Apple Limits Access to iWork for iCloud Following 'Overwhelming Response' to Public Beta

[MacRumors]

Apple has begun limiting access to the iWork for iCloud beta for some users due to an "overhwhelming response", notes 9to5Mac. The company launched the beta to developers at its Worldwide Developers Conference in June before starting to invite non-developers in batches last month. Apple opened up access for all users last Friday, with that influx apparently pushing the service's current limits.

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We've had an overwhelming response to Numbers for iCloud beta. Please check back soon.

In the meantime, you can continue to store your spreadsheets in iCloud.

iWork for iCloud is a browser-based implementation of Apple's iWork suite of productivity apps: Pages, Numbers, and Keynote. The service will work with Safari, Chrome and Internet Explorer, offering a native-like experience on machines and platforms that do not or can not have the full iWork apps installed.

Article Link: Apple Limits Access to iWork for iCloud Following 'Overwhelming Response' to Public Beta

 

[Some guy]

I guess iWork for iCloud is going to be popular.

 

[jake0112]

Was this just clever advertising?

Edit to clarify: not advertising per say, but as a method to drum up enthusiasm for its launch?

 

[Dan--]

Why not firefox? Gecko?

 

[hauntvictim]

I'm surprised that this will be free honestly.

 

[keysofanxiety]

Was this just clever advertising?

Edit to clarify: not advertising per say, but as a method to drum up enthusiasm for its launch?

Nah, I think it genuinely was very popular during the beta, and will be very popular when it's released. Especially with it being PC-compatible and stuff. Although I won't have a use for it, I can definitely see this being extremely useful in businesses, and this may be a very slow step towards dethroning Microsoft's Office suite.

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

I don't understand Apple's intent with this product.

Then again, I guess I've never understood why they make any software for non-Apple platforms besides iTunes for Windows.

But I guess if it's at least as good as iWork '09 for Mac was, then it'll be an easy decision to stop using Google Docs (assuming they allow concurrent editing... they do, don't they?)

 

[pmontanarella]

Can still access without a problem.

 

[madsci954]

Can still access without a problem.

Same, I guess I'm one of the lucky few who can still access it.

 

[aprofetto8]

Still iWorks for me.

 

[Northgrove]

I personally like it more than Google Docs. I'm not surprised it's popular! They not only have the Mac users wanting to get to their docs on the web, but also iPhone or iPad users who either want to "publish" them like this for viewing on e.g. PC's, or to edit docs on PC's and later view on iPad.

The Apple ecosystem can really be something when it comes to launching these kind of products, haha.

Google Docs is also cross-platform and all good, but the one major disadvantage for me here is that there are no nice, native apps for it. It's like asking me to pick Adobe Photoshop or Pixlr in a world where Adobe had developed a complementary web service you could use to freely display and edit PSD files. The Photoshop deal would be so much more powerful. Web services are always kind of icky (I have a hard time defining the feeling) and while I enjoy the flexibility with them, I do prefer to work natively at least when I can.

 

[pmontanarella]

I'm surprised that this will be free honestly.

It won't be free, it will be included in the price of buying an Apple product. There is no way of getting an iCloud account if you don't own at least one Apple product running either iOS 5+ or OS X 10.7.2+

Pietro

 

[Northgrove]

I don't understand Apple's intent with this product.

Then again, I guess I've never understood why they make any software for non-Apple platforms besides iTunes for Windows.

But I guess if it's at least as good as iWork '09 for Mac was, then it'll be an easy decision to stop using Google Docs (assuming they allow concurrent editing... they do, don't they?)

It's supposed to make iWork more useful since you can now use it on Windows or Chromebooks too. So it's Apple's attempt at a blow to Microsoft Office as well as Google Docs.

 

[pmontanarella]

I personally like it more than Google Docs. I'm not surprised it's popular! They not only have the Mac users wanting to get to their docs on the web, but also iPhone or iPad users who either want to "publish" them like this for viewing on e.g. PC's, or to edit docs on PC's and later view on iPad.

The Apple ecosystem can really be something when it comes to launching these kind of products, haha.

Google Docs is also cross-platform and all good, but the one major disadvantage for me here is that there are no nice, native apps for it. It's like asking me to pick Adobe Photoshop or Pixlr in a world where Adobe had developed a complementary web service you could use to freely display and edit PSD files. The Photoshop deal would be so much more powerful. Web services are always kind of icky (I have a hard time defining the feeling) and while I enjoy the flexibility with them, I do prefer to work natively at least when I can.

When Apple releases a collaboration feature similar to Google Docs', that's when iWork for iCloud will really takeoff in my opinion.

 

[GoCubsGo]

Still works for me but my venture into working with Numbers has been a headache. I don't think I'll find much use in the iWork suite. It was not without trying though.

 

[zedsdead]

This is nice, but I am much more excited about a new Mac iWork app. Provided they don't cripple it by getting rid of Page Layout. That greatly worries me since it isn't supported in iOS still.

And hopefully they finally have feature parity across all iWork platforms (again, by ADDING features to iOS, not taking those features from OS X).

 

[unplugme71]

It won't be free, it will be included in the price of buying an Apple product. There is no way of getting an iCloud account if you don't own at least one Apple product running either iOS 5+ or OS X 10.7.2+

Pietro

1. Have a friend create a user account on his/her Mac.
2. Create a free iCloud account.
3. Delete your user account on his/her Mac.
4. Enjoy using free Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Reminders, Notes, and iWork on the web and syncing with your Outlook (if you are a PC user).

 

[adbe]

Still works for me but my venture into working with Numbers has been a headache. I don't think I'll find much use in the iWork suite. It was not without trying though.

If you started and stopped at Numbers, you're definitely not seeing iWork's strengths. Numbers is bloody useless.

Keynote was a mile ahead of PowerPoint in terms of being able to quickly make attractive presentations though PowerPoint has largely closed the gap though in the last version of Office. Pages is, depending on your specific needs, either better than, or no competition to Word. If you use pages as more of a Publisher substitute, it kills. As a workaday word processor, it is about equal to Word. For heavy duty writing, it lacks all of the features that serious Word users would need. Numbers, as I might have mentioned however, is bloody useless.

 

[JackieTreehorn]

Can still access it as well, but I have been a longtime paying Mac and MobileMe user and a current paying iCloud/iTunesMatch user so I deserve some slack!

 

[Chupa Chupa]

Curiosity killed the cat.

Given Apple's long history of cloud struggles, not a great start considering the public beta universe is smaller than when it goes public and heavily publicized. The one reason many fear living in the cloud is that they won't be able to get to their docs when they need them most.

 

[adbe]

When Apple releases a collaboration feature similar to Google Docs', that's when iWork for iCloud will really takeoff in my opinion.

Yeah, a lot of people in my department would find themselves using it whether they wanted to or not!

 

[johng76]

I recently switched jobs. I was in Higher Ed. and was able to bring my MacBook Pro with me to work. Despite everyone using Office, I would create and edit documents using Pages and Numbers on my MBP because they are just easier to use and are faster.

In my new position in the private industry world I am on a PC. Since I started here I have been using iWork for iCloud rather than deal with Office and it's been a lifesaver. Despite the fact that it's a beta, I've found very few issues, and I love that I can create documents on my PC, work with them on my iPhone, iPad and Mac at home.

It's true that collaboration like Google Docs would be nice, but for my purposes it hasn't been needed at all.

 

[HenryDJP]

Was this just clever advertising?

Edit to clarify: not advertising per say, but as a method to drum up enthusiasm for its launch?

Not everything has to be a conspiracy.

 

[charlituna]

This is nice, but I am much more excited about a new Mac iWork app. Provided they don't cripple it by getting rid of Page Layout. That greatly worries me since it isn't supported in iOS still.

Yes it is. Aren't as many of the templates and a few of the features like linked test boxes are missing yes, but the basics are there

That said, I agree that they need more feature parity between the two. And both need the ability to add more templates via plug in support, things like endnote etc as well. All the iwork and iLife apps do, both sides

 

[otismotive77]

overwhelming response? but the iWork wasn't working properly on many devices.