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Office is dead. Microsoft knows this. Google knows this. Apple knows this.

Most businesses still use Office. If you're a lawyer (just one example), you need formatting abilities Google doesn't offer. If you're in a position where you need to be able to do work on your home computer, you could use Office for Mac, which isn't a very good program. Or you could use iWork - which is a great program, but it can't even preserve word formatting for footnotes. Same with Keynote. It's a better program, but you can't rely on something made in Keynote working right on a work computer in Powerpoint.
 
How does Apple usually handle this when new version of software comes out and you have older version? You have to pay full price or what?
Just asking :)
 
Admit it, you wrote this whole comment just so you could casually mention that you have been on the net since 1994? with friends too? Well I can play that game. My friend helped me set up a web page with a picture on it of me and my wife in 1994. (The picture was taken with a QuickTake Camera!)

I used to use my Apple //c to go on the 'net before there was a 'web on which one could put pictures. 14.4 modem, baby!

I miss usenet.
 
gave up waiting for an update, Payed $8 for the Mac Office suite from Microsoft (thanks to the work hup program)

After using iWork '08 since launch, specifically Numbers for household budgeting, I wound up switching to Office+Skydrive a couple of weeks ago. Whilst Numbers in and of itself was still sufficient, I would've needed to have upgraded to Numbers '09 & bought Numbers for iOS in order to see budgeting information whilst away from my Mac. Fair enough. However if I wasn't near one of my Apple devices, or Mrs Brenster wanted to see any information I'd either have to have emailed her or myself a copy before leaving home.

MS Office 2011, bought on HUP like yourself, is arguably overkill for my hom productivity needs. However bring Skydrive on the web and the iOS app into the mix and the benefits massively outweighed those of iWork, namely being able to check on budgeting spreadsheets when outside of the Apple ecosystem - ie on the web at work - as well as within.

Having waited for nearly 4/5 years for this sort an upgrade in features from buying iWork '08, Skydrive ultimately won out with MS Office by association. Will happily re-evaluate iWork as and when it comes out, but along with Google's stunning iOS apps (YouTube, Google Now) Apple have a great deal of lost ground to recover application wise for me.
 
The major problem with iWorks is that whatever Apple might add feature-wise doesn't change anything on their market share, as it's limited to Apples platform which is itself limited in industry acceptance. If they want to grow here they had to support Windows, which we all know never will happen and even if they tried MS would beat the ***** out of them, as they won't allow anyone to take away their cash cow.

Office is - besides Windows - MS's most important product and there's no way in the next years that iWorks will replace Word and Excel. And as the world outside is only using MS Office it's nice to have iWorks in place for private or freelancer stuff (or internal office work), but once you get into those customers you'll have to use Office anyway.

Apple knows this and that's why they did not invest here in the previous years.
 
Since MS has stolen so much from Apple over the years, it is time to return the favor. I use Pages on a daily basis, but am forced to use Word at work. Pages needs to adopt the following features:
Hover over footnote number shows footnote
Refine selection of text to automatically include entire word
Simplify "insert object" process to match that of Word, i.e. ditch the masking process

I'm sure others will come to me, but these are the features in Word I most covet.
 
Office365 is just another way to get Office. They're still selling boxed copies as per the usual, and have said they'll likely be doing so for another 10 years at least.

They are going to dump the boxes as quick as they can. They want the subscription model because they can get you to to the table more often to open your wallet. I've been using some Windows products for over 10 years. One purchase off the shelf and they don't see me or my wallet for a decade. They want that to stop. Subscription is the way. The box is going to go and it's motivated by money. Your money.
 
Give Numbers the ability to Filter (not sort) a columns contents and I drop MS Office like a hot potato.
 
Give Numbers the ability to Filter (not sort) a columns contents and I drop MS Office like a hot potato.

It can filter already. Check
reorganise > show rows that match the following (make sure it has a tick in it)
and you can filter as you want.
 
I do not want better compatibility.
I. want. native. support for doc./.ppt/.xml.!

Well yeah, this.

Isn't the whole point of iWork to make it easier for people who want a Mac but need to do work on their computer to choose to buy the Mac? I don't get to pick the platform or the office software at work. I bought a Mac because that's what I wanted at home. I need to be able to do work at home. And Office for Mac pretty much sucks. Help me out here, Apple.
 
Since MS has stolen so much from Apple over the years, it is time to return the favor. I use Pages on a daily basis, but am forced to use Word at work. Pages needs to adopt the following features:
Hover over footnote number shows footnote
Refine selection of text to automatically include entire word
Simplify "insert object" process to match that of Word, i.e. ditch the masking process

I'm sure others will come to me, but these are the features in Word I most covet.

(1) Double-click the cue number in the text or in the reference itself and you're switched between the two instantly. Not hover, but it works beautifully.

(2) Double tap a word to select it and then hold shift to select whatever extra text you want.

(3) In terms of shapes/images, you can just choose Insert > Choose (or Shift+CMD+V) and select an external object. No need to mask it. Great for dropping in photos or content from other sources, such as text files.
 
The Death of iWork for Professionals?

I pray that they don't dumb it down to the lowest common denominator of iOS and OS X. As it stands, Pages is a great word processor and I've used it to replace Microsoft Word. Right now, Pages documents have to go through a file converter to get on iCloud, and that converter removes a lot of formatting and fonts. Those things are essential to my 3,000 Pages documents.

I have documents that cannot possibly be edited on a small device, because of their length, fonts, and formatting. I am very apprehensive about this, because there is no alternative to a Mac.

In a support phone call, I told an Apple representative that a certain feature of OS X was impractical and dumb. She said, "We don't use it either. It's for new users." That was alarming (that it isn't designed for people who use it the second time) and reassuring (that they are aware that some features aren't good for experienced users).
 
How are they late? None of the products above have been "announced" for release or even existence to begin with.

Are you kidding me? People are leaving aperture and moving to Lightroom because they are sick and tired of waiting (same for iWorks to Office).

Late is not about what Apple announces, but how we, the users, expect it.

----------

How can unannounced products be late??????

You do not have to explicilty anounce that your coming home at night to your wive, but if you haven't shown-up for two weeks or more you might expect a different guy in your place........because she thinks that you are too late!
 
What worries me is their pandering to the investors. Investors who spread crap to drive the price down so they can buy more shares cheap. They don't deserve dividend pay-outs.

I also feel Cook is too apologetic. Jobs' 'f-you' attitude helped boost the aloof, mystique of Apple.

These days, someone in Apple farts and Tim Cook apologises.

The rumours about the change in AppleCare with Apple repairing, not replacing, iPhones etc. in store is also a worry. For the sake of the $1 billion saved (which is pocket change for them) they're going to remove the convenience and clear advantage Apple has. How many other companies just replace a mobile phone in minutes? Even Apple haters admire that about them.

So, yes, it sounds like Cook is being over tight with the cash hoard.

It's a fallacy to think that billions in the bank can equate to faster development though. Throwing more people at a development project in a short period can just compound issues and delay things.

If they've only just started looking to expand the iWork team now, that means they're severely understaffed and they should have been on a hiring spree a long time ago (unless they just don't have the space until the campus is built). The campus is also delayed because of Jobs, not despite of him. (He had exacting – unrealistic – standards that have caused the problems).

The thing is, people want to see change whether it's required or not. It's a psychological thing. People need to feel comforted that support will not be suddenly dropped and they'll be left with out of date software or hardware.

Even worse, Apple have a habit of "doing a Final Cut" and changing things so drastically, they alienate their users that way. The Mac Pro is a complete mess. Whether it makes enough money for them or not, they need the Mac Pro. It's the psychological effect again. Why should students learn video editing on FCP if the pro market starts migrating to Avid?

They're spread too thin. Ive being in control of the software design now cannot work in the long term, as good as it sounds on paper. They lost their design edge (in software) a while ago. Apparently they'll go 'flat' but that'll be too Windows. If they go white spacey, they'll be too Google.

Many talented designers and developers are going (well, being bought for large sums) to Facebook. Apple should never be competing with Facebook! What the hell?! People would have worked for free just to be at Apple. Perhaps the passion has died with Jobs if talented people are going to Facebook (who may as well be the new Microsoft).

iCloud data sync is a mess for developers as well. As someone online said, Google is getting better at design faster than Apple is getting better at services.

They need to do something drastic, and innovative, and I'm not sure they have it in them any more. Tim Cook is clearly a nice guy, but yes, not CEO material. At least, not Apple CEO material.

Apple needs a Jeff Bezos or a Richard Branson type. Someone with a bit of fire and big ideas who (essentially) is willing to bet big whatever the risk. And yes, a bit of ADHD should have stayed in Apple CEO's DNA; a mild-mannered Texan is not Apple.

But, I have hope that WWDC in June will be the catalyst that starts an era of big new things. For starters, an SDK for the Apple TV is a must - I'm dying to start developing for that. Their lack of urgency (on the outside, anyway) I hope is just them waiting long enough to get things 'just right'.

It is looking at Apple history with rose-tinted glasses to say we just get better cameras and faster processors now. We always did. The big event releases were few and far between. The difference is that there was an implicit confidence with Jobs at the helm and that's what they've lost.

I fear that since Steve Jobs passed away, Apple has gone back to what it did when Steve Jobs left the first time (1985-1997). Essentially, the company is mired in a deep sleep. And I say this as a HUGE Apple fan (I ONLY buy Apple). There is no reason that iWork should have to endure this long of an update. With all the BILLIONS of dollars that Apple has on hand, they should be purchasing FAR more patents and startups than they have in recent years. Instead, I'm watching as Facebook, Microsoft, Google, and Samsung all make these major acquisitions --- and with far less cash than Apple. The MacPro hasn't been updated in YEARS ... the iphone hasn't had a major software update basically ever ... the company killed the 17" MBP for high end users... and they can't even get their campus built. I just don't know what this company is waiting for. It seems that with all the money they have on hand ... perhaps their priorities are lacking.

Dare I say it ... Time for a new CEO? IMO, the CEO of Apple should be operating as if this is Apple's last week on earth (even though they might be at or near the top, they shouldn't think like that). There is no sense of urgency with this company anymore. When Jobs was running the show ... it was like watching someone with ADHD throwing out one idea after another. Now we just get better cameras and faster processors.
 
It can filter already. Check
reorganise > show rows that match the following (make sure it has a tick in it)
and you can filter as you want.
Yes, but way too many steps compared to MS Excel and you have to type in the filter value. In MS Excel, you just click on the triangle in the first cell in the column and it displays all of cell contents (without duplication of course) and you just click on the one you want. 2 clicks and you're done.

I have a spreadsheet with 3000 rows, so I seeing a list of selections is a lot easier that trying to remember the correct word to type in.

It's close, though. Can you do a search on column 1, then do a search on column 2 of the column 1 search results?
 
(1) Double-click the cue number in the text or in the reference itself and you're switched between the two instantly. Not hover, but it works beautifully.

(2) Double tap a word to select it and then hold shift to select whatever extra text you want.

(3) In terms of shapes/images, you can just choose Insert > Choose (or Shift+CMD+V) and select an external object. No need to mask it. Great for dropping in photos or content from other sources, such as text files.

Thank you for the info, Machiavelli!
 
Yes, but way too many steps compared to MS Excel and you have to type in the filter value. In MS Excel, you just click on the triangle in the first cell in the column and it displays all of cell contents (without duplication of course) and you just click on the one you want. 2 clicks and you're done.

I have a spreadsheet with 3000 rows, so I seeing a list of selections is a lot easier that trying to remember the correct word to type in.

It's close, though. Can you do a search on column 1, then do a search on column 2 of the column 1 search results?

The MS Excel filter you mention is fine: though it can be a little unwieldy when it has hundreds or thousands of possible selections to wade through.

With Numbers, you can do a 'contains' or 'starts with' or 'ends with', etc search and see the table changing in realtime.

And yes, you can set criteria for multiple columns so that you get granular levels of filtering either based on matching 'all' or 'any' of the filters.

It is very powerful, quick and useful in terms of analysing data.

And to @Kashchei — welcome.
 
There is no reason that iWork should have to endure this long of an update. With all the BILLIONS of dollars that Apple has on hand, they should be purchasing FAR more patents and startups than they have in recent years.

So you think they should be updating just to be updating and buying just to be buying.

Couldn't disagree more. Yes there are a few things I wouldn't mind seeing but tossing in everything and the kitchen sink just cause everyone else is doing it, no thanks. If I wanted to buy from a company that worked like that I'd still be using Windows and I'd get an Android phone
 
I fear that since Steve Jobs passed away, Apple has gone back to what it did when Steve Jobs left the first time (1985-1997). Essentially, the company is mired in a deep sleep. And I say this as a HUGE Apple fan (I ONLY buy Apple). There is no reason that iWork should have to endure this long of an update. With all the BILLIONS of dollars that Apple has on hand, they should be purchasing FAR more patents and startups than they have in recent years. Instead, I'm watching as Facebook, Microsoft, Google, and Samsung all make these major acquisitions --- and with far less cash than Apple. The MacPro hasn't been updated in YEARS ... the iphone hasn't had a major software update basically ever ... the company killed the 17" MBP for high end users... and they can't even get their campus built. I just don't know what this company is waiting for. It seems that with all the money they have on hand ... perhaps their priorities are lacking.

Dare I say it ... Time for a new CEO? IMO, the CEO of Apple should be operating as if this is Apple's last week on earth (even though they might be at or near the top, they shouldn't think like that). There is no sense of urgency with this company anymore. When Jobs was running the show ... it was like watching someone with ADHD throwing out one idea after another. Now we just get better cameras and faster processors.


Lets pull this apart shall we.

Steve died in 2011.

iWork hasn't been updated since '09 < for half that time Steve was alive and in control. The main thing was to get the iOS versions up and running and mature. That's done now so it's time to catch up on the Mac.

The iPhone has existed longer whilst Steve was with us than after, and the OS has changed substantially since 2007.

The Mac Pro is no longer a priority for Apple. To put it simply it isn't a core market for them any more, despite how much graphics and video professionals (and I include myself in that) want it to be. They're a consumer electronics company now. It started with the iPod, became much more so with the iPhone and the iPad sealed the deal. The Mac is a priority in the notebook line and the consumer desktop only.

Facebook is quite simply wasting their money and has suffered for it.

MS has its own issues in that its core market is changing. They have been heavily invested in PCs and are coming late to the integrated device (tablet) form factor. I know MS have done tablets before, but they were just laptops with a touch screen. Also the office market is changing as Google docs and other online freemium apps take over. Office 365 is the way forward for MS.

Samsung will fall flat on its face soon enough. It happens to all companies.

Now to answer another argument. "All we get is better cameras and faster processors". I give you the iPhone 3GS and 4S (both announced whilst Steve was alive and he was no doubt involved in the process of the 4S as development cycle lengths means that the generation after the next generation iPhone will be in development now).

Now should Tim go? NO. Apple's 4 most successful quarters ever were under Tim Cook. I say lets give him another year and see what happens. We may be surprised.
 
The MS Excel filter you mention is fine: though it can be a little unwieldy when it has hundreds or thousands of possible selections to wade through.

With Numbers, you can do a 'contains' or 'starts with' or 'ends with', etc search and see the table changing in realtime.

And yes, you can set criteria for multiple columns so that you get granular levels of filtering either based on matching 'all' or 'any' of the filters.

It is very powerful, quick and useful in terms of analysing data.

And to @Kashchei — welcome.
Thanks for the info. Really appreciate it. If they had a free trial i would give it a shot to "get the feel" of how well/easily it works. Unfortunately, they don't, so I am inclined to wait for a new version to see it's refinements before I pluck down $20 on something that I might quickly discover does not work for me.
 
Because iWork has become an iToy program & a forgotten Mac program as the last update came out in Nov of 2008 or earlier. But WWDC has become more of an Apple iToy meeting than a Mac meeting. So maybe they'll mention a week & outdated program at an event that is about the future.

Correction, the last rewrite was Fall 2008 or such. But it has been updated since then, many times.
 
about time....:mad:

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iWorks late
Aperture late
OSX 10.9 late
IOS 7 late
Mac Pro late
Retina mini late
WTF?

Sorry but that is complete bollocks.

None of these products are late. Why?

None of them have been announced! Leopard was late. It was given a shipping date that was subsequently missed because they had to pull resources onto the iPhone so that it could ship. Apple announced that in a press release.

But none of the products above have even had a hint of a shipping date announced officially from Apple. So NONE OF THEM ARE LATE!
 
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