Apple's Spreadsheet Application: Lasso

MacRumors · 10:29 PM

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif

PCMag publishes a ThinkSecret report about an upcoming spreadsheet application from Apple.

According to their sources, Apple is working on a spreadsheet component to iWork '07 to accompany Keynote 4 and Pages 3 updates. Codenamed "Lasso", the new spreadsheet is not expected to be as feature-packed as Excel, however, it is said to be a step up from the Appleworks spreadsheet module that was last updated in 2000:

Quote:

Lasso's function editor will sport more than 200 hundred functions that will span a number of needs, from financial to statistical and possibly niche applications such as engineering, sources say.

Internet connectivity, Excel file-format compatibility, and an easy interface are listed as other features. Pre-built templates for common tasks, such as, personal finance, business, personal planning and more are also reportedly bundled.

Apple's Keynote and Pages applications are also expected to see updates and have been detailed in previous reports (Keynote '07, Pages 3). ThinkSecret previously had provided some preliminary information on Apple's spreadsheet application which had been dubbed "Charts" at that time.

Over the past two years, Apple has introduced iWork updates at the Macworld San Francisco conference in January. The next Macworld Expo takes place between January 8th and 12th, 2007 in San Francisco.

Update: This report is a republishing of a previous ThinkSecret report

spicyapple · Oct 11, 2006, 09:35 PM

Sounds good.

What about Numbers? I pray they don't dumb it down like Pages, please!

IJ Reilly · 01:15 AM

Lasso? I don't get it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by spicyapple

Sounds good.

What about Numbers? I pray they don't dumb it down like Pages, please!

Pages is great -- not dumbed down at all.

EricNau · 09:48 PM

iWork updates are always welcome in my book, but I'm not sure "Lasso" will ever be as successful as Pages or Keynote. With programs like Pages or Keynote, you don't need guaranteed interoperability, but with Excel it's different. With Excel, you are less likely to distribute it in printed form or orally in a presentation, rather you would distribute it electronically. Plus, when it comes to numbers, there is no room for error.

Excel truly is the standard in this case (actually doing a good job), and it will be very hard to convince users to switch.

.

zap2 · Oct 11, 2006, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spicyapple

Sounds good.

What about Numbers? I pray they don't dumb it down like Pages, please!

Pages rock! Your crazy....also I hope lasso is not the final name

ChickenSwartz · Oct 11, 2006, 09:48 PM

I would have to say, taking on Excel is a pretty hefty task. Good luck.

hyperpasta · 01:15 AM

This is MONTHS old... PCMag is quoting a ThinkSecret report from earlier in the year. Too lazy to find a link myself.

It's ThinkSecret, so I don't believe it. I do think it will happen, but not because ThinkSecret is saying it will.

Quote:

Originally Posted by IJ Reilly

Lasso? I don't get it.

Code name.

Really, really old news Think Secret report here:

http://www.thinksecret.com/news/0607charts2.html

ppayne · Oct 11, 2006, 09:55 PM

I run a business. I send Excel files to customers. I **need** the files to be perfect, no voodoo at all, no weirdness with fonts or file conversion or print area. If it's even slightly voodoo-istic, I will not be able to use it since almost everything I do with Excel is loaded by my customers on a PC.

EricNau · Oct 11, 2006, 09:59 PM

I'm sure "Lasso" will be great, after all, Apple's calculator works flawlessly.

SMM · Oct 11, 2006, 10:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spicyapple

Sounds good.

What about Numbers? I pray they don't dumb it down like Pages, please!

Agree. Although not horrible, 'Pages' did not do it for me either. How about MACcel. No, that sux too. Maybe Cellmate? That would appeal to those who refused to "Just Say No". Hmm, I am glad I never studied marketing.

evilgEEk · Oct 11, 2006, 10:06 PM

I like the iWork suite, and a spreadsheet program would be a great addition. I say bring it on!

DTphonehome · Oct 11, 2006, 10:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Macrumors

Lasso's function editor will sport more than 200 hundred functions that will span a number of needs, from financial to statistical and possibly niche applications such as engineering, sources say.

My God...that's like..20,000 features! (Thanks, Calculator!)

ddrueckhammer · Oct 11, 2006, 10:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SMM

Agree. Although not horrible, 'Pages' did not do it for me either. How about MACcel. No, that sux too. Maybe Cellmate? That would appeal to those who refused to "Just Say No". Hmm, I am glad I never studied marketing.

Pages is a great app. Text only documents even come out looking better than MS Word. I think people don't like it because it isn't an exact clone of Word. It reminds me of people who won't try a Mac because the OS looks different and scares them haha.

Seriously, if you don't like the inspector then right click on the toolbar at the top and customize it. You would be surprised just how much it can be made to look and function just like Word. If you don't want the templates to come up at start then you can turn that off too.

I think that the two big shortcomings that I find with Pages is the lack of a full mail-merge functionality, which will be fixed with the release of "Lasso" or Numbers or Charts or whatever it is and the lack of a built-in thesaurus as I really don't like to copy and paste from the system wide one. The thesaurus issue is supposed to be fixed with the next version of Pages as well.

AidenShaw · Oct 11, 2006, 10:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EricNau

I'm sure "Lasso" will be great, after all, Apple's calculator works flawlessly.

C'mon, Eric - you're supposed to leave wisecracks like that to us trolls!

SeaFox · Oct 11, 2006, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IJ Reilly

Lasso? I don't get it.

Yeeeeha! Time to rustle up some figures and bring our accounting 'on home!

ibook30 · Oct 11, 2006, 10:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ppayne

I run a business. I send Excel files to customers. I **need** the files to be perfect, no voodoo at all, no weirdness with fonts or file conversion or print area....

Yep - if it works for everyone, it will be a success. iWork is shaping up to be a real challenge to the general publics idea of interoperability.

EricNau · Oct 11, 2006, 10:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AidenShaw

C'mon, Eric - you're supposed to leave wisecracks like that to us trolls!

Sorry, after I thought that one up I just couldn't resist.

Butler Trumpet · Oct 11, 2006, 10:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EricNau

I'm sure "Lasso" will be great, after all, Apple's calculator works flawlessly.

Haha! I remember that, that was an interesting problem it used to have

iMacZealot · 01:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EricNau

Excel truly is the standard in this case (actually doing a good job), and it will be very hard to convince users to switch.

Go look at Pages; Word's been the "standard" for years and Pages can write Word documents. I'm sure if Lasso, Numbers, Charts, etc. will also be able to save in Excel documents. I believe AppleWorks can, and if this is a step up, and since the world has moved a little more, there should be no problem with Excel and Apple's new application.

Quote:

Originally Posted by EricNau

I'm sure "Lasso" will be great, after all, Apple's calculator works flawlessly.

What was the problem with it again? I wasn't using a mac then.

Rocketman · Oct 11, 2006, 10:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IJ Reilly

Lasso? I don't get it.

I wonder if the development name was Visicalc?

Rocketman

jellomizer · Oct 11, 2006, 10:37 PM

As of right now I don't see iWork as a strong MS Office competitor. It is more of a competitor of MS Works (For home use). As far as I have seen it Keynote is the only product in the list that can compete with MS Office (Powerpoint). I would love to see a good competitor to MS Office. But look at the other competitors out there.
Word Perfect (No Modern Mac Port, And the other OS Versions have a lot of technical problems)
Open Office (Too wrapped up in being open source and making the developers look good and less on actually making it a good product)
iWork (Best Interface for most features but lacking in "Pro" Features)
Koffice, abiword (better then MS Write but not by much)
Googles Spreadsheet and Word Processor (Way to limited)
While MS Office still has it faults unfortunately it is still the best product out there.

If you are just writing papers for schooland you want to give your documents a little more style then iWorks is great. If you need to do serious work with heavy calculations and more advanced colarabration then office is still the only bet.

ibook30 · Oct 11, 2006, 10:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iMacZealot

Go look at Pages; Word's been the "standard" for years and Pages can write Word documents. I'm sure if Lasso, Numbers, Charts, etc. will also be able to save in Excel documents. I believe AppleWorks can, and if this is a step up, and since the world has moved a little more, there should be no problem with Excel and Apple's new application.

Hopefully, but Open Office can do a heck of a lot, and few have adopted it. For Free !!!

I agree that if Lasso, Numbers, Charts, etc. can save in a format that is pallatable to Excel - it will be more likely to succeed, but after second thoughts, I realize Apple will need what Open Office doesn't have: Marketing Dollars.

syklee26 · Oct 11, 2006, 10:41 PM

when is .Mac update happening anyway?

iMacZealot · Oct 11, 2006, 10:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by syklee26

when is .Mac update happening anyway?

Umm doesn't that usually happen sometime in the spring? The last two or three have been at least but I doubt they'll be keeping the new mail in a bag too much longer.

dsnort · Oct 11, 2006, 10:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ibook30

... I realize Apple will need what Open Office doesn't have: Marketing Dollars.

Maybe if they just bundle it with new macs......

Oct 11, 2006, 09:43 PM	#4
EricNau macrumors Demi-God Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Sacramento, CA	iWork updates are always welcome in my book, but I'm not sure "Lasso" will ever be as successful as Pages or Keynote. With programs like Pages or Keynote, you don't need guaranteed interoperability, but with Excel it's different. With Excel, you are less likely to distribute it in printed form or orally in a presentation, rather you would distribute it electronically. Plus, when it comes to numbers, there is no room for error. Excel truly is the standard in this case (actually doing a good job), and it will be very hard to convince users to switch. . Last edited by EricNau : Oct 11, 2006 at 09:48 PM.

Oct 11, 2006, 09:48 PM	#6
ChickenSwartz macrumors 6502a Join Date: Jul 2006	I would have to say, taking on Excel is a pretty hefty task. Good luck. __________________ MacBook Pro Core 2 Duo 2.16GHZ, 2.0GB RAM, 120GB HD

Oct 11, 2006, 09:55 PM	#8
ppayne macrumors newbie Join Date: Dec 2005	Yes, compatibility I run a business. I send Excel files to customers. I need the files to be perfect, no voodoo at all, no weirdness with fonts or file conversion or print area. If it's even slightly voodoo-istic, I will not be able to use it since almost everything I do with Excel is loaded by my customers on a PC.

Oct 11, 2006, 10:37 PM	#21
jellomizer macrumors 6502 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Upstate NY	It has its place. As of right now I don't see iWork as a strong MS Office competitor. It is more of a competitor of MS Works (For home use). As far as I have seen it Keynote is the only product in the list that can compete with MS Office (Powerpoint). I would love to see a good competitor to MS Office. But look at the other competitors out there. Word Perfect (No Modern Mac Port, And the other OS Versions have a lot of technical problems) Open Office (Too wrapped up in being open source and making the developers look good and less on actually making it a good product) iWork (Best Interface for most features but lacking in "Pro" Features) Koffice, abiword (better then MS Write but not by much) Googles Spreadsheet and Word Processor (Way to limited) While MS Office still has it faults unfortunately it is still the best product out there. If you are just writing papers for schooland you want to give your documents a little more style then iWorks is great. If you need to do serious work with heavy calculations and more advanced colarabration then office is still the only bet. __________________ 17" Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro 3GB of RAM, 100GB 7200 RPM, Glossy

Oct 11, 2006, 10:41 PM	#23
syklee26 macrumors 6502 Join Date: Jul 2005	on a side note... when is .Mac update happening anyway?

Oct 11, 2006, 09:35 PM	#2
spicyapple macrumors 68000 Join Date: Jul 2006	Sounds good. What about Numbers? I pray they don't dumb it down like Pages, please!

Oct 11, 2006, 09:59 PM	#9
EricNau macrumors Demi-God Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Sacramento, CA	I'm sure "Lasso" will be great, after all, Apple's calculator works flawlessly.

Oct 11, 2006, 10:06 PM	#11
evilgEEk macrumors 65816 Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Boise, Idaho	I like the iWork suite, and a spreadsheet program would be a great addition. I say bring it on!

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