenient laptop hookup. Now you can fire up a browser and present that way.

drewrockett said:

I think the biggest feature here is not having to convert your keynote into powerpoint if the presentation system doesn't have a convenient laptop hookup. Now you can fire up a browser and present that way.

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Might be, but I wouldn't get too excited by this potential just yet. Is the cloud version of iWork feature compatible with the desktop or even the iOS version? I'm going to take a wild guess and say not, if only because the iOS version is not feature compatible with the desktop version today. Creating on the desktop and presenting on the iPad still requires some planning and testing.

IJ Reilly said:

Really unclear, but I got the impression that the browser-based version is intended as a companion to the desktop version, not a replacement. Despite what was demonstrated, I think it would be very difficult to incorporate all the functionality of desktop iWork into the browser. They haven't managed that for the iOS version.

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I heard a little bit more than that. He talked about creating documents on your Mac and then being able to edit them in a web browser in Windows. This wording suggests that Apple still views iWork on the Mac as the center of the iWork universe.

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Yep, your right. Also regarding your first point to the other forum member, it's possible the browser versions of iWork will only be enabled if you purchased the desktop or iOS versions, dunno.

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MikhailT said:

My concern is this, the upcoming OS X app won't get any new features, it's just being updated to support the iCloud improvements but nothing else. That's why they didn't demo anything.

As for PRISM concerns, yea, that's true for any data services. You'll have to stay offline to avoid PRISM.

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Doubt it, because then why would they say that they are working on new versions? Also, if you look at the Apple website's description of Mavericks, one thing they mention about iBooks is now you can copy a passage from your books when writing an essay and it'll automatically include the citation information for you. Presumably this feature will be because of some integration of iBooks and iWork, so it does seem like there will be new features.

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IJ Reilly said:

Might be, but I wouldn't get too excited by this potential just yet. Is the cloud version of iWork feature compatible with the desktop or even the iOS version? I'm going to take a wild guess and say not, if only because the iOS version is not feature compatible with the desktop version today. Creating on the desktop and presenting on the iPad still requires some planning and testing.

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True, but the feature parity point has been the biggest complaint regarding iWork, so since we have new versions of both iOS and OS X coming, I'd imagine it would be a major letdown if they don't address this issue. Perhaps I'm too optimistic but I think the new suite will finally get it right.

Remember, this is all in a browser!

Seriously, what they showed at WWDC was very impressive. One thing I never liked about Google's offering was how it felt like a web app. Sometimes it doesn't capture your keys can you can't just do stuff like Command + C/V, or drag images into a document.

If iWork works as expected, it shows Apple is capable enough to compete in the cloud space.

Great!!!

Now how about letting a BROWSER access my iCloud email???

iWork on cloud based on EditGrid Acquisition

Apple acquired EditGrid in October 2009 for an undisclosed amount, one that was valued by outside sources at between 10-30 million dollars. I don't think it was specifically for their spreadsheet but a combo of the spreadsheet and mostly the online editing collaborative environment.

I find it interesting what some people consider to be "basic features" - some cite Pivot Tables or data validation, or what most would consider to be some really high-end functions as being "basic". The studies done on spreadsheets and office docs in general show that the majority of users only use a fraction of the "features".

Microsoft has 30+ years of engineering and untold millions of dollars spent on development. I think there is room for competition but at the same time each consumer is judging each app's worth (like numbers) based on their compatibility, matching every feature identically, with that of Microsoft Office, all while not being a Microsoft product.

512ke said:

Great!!!

Now how about letting a BROWSER access my iCloud email???

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?? It's the first icon top left when you sign into iCloud.

I'm a little puzzled by the new iWork for iCloud. I'm not clear if this is an entirely new product or if it simply takes what we can already do with Mac/iOS iCloud document sharing and extends it to the Windows PC environment?

Personally I think they should just buy Dropbox as it's one of the best software products I've used for years.

Either way I'm looking forward to seeing what they've been doing with iWork for the past few years. I hope there is a new version of iLife at the same time.

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hovercast said:

It has the potential of disrupting the MS office cash cow.

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Maybe Apple got a little tired of waiting for MS to release the Mac version on the AppStore and come out with an iOS version. Give Monkey Boy a little something to think about.

numlock said:

my view is mostly based on numbers because thats the app i use mostly (be it libreoffice, google docs, excel etc) as far as i know pages and especially keynote are rated highly. there are lots of basic features like pivot tables that are not even available and while you watch offerings like googles and openoffice/libreoffice in many ways blows past iwork both in features and usage then yes it is being ignored.

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Considering most people that use a spreadsheet have no idea what a pivot table is, let alone use one, would make me not consider it a basic feature. if anything, I'd like to see Apple spend more time on formatting than adding advanced feature sets.

no they wouldnt own or control it but there would actually be a community of users and it would be a real alternative to ms office. nobody really uses this or will use it. so i ask controlling what user experience? i myself gave up and use google docs or libreoffice.

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Libre/Open/Neo Office is a pretty big bag of hurt if you view from an Apple design perspective; let alone compatibility. It would make no sense for Apple to try to turn it into something to put the Apple brand on even if only by inference.

The big thing that will kill iWork in the cloud for me is fonts. Pages on iPad is far less useful than it could be for me primarily due to this restriction, and I expect iWork for iCloud to have the same problem. It there was a way to install fonts, it would be great, but I doubt there will be. I'm holding out hope that maybe this will eventually happen on iOS devices… it's a must have for designers.

JohnDoe98 said:

True, but the feature parity point has been the biggest complaint regarding iWork, so since we have new versions of both iOS and OS X coming, I'd imagine it would be a major letdown if they don't address this issue. Perhaps I'm too optimistic but I think the new suite will finally get it right.

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Including all of the features of a large, complex desktop app in a touch UI app presents significant design issues. I think the pared-down iOS version of the iWork apps was a deliberate effort to implement them appropriately on that platform. Probably the same will hold true for the cloud version. So I don't think it was a matter of getting it wrong, and in fact is more about getting it right. Apple has never gone in for feature cram and I would not expect that philosophy to change.

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JonneyGee said:

The big thing that will kill iWork in the cloud for me is fonts. Pages on iPad is far less useful than it could be for me primarily due to this restriction, and I expect iWork for iCloud to have the same problem. It there was a way to install fonts, it would be great, but I doubt there will be. I'm holding out hope that maybe this will eventually happen on iOS devices… it's a must have for designers.

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Totally agree, and not just for designers.

IJ Reilly said:

Including all of the features of a large, complex desktop app in a touch UI app presents significant design issues. I think the pared-down iOS version of the iWork apps was a deliberate effort to implement them appropriately on that platform. Probably the same will hold true for the cloud version. So I don't think it was a matter of getting it wrong, and in fact is more about getting it right. Apple has never gone in for feature cram and I would not expect that philosophy to change.

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Well they have to figure something out because either way isn't good. If they add in feature parity, then those features won't fit in nicely to the touch UI (though if you look at how they managed iPhoto and the filters and similar tweaks, it was done quite well). That much I agree with. But on the other hand, if they don't do it, then you are stuck with multiple copies of a file and the syncing between iOS devices and OS X doesn't work properly, or worst case, you are limited to the feature set of the iOS suite if you want syncing to work properly.

So either way there are problems. I rather they enable comments and similar things in the touch UI in a manner that is a little awkward, if it means I can finally sync my iWork documents properly without resorting to duplicates or data loss. In others words, syncing the files without stripping them of content is the #1 priority. Design the UI around that.