Apple 'Charts' Spreadsheet Application?

[MacRumors]

Thinksecret reported last week on a Spreadsheet application due from Apple in the next revision if iWork.

iWork '07 is expected to be released at Macworld San Francisco in January 2007. The newest addition to Apple's productivity suite is currently dubbed "Charts". Charts is said to be a consumer-oriented spreadsheet application, rather than a full competitor to Microsoft's Excel application.

There has long been speculation that Apple was developing a spreadsheet component to the iWork suite. Most rumors centered around a trademark filed for the name "Numbers" back in 2005.

Apple's iWork suite is the successor to the long-running AppleWorks office suite that did include both spreadsheet and database functionality.

 

[jonat8]

mmm.. think I'll stick with Excel. iWork needs a spreadsheet app, though. But what's a "consumer-orientated" spreadsheet app?

Apple need to do a really good job to beat Excel, you have to hand it to Microsoft on this one, IMO.

 

[TimUSCA]

I find it funny how Microsoft is coming out with a competitor to the iPod and is including features in Vista that have already been in OS X for years... and everyone calls them a theif or a copycat for it. But when Apple comes out with an Excel wannabe, not a soul says that they're trying to cash in on someone else's idea. Let's face it, Excel has been around for ages, and Apple is just now coming out with their own version of it... same with Keynote (although I do find Keynote to be considerably better).

I'll be the first to say it: "Apple is stealing the idea and trying to cash in on Microsoft's work just as Microsoft did with Windows."

I don't mean to sound like I'm bashing Apple - but it's true. There are so many fanboys out there that they can't see around the fact that Apple is just as guilty as MS when it comes to taking ideas.

 

[supremedesigner]

I find it funny how Microsoft is coming out with a competitor to the iPod and is including features in Vista that have already been in OS X for years... and everyone calls them a theif or a copycat for it. But when Apple comes out with an Excel wannabe, not a soul says that they're trying to cash in on someone else's idea. Let's face it, Excel has been around for ages, and Apple is just now coming out with their own version of it... same with Keynote (although I do find Keynote to be considerably better).

I'll be the first to say it: "Apple is stealing the idea and trying to cash in on Microsoft's work just as Microsoft did with Windows."

I don't mean to sound like I'm bashing Apple - but it's true. There are so many fanboys out there that they can't see around the fact that Apple is just as guilty as MS when it comes to taking ideas.

That's why it's called "competitor".

 

[wmmk]

I find it funny how Microsoft is coming out with a competitor to the iPod and is including features in Vista that have already been in OS X for years... and everyone calls them a theif or a copycat for it. But when Apple comes out with an Excel wannabe, not a soul says that they're trying to cash in on someone else's idea. Let's face it, Excel has been around for ages, and Apple is just now coming out with their own version of it... same with Keynote (although I do find Keynote to be considerably better).

I'll be the first to say it: "Apple is stealing the idea and trying to cash in on Microsoft's work just as Microsoft did with Windows."

I don't mean to sound like I'm bashing Apple - but it's true. There are so many fanboys out there that they can't see around the fact that Apple is just as guilty as MS when it comes to taking ideas.

That's not fair to say. This spreadsheet app is not targeted at excel users. If all spreadsheet apps are just copying excel, then all computers are copies of the first mainframe. Anyway, excel is just a type of database that has a nic GUI based front end. There have certainly been front ends for databases before excel, AFAIK.

mmm.. think I'll stick with Excel. iWork needs a spreadsheet app, though. But what's a "consumer-orientated" spreadsheet app?

a spreadsheet app so that you can calculate the amount of time pend on vacation
no, probably marketed at schools and students, maybe people who want spreadsheets, but aren't running corporations that need every single excel feature. id certainly buy this.

 

[bob_hearn]

I find it funny how MicroSuck is coming out with a competitor to the iPod and is including features in Vista that have already been in OS X for years... and everyone calls them a theif or a copycat for it. But when Apple comes out with an Excel wannabe, not a soul says that they're trying to cash in on someone else's idea. Let's face it, Excel has been around for ages, and Apple is just now coming out with their own version of it... same with Keynote (although I do find Keynote to be considerably better).

Excuse me? Are you suggesting Microsoft invented the spreadsheet?? (Or, for that matter presentation software?)

In case you hadn't noticed, spreadsheets have been around for a long, long time. Apple itself had a spreadsheet component in the old AppleWorks, as well as in ClarisWorks (now the new AppleWorks). It is an obvious missing piece in iWork.

Naturally there will need to be a certain amount of Excel compatibility in any Apple spreadsheet offering; that simply reflects current market realities. But please tell me what is innovative about Excel, that you expect Apple to copy. Then please look again at the countless cases of Microsoft copying someone else's innovation, or in many cases buying and squashing it.

 

[richinspace]

I'll be the first to say it: "Apple is stealing the idea and trying to cash in on Microsoft's work just as Microsoft did with Windows."

Goodmorning TimUSCA! Where were you born?
Remember "Lotus" and "Aldus Persuasion"?

 

[Platform]

mmm.. think I'll stick with Excel. iWork needs a spreadsheet app, though. But what's a "consumer-orientated" spreadsheet app?

Apple need to do a really good job to beat Excel, you have to hand it to Microsoft on this one, IMO.

Consumer = Not Pro

It also says that Apple is not thinking of competing with Excel, so all they have to do is make an app that can add etc.

Thats all most need, and of course in great Apple style with ease of use and aqua feel

 

[macridah]

Excuse me? Are you suggesting Microsoft invented the spreadsheet?? (Or, for that matter presentation software?)

In case you hadn't noticed, spreadsheets have been around for a long, long time. Apple itself had a spreadsheet component in the old AppleWorks, as well as in ClarisWorks (now the new AppleWorks). It is an obvious missing piece in iWork.

Totally agree. I don't think apple is a "copy cat" in this case.

 

[StuPidQPid]

Excuse me? Are you suggesting Microsoft invented the spreadsheet?? (Or, for that matter presentation software?)

In case you hadn't noticed, spreadsheets have been around for a long, long time. Apple itself had a spreadsheet component in the old AppleWorks, as well as in ClarisWorks (now the new AppleWorks). It is an obvious missing piece in iWork.

Naturally there will need to be a certain amount of Excel compatibility in any Apple spreadsheet offering; that simply reflects current market realities. But please tell me what is innovative about Excel, that you expect Apple to copy. Then please look again at the countless cases of Microsoft copying someone else's innovation, or in many cases buying and squashing it.

FYI: Microsoft may not have invented the spreadsheet, but its first version of Excel was actually developed for the Mac way back in 1985. Talk about a role reversal...
Interestingly, I did a search on Wikipedia, and the first spreadsheet program developed for personal computers was called VisiCalc. And guess what personal computer is was developed for...

... yep, the Apple II ...

 

[iBrow]

Does anybody think that the full version of iWorks 07 will ship with all brand new Macs when it comes out?

 

[Bad Beaver]

Goodmorning TimUSCA! Where were you born?
Remember "Lotus" and "Aldus Persuasion"?

Rather ask "when" he was born. I guess certain things were just bought out of the collective memory by M$. It's the worst case, people can't even remember when it was different.

 

[animefan_1]

Does anybody think that the full version of iWorks 07 will ship with all brand new Macs when it comes out?

I think it's possible for the consumer computers (like Appleworks used to be). The "Mac Pro" and MacBook Pro will have it only as an add-on.

 

[treblah]

I'll be the first to say it: "Apple is stealing the idea and trying to cash in on Microsoft's work just as Microsoft did with Windows."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VisiCalc

Later, more powerful clones of VisiCalc were released including SuperCalc, Microsoft's MultiPlan, Borland's Quattro Pro, Lotus 1-2-3, Microsoft Excel, OpenOffice.org Calc, KSpread and the spreadsheet modules of AppleWorks and gnumeric. The first clone of VisiCalc to become very successful in the market was Lotus 1-2-3, also for the IBM PC. Due to the aforementioned lack of a patent, none of the developers of early successors of VisiCalc had to pay any royalties to VisiCorp.

 

[BlizzardBomb]

I've purposely held back from buying iWork + iLife '06 because I didn't think there was enough for me to justify upgrading from '05. I use Pages charts and graphs a lot more, because it is more integrated, but if it means full Excel compatibility, bring it on!

 

[i3iz]

Excel is a program. Charts is a program.

Spotlight is a feature. M$ crap wannabe search is a feature. Transparency is a feature.

Copying features is different than creating a competing program. Let alone that M$ did not invent the spreadsheet.

 

[risc]

Sweet so by iWork 2009 we should actually have something worth using. This releasing a new app each year to force an upgrade is a PITA. Hurry up Microsoft and release the UB version of Office v.X so I can remove iWork from my machines.

 

[macthorough]

off topic apple on monster.com

does this give any clues???? i usually look for stuff like this casue new product hints pop up here.

US-CA-Cupertino EMC Engineer Apple Computer, Inc. APPLY
US-CA-Cupertino EMC Design Engineer iPod Products Apple Computer, Inc. APPLY
US-CA-Cupertino Engineering Program Manager Apple Computer, Inc. APPLY
US-CA-Cupertino Engineering Project Specialist Apple Computer, Inc. APPLY
US-CA-Cupertino Engineering Project Manager - Build Manager Apple Computer, Inc. APPLY
US-CA-Cupertino Sr. Optical Engineering Scientist Apple Computer, Inc. APPLY
US-IL-Vernon Hills Interface Software Engineer AmerisourceBergen Corporation APPLY
US-NJ-Fair Lawn IMMEDIATE OPENING - ENTRY LEVEL IT DEPARTMENT Depasquale Salon Systems APPLY
US-CA-Santa Clara Video Software Engineer - Mac NVIDIA Corporation APPLY

 

[macnews]

I remember playing around with visicalc when I was in grade school. Even made a grade sheet for my dad, a high school math teacher. Only problem was it wasn't practical. The only computers were in the lab or the one they had to share in the math office. He would normally enter grades in the classroom and update his grade book during down times.

So yes, Apple would not be copying MS. Matter of fact, until about 1997/98ish excel was considered the inferior spreadsheet program. Lotus used to be the spreadsheet application of choice, MS just shoved excel down everyone's throat by bundling Word with Excel in the "office suite". Then it became a matter of economics for everyone. Why pay hundreds for another spreadsheet program when I already paid hundreds for this word processor and got a spreadsheet with it?

I would like to see some spreadsheet program in iWork. Keynote is far different from PowerPoint and makes me stand out in a crowd or PP persentations. I often hear "how did you do that in PowerPoint?" A spreadsheet app, integrated with the other apps could make you stand out in a crowd of other "me too".

 

[tjwett]

absolutely Microsoft did not "invent" the spreadsheet by any means.

also, "Numbers" already made its appearance in iWork '06. the Numbers pane is part of the Inspector for a Table in Keynote and Pages. it's where you setup the math and formula editor for the table.

 

[BoyBach]

If this is true then I will be upgrading from '05 to '07. I'm currently using Appleworks for my basic 'spreadsheeting', but it crashes now & again and just "feels old and slow."

 

[jackc]

Does anybody think that the full version of iWorks 07 will ship with all brand new Macs when it comes out?

I doubt it.

 

[xUKHCx]

I have been waiting for Charts or Numbers before i can totally switch from Office. I use it heavily for writing lab reports, i have actually switched to Keynote as it is far better than Powerpoint. Pages for my purposes is not really up to much, it is just crying out for a spreadsheet application. Hopefully this application will fully support applescript, as this would save me so much time.

Just a shame that it wont come out before i need to do my design project. Although Word is better than Pages for what i do, i still have to waste far too much time messing about with Word. Pages has come along way since i first bought it. I cant see myself fully switching for another couple of years when both Pages and Numbers have matured.

 

[MikeTheC]

Hello All!

One of the things I've complained about for years is the lack of perspective that most people have due to most present users of computers coming of age or cutting their teeth on technology in the era of Microsoft the monopoly.

It'll be a sad day indeed when the last of us who owned and used a computer before Microsoft became a monopoly dies; the world needs the sense of perspective we can bring to it.

As others here have said, Microsoft is hardly the pioneer of the spreadsheet, or anything else.

If you want to take the tone that producing a product which is of the same category as another app (such as, for example, spreadsheets) is just a copycat or a thief, then you have to go back to VisiCalc and realize that everyone since that time is a copycat, including (and most especially) Microsoft.

 

[ibook30]

I hope this is a step towards a pro spreadsheet app. I wouldn't pay money for anything less than excel, and couldn't use anything less for my work.

With that said, I think this is a step in the right direction - and hope that eventually there will be strong choices in the office software arena.