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So, what amazing, useful innovations have you seen from Facebook, Microsoft, Google and Samsung lately?

Don't know about others but here is my list for Microsoft:

1. Windows 8
2. Windows 8 RT
3. Office 2013 and Office 365
4. Surface Pro & RT

OMG did I just listed the most powerful OS and softwares above.
All are updated or improved recently, it needs real hard work and focus bud.

Now you may argue that all these are failure or not popular or just a new skin to same old **** BUT the truth is that they (MSFT) are working hard and bringing something new and fresh.
It might not be working/clicking right now but these are really new and fresh ideas.

Something doesn't click me, why everybody still defends Apple even though they
have not changed anything in iOS and OSX in last couple of years.
 
For when it comes to iWorks - Pages is pretty good as it is although I'd love to see them include bibliography functionality because that would be a killer feature for university students, it was one of the reasons I stuck with Office 2011 through university even though I found it cringe worthy in many places. As for Numbers and the sweet over all - if they can move it to 64bit, optimise it so that opening and saving files in OOXML format along with better support for ODT/ODF then my life will pretty much be complete.

As for people whining about Apple - end of the day it is amazing how I see people over look all the issues that occurred under Steve Jobs ADHD inspired speed freak approach to product development. He might have had the razzel-dazzle but I'd sooner see well thought out product development and delivery than bleeding edge ideas that ultimately come back to bite one in the backside at a later date.

Something doesn't click me why everybody still defends Apple even though they have not changed anything in iOS and OSX in last couple of years.

So you advocate change for the sake of change? Apart from a few tweaks in OS X and iOS I'd argue that Apple is in a sweet spot right now and don't have to deal with the horrific list of issues that I could rattle off which I have with Windows; from the inconsistent UI to the legacy issues ranging from dll bloat, horrible installer/uninstaller, the lack of a real roadmap going forward with WinRT, the most basic functionality such as recording from a webcam being a giant pain in the ass when compared to OS X etc. etc. Sorry but Apple is in a stronger position and don't desperately need to change for the sake of change because the product line up isn't a horrible mess as with the case of Windows. Sorry, give me OS X and iOS as it exists today over the horrific nightmare that is unfolding in the Windows world.
 
Like the iweb tragedy

so iWork is not abandonware after all? hmm... Apple should make up their mind.

I respect most of Apple´s decisions, mostly because I have no insight in their business processes. But in my view, the decision to kill iWeb was a wrong one, totally. Lots of people like me trusted Apple to develop a very good and user friendly program for web publishing - and then they suddenly pulled the plug. First big disappointment with Apple. Too arrogant and too customer unfriendly. Time to re-think, Apple.
 
I respect most of Apple´s decisions, mostly because I have no insight in their business processes. But in my view, the decision to kill iWeb was a wrong one, totally. Lots of people like me trusted Apple to develop a very good and user friendly program for web publishing - and then they suddenly pulled the plug. First big disappointment with Apple. Too arrogant and too customer unfriendly. Time to re-think, Apple.

I actually think that was the correct move considering all amateur web development seems to be done using online tools nowadays, or simply Facebook.
 
Don't know about others but here is my list for Microsoft...

Eh. I wouldn't include RT in that list. I'm starting to come around to the opinion that it was a waste of time on MS' part to even attempt it.

With the new Atom processors coming dangerously close to matching ARM on battery life, it would've been better for them to concentrate on streamlining Windows 8 x86, rather than spending all that time and effort developing an entirely new platform that offers zero advantages, and obsolete the moment its bigger brother came out not even 3 months later.

Case in point, MS is already talking about the Surface Pro 2. The RT? Nary a word. I'm sure we'll see a few updates here and there, but it's already on its way out.
 
Numbers needs a huge upgrade for Excel function compatibility. It's missing a huge number of them. I use LibreOffice these days, clunky as it is on a Mac, for just that reason. Numbers is much nicer to use, but functionality trumps pretty.
 
It's seriously time for a Tim Cook email about iWork.

The current version is even older than the Mac Pro!

Current users have been waiting for changes for a long time. Apple should be clear and tell them if its coming or not.

Imagine if General Electric were run by Tim Cook: 'At the time we are only making new light bulbs, but for our jet-engines customers we are working on something exciting for 2016'.
 
OS X 10.9, a new Mac Pro and now a new iWork suite... Apple does care about more than just the average customer o uses their device for twitter + Facebook! :)

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so iWork is not abandonware after all? hmm... Apple should make up their mind.

It looks like they have made up their mind...
 
Maybe, just maybe, Apple has had a stab at some useful pro features in iWork. Especially Pages. I like it's clean interface but the lack of proofing features and the annoying autosave pauses make it a no-go for me.
 
Keynote:
I'd like to see some sort of layering to deal with editing complex slides.

A light table of commonly used slides and stacks of slides. It would be great to be able to open the light table and grab some things I commonly reference.

More animation options.

Parity between OS X and iOS.

Pages
Bring layout mode to iOS.

Cross referencing to track figures and such, even in layout mode.
 
Don't know about others but here is my list for Microsoft:

1. Windows 8
2. Windows 8 RT
3. Office 2013 and Office 365
4. Surface Pro & RT

OMG did I just listed the most powerful OS and softwares above.
All are updated or improved recently, it needs real hard work and focus bud.

Now you may argue that all these are failure or not popular or just a new skin to same old **** BUT the truth is that they (MSFT) are working hard and bringing something new and fresh.
It might not be working/clicking right now but these are really new and fresh ideas.

Something doesn't click me, why everybody still defends Apple even though they
have not changed anything in iOS and OSX in last couple of years.

Just refreshing the UI and adding trivial features is not innovation. If you say OS X hasn't changed much, look at the first Mac OS and compare OS X. Not much has changed. Rather than saying it's stale, say Apple has nailed the desktop computing paradigm.
 
I just updated my rèsumè with Pages the other day, and Numbers tends to be especially useful around tax time. Yes, updates are always… well, usually good, but I think these are great programs even as they are now. A wonderful value for the price.

Thanks. Agreed. Pages whips Word in many areas, especially stability. Still needs more advanced features for figure captions etc. But for making things like conference posters it's terrific and significantly more functional than Word. And it's a lot easier on the eyes too. And Keynote is so superior to PowerPoint that it isn't funny.

----------

Yah, I know The Office is dead. NBC is ending the show after this season. So sad.

Hard to swallow isn't it.

Annnnd all together now: That's what she said!
 
All three applications are in the top 10 most and best selling applications for every single day since the Mac App Store exists. This should be indication enough of how many users still are in need of iWork.

I haven't updated since '08 (I think?) and am still waiting for the next generation patiently.

If I might have two wishes:
- Better hyphenation in Pages
- (Way!) Faster charts in Numbers
 
The problem many people have with iWork is that they expect it to work like Office: I've seen it in our offices here, with people initially getting very frustrated and hankering to work in the MS way. Change fazes them.

When people realise (are shown/trained) that using iWork requires a little bit of new thinking/understanding, they find that they can adapt and they soon start to produce better documents. Certainly younger colleagues make the switch far more easily than the old-hands who are (were) very much stuck in the MS way of working.

We're now an iWork office—the last Excel based workflows were replaced a few months ago. We exchange files with clients internationally and we don't have any compatibility issues.

On this thread, some people have mentioned long-form writing—books, reports, theses, etc—and using either Word or Pages for such documents.

Whilst both Word and Pages can be used for the layout of long-form documents, in terms of gathering research material, structuring ideas and actually writing, a product such as Scrivener is far more useful and professional. If you ever have to write anything longer that a two-page letter, you will learn to love Scrivener if you can only get out of the MS way of thinking.

There's a great mantra people cry about Office and Windows being "professional" or "corporate". They think the chant showers them with importance and reflected glory: "Look at me, I'm a corporate professional because I use MS products."

The truth is that MS products are mediocre tools used by a lot of people who don't know any better. MS software works well enough for most people. It is the average car than can get you from A to B, or the average toaster that can heat up a slice or two of bread. Nothing special, but okay for most people's needs.

But MS software isn't professional and it isn't corporate in any meaningful way. "Look at me, I'm a corporate professional because I use paperclips, staples, a photocopier, and get water from a little cooler at the end of the corridor."

The next time you hear someone play the professional/corporate card in support of their use of MS products, just smile at them knowingly—they are happy enough with their lot in life. Even if they delude themselves with a lie, it doesn't really matter. They've reached a level. Are content with what they have. Can't cope with anything more. And there's nothing wrong with that.
 
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Just once, i'd like to know exactly why Pages is better?

People say it whips Word, but what can you do in Pages you just can't do in Word?

For example, my mar did a template ate with watermarks and one, or more hidden tables.
 
Just once, i'd like to know exactly why Pages is better?

People say it whips Word, but what can you do in Pages you just can't do in Word?

IMO, it's just a leaner and cleaner word processing application, there is a lot of bloat in Word, GBs of useless clipart, decades of creeping featurism and so on. For me it's ease of use, and a set of core functionality easily accessible that sets it apart for me. If I want to step it up from there, I use latex.
 
Features I am looking for:

(1) ALL features are the same between iOS and Mac, especially Page Layout and Landscape support. It is ridiculous that this hasn't happened yet.

(2) New animations for Keynote.

(3) 64 Bit, Cocoa rewrite.
 
Am I the only one who thinks the usability of Pages is utterly horrible for a beginner ? I hope they improve this point, and make it look better
 
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