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Microsoft Office for iPad Awaiting Completion of 'Touch First' Interface for Windows Version
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I found the UI of the current office to be unusable. Open Office is not all that great to use and iLife for iPad is great.
iLife is the whole package
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You could be right though, can't even remover the name lol So sleepy waiting for invites to be sent out.
iLife is the whole package
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You could be right though, can't even remover the name lol So sleepy waiting for invites to be sent out.
I thought iLife was just iMovie, iPhoto, and GarageBand?
But, yes, Pages on the iPad has the interface of an updated WordPad. >_>;
C'mon Apple
It's about time that Apple seriously upgrades the iWork suite to give Office a run for it's money. Microsoft has kept the mac version of Office inferior to the Windows one for far too long, and we are still waiting for an iOS version. No doubt that will also be an inferior version to the Surface version.
It's about time that Apple seriously upgrades the iWork suite to give Office a run for it's money. Microsoft has kept the mac version of Office inferior to the Windows one for far too long, and we are still waiting for an iOS version. No doubt that will also be an inferior version to the Surface version.
I actually think Apple intends to keep iWork as a bare minimum solution. If you look at the history of Apple and Microsoft, they've rarely actually been competition. Microsoft sells an OS, Apple sells devices. That might change as Microsoft's focus changes, but so far they've been pretty good allies.
Notice how there have been 0 lawsuits against WP7/8 from Apple.
That's a good point. It would be nice to at least see an upgraded version of iWork that continues to distils the most useful features of each program. An upgrade that puts just enough pressure on MS to improve their Mac office version further but not enough to annoy them to the point of significantly disrupting their relationship.
I guess it's a fine line to tread for Apple.
We'll see what the new iWork is like when Apple releases their upgrade (likely at their next event).
"Locally" isn't exactly the strong suit of a tablet. Most people want more access. Check the reviews since the new version came out.
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How does that change the interface?
Well, I don't know if they need separate companies, but they need an iOS division. Back in the 90s they had a separate Mac division (I think their office was in LA or SF?). Internet Explorer for Mac was a completely separate product – and quite superior to its Windows sibling. I don't think Bill Gates saw selling good products on the Mac as a competitive threat to Windows, but Ballmer seems to see everything as a threat; even his own underlings.
I think the dividing line is who needs those MS Office features.
I bet the majority (>50%) will be perfectly suited to use iWorks and Google Docs.
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Doesn't what?
The very fact PC sales are declining means less machines to install office on.
Whats replacing the PC?
iOS and Android, which coincidentally run iWorks and Google Docs.
In other words, "Surface just isn't selling the way we had expected, so we are falling back on plan B, which is to sell Office to iPad owners, which will be much more profitable anyway because the installed user base is larger by an order of magnitude than it is for the Surface, and once the initial development costs are covered, it's all gravy..."
Office Division isn't waiting for hardware division. Windows division is waiting for Office Division to catch up.
Everyone that uses W8 w/ a touchscreen has been waiting for Metro version of Office for awhile. Right now both 365 and 2013 boot off the W7 desktop instead of directly on the Startscreen like IE, Skydrive, etc. That leads to that whole W8 split personality accusation.
MS completing a Touch First interface and sticking Office on Metro validates the direction they took with W8.
a Few years ago I bought a new MacBook Pro. It was to replace my Gateway Windows 7 machine. I was getting fed up with Windows and having issues with my iPhone, iPd and my then new iPad. I got a great deal on a 2011 MacBook Pro and bought it. I also bought a copy iWork as well. The company I work for offers Office on a HUP program so one of the first things I bought was MS Office for Mac. After all I had it on the PC and we used it at work. I found iWork to be much easier than Office, but I still needed Office to do work stuff.
Now as time progressed and I became more into the Apple ecosystem, I bought the iWork for iOS apps the moment they came out and overtime moved on to an iPad 4 and iPad mini as well, and lastly the iPhone 5. Over the years I have found myself using Office less and less and turning to Numbers and Pages more and more.
When Microsoft released the Office for iPhone app, I was happy, got it and even subscribed to Office 365. All that really did was put the latest version of Office on my Windows laptop. I have also noticed that even though I am now paying $10 a month I am really not using Office at all anymore as well. With this recent news that an iOS or even a new Mac version won't even be out for almost a year or so I doubt I will continue to waste $10 a month on Office. Maybe when Microsoft wakes up and smells the coffee maybe I will "try" Office again. I will probably be cancelling Office soon.
As for those work documents, I am doing just fine using Word at work, they are still on Windows XP and Office 2007 despite being a multi-billion dollar company. I can create documents at work send them to my email, and reopne them using Pages and send them back and all works well.
Now as time progressed and I became more into the Apple ecosystem, I bought the iWork for iOS apps the moment they came out and overtime moved on to an iPad 4 and iPad mini as well, and lastly the iPhone 5. Over the years I have found myself using Office less and less and turning to Numbers and Pages more and more.
When Microsoft released the Office for iPhone app, I was happy, got it and even subscribed to Office 365. All that really did was put the latest version of Office on my Windows laptop. I have also noticed that even though I am now paying $10 a month I am really not using Office at all anymore as well. With this recent news that an iOS or even a new Mac version won't even be out for almost a year or so I doubt I will continue to waste $10 a month on Office. Maybe when Microsoft wakes up and smells the coffee maybe I will "try" Office again. I will probably be cancelling Office soon.
As for those work documents, I am doing just fine using Word at work, they are still on Windows XP and Office 2007 despite being a multi-billion dollar company. I can create documents at work send them to my email, and reopne them using Pages and send them back and all works well.
DECLINING PC SALES.
Of course, that ignores the fact that even declining they sold over 300 million last year.
Your point makes a lot of sense and I do understand what you are saying. But I'm not sure consumers will agree in masses...
Back in the late 70's /early 80's (When I was moving between a C64, TRS-80, Atari 800, Apple II, Amiga, etc) it was obvious that the IBM PC would become the "Standard" in corporate computing. My little group of users (We called ourselves the "Pittsburgh Pirates"
At the end of the day (as prices dropped and PC's were equipped with better video and sound cards) the PC also took over the consumer market as well.. Of course by the late 80's the Mac joined my PC in my home office as well and the 2 still sit side by side to this day...
I think we may see something similar in software as well. Why have something different on your home machine as you use all day at work? There are Non-Standard Project Management cheapo packages out there, but I use Primavera P6 at my job and it only makes sense to use on my home machines as well - - same goes for Excel....
I will grant you this, for folks who have a job where they don't use a computer daily, some of these non-standard consumer packages may be a viable option. I don't have a problem with any of them other than I can't risk a document not opening correctly on a clients machine...
Peace.
Aw man! I had the C64 and C128 back in the day and it was awesome! BBSes, Phreaking Long Distance, 300 Baud Modems, Hacking Groups like FBI. I remember games like Bard's Tale, Druid, and Mission Impossible. Those were the days. I really thought the Amiga would take off because the graphics were ahead of it's time. Ah well, thanks for the trip down memory lane!
Aw man! I had the C64 and C128 back in the day and it was awesome! BBSes, Phreaking Long Distance, 300 Baud Modems, Hacking Groups like FBI. I remember games like Bard's Tale, Druid, and Mission Impossible. Those were the days. I really thought the Amiga would take off because the graphics were ahead of it's time. Ah well, thanks for the trip down memory lane!
I ran one of the 1st BBS's in our area in the early 80's. The initial setup was just a C-64, 300 Baud Modem, and a 1541. I got up to 1200 Baud and 4 1541's!!!
At the end (in the early/mid 90's) I ran C-Net BBS on an Amiga, an 85 Meg HDD, and 4 Phone lines in (at 56K) plus a telnet line. Of course we had FIDO email (which I was a node for) !!!
Nice talking to someone who remembers the good old days
Considering how much MS office slows down a macbook pro i wouldn't touch this with a barge pole.
Correct, iLife was the original "Lifestyle" suite that was included with all new Macs and sold separately as well. At it's peak it included, iMovie, iDVD, iPhoto, iWeb, and iTunes. iWork is the separate "Productivity" suite, which never was bundled or included with anything. Now most of the apps sell on their own, the "suites" are no longer around really.
And isn't iWork free for new release iDevices now? This would be the time to try and get some market share BEFORE people get used to it!
Gary
I actually do a lot of work in excel developing Engineering Calculation Spreadsheets in which macros are fantastic, however my comment was clearly defined at the consumer market.
Whilst I agree that the enterprise side software needs to be more 'pro' i.e macros and such, I'll never sit with a MS surface, iPad or any other tablet, be it 7.9, 9.7, 13 (rumoured) to develop a macro spreadsheet - I'd have a laptop connected to dual monitors.
Whilst tablets being a fantastic devices at this moment in time they do not replace a Macbook Pro for development (or any device with a keyboard), it is however great to use as a remote reference tool.
Your falling into the typical MS and Samsung methodology of the software has to include everything, no matter what throw it in. Simple fact is MS could have launched a version of office to fit 99.9% of the consumer market that don't use macros 3 years ago. Then launched a "pro" version to include macros when and if there was a market.
That i agree with.Excel does get confusing with too many otpions for the average consumer, and Office is a good product to split in two lines (instead of Windows splitting in two lines)