Apple Discontinues Free Trials of Aperture and iWork

[RedCroissant]

Really? A fan-bash? Is that what I did? Look again.

At least get your facts correct when you go on a fan-bash of Microsoft.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116856

Did you read my post completely and come to the conclusion that I went on a "fan-bash," or are you easily upset when people say good things about the applications they are personally using? And if you decide to re-read my post, I think you will come to a different conclusion; but maybe not.

So my facts are incorrect because you pulled up a link to a Windows version of MO Home and Student 2010? I responded to someone that was thinking of buying an iMac, which last time I checked, shipped with OS X. For that, you would need a Mac version, correct? Maybe I should look up the sale price of MO Home and student 2007 to support your position as to how I didn't check my facts before posting…

Here you go….

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=microsoft+office+2007

Oh, and this is where I got my information...

http://www.microsoft.com/mac/buy

And if you read "carefully" next time, you will see that I also recommended the use of a free alternative to iWork that I also use on a daily basis. Have a nice day and try not to be so sensitive next time.

 

[*LTD*]

So, are you developer or Apple?

What AppStore gave to consumers? Other than no trials and crippled applications.

Crippled applications?

This makes no sense.

What AppStore gave to consumers?

One source for Joe Average (the bulk of the consumer market) to get everything. One-stop shopping, all there in front of you, neatly categorized in one place that is immediately accessible from the Dock. Ease of use and convenience.

(And in some cases it's also given you lower prices, due to much higher volume in sales thanks to greater exposure.)

Get it?

LOL do you not see this?

 

[AidenShaw]

So my facts are incorrect because you pulled up a link to a Windows version of MO Home and Student 2010? I responded to someone that was thinking of buying an iMac, which last time I checked, shipped with OS X. For that, you would need a Mac version, correct? Maybe I should look up the sale price of MO Home and student 2007 to support your position as to how I didn't check my facts before posting…

I apologize - you're correct and I was wrong.

The Mac 3-pack is $10 cheaper than the Windows version - only $120 dollars for the 3-user license.

 

[DakotaGuy]

Did you read my post completely and come to the conclusion that I went on a "fan-bash," or are you easily upset when people say good things about the applications they are personally using? And if you decide to re-read my post, I think you will come to a different conclusion; but maybe not.

So my facts are incorrect because you pulled up a link to a Windows version of MO Home and Student 2010? I responded to someone that was thinking of buying an iMac, which last time I checked, shipped with OS X. For that, you would need a Mac version, correct? Maybe I should look up the sale price of MO Home and student 2007 to support your position as to how I didn't check my facts before posting…

Here you go….

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=microsoft+office+2007

Oh, and this is where I got my information...

http://www.microsoft.com/mac/buy

And if you read "carefully" next time, you will see that I also recommended the use of a free alternative to iWork that I also use on a daily basis. Have a nice day and try not to be so sensitive next time.

Well to be fair the Home and Student version is going to give you just as many if not more features then iWork for $119.99. If you need to install it on up to 3 Macs then get the version for $149.99 on the Microsoft site. Other places may have it for less. That is more expensive then iWork, but if you install all 3 iWork programs it is still going to cost $60.

I'm sure iWork is just great for a lot of people, but for a few extra dollars I don't want to mess with compatibility issues. I like solutions that just work without dialog boxes popping up that tell me what has been changed or what is not going to display properly. I work on things that go back and forth between a PC and my Mac and I send documents, spreadsheets and presentations to people who are using Windows PCs running Office.

A nice feature of offering a free trial of iWork is that it gives people a chance to try it out and see if it is compatible enough for them. Without a free trial it is a gamble because I tried iWork and things didn't move back and forth very smoothly at all. Simple Word docs were ok, but once I moved into Excel spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations things started to get pretty wonky at times. Compatibility is lacking even though Apple makes it sound like documents, spreadsheets and presentations go back and forth without any issues.

Like I said purchase what works best for you, however for those of us working in the business, education, government or military world MS Office is the standard. Knowing it is just going to work when you send that presentation to your boss is worth a little extra money as far as I am concerned.

 

[KingJosh]

I am a long time user of Photoshop. Adobe's recent change in PS upgrade policy (used to be you could get upgrade pricing three versions back, but now you have to have the most recent version to qualify) has made me reconsider whether I need to keep spending the (comparatively) big money to keep PS up to date. I only utilize small portion of PS's functionality for my work.

Lightroom 4 and Aperture 3 look like like they may just suit my needs. It sure would be nice to try them both before buying.

I agree. My work still uses cs3 (graphic designer) and i am very speedy on that. i personally dislike cs6 UI color mode. i know i know you can change it back to light but you can still see differences, it doesn't look as clean. I have a comfort feeling with cs5 lol

 

[2IS]

Stop what? App Store is the best thing since sliced bread. I really don't get this whining, App Store have been a win for both developers and Apple. Sure it is a different way to market things as there is no brick and mortar stores to deal with but that is a very good thing.

You must not have been exposed to many things that came between the introduction of sliced bread and the app store.

 

[KurtangleTN]

Pretty surprising that they'd discontinue Aperture's trial, doesn't seem like something anyone would want to impulse buy, especially when they've gotta compete with Lightroom 4 now at $150.

I can't understand why they would, they must not be very confident of Aperture.

 

[eXan]

When's the last time they even updated iwork? 3 years ago at least?

I'd rather have this than Pages turning into another Word

 

[faroZ06]

as long as they stay away from Activations, and "this copy of Office is not genuine, blah blah blah"

Totally.

My cousin's friends who use W7 had to crack their system because it randomly stopped being genuine. Same with my license for Microsoft Office 2004. It said that my dad was using my license key, but I checked, and he wasn't.

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I apologize - you're correct and I was wrong.

The Mac 3-pack is $10 cheaper than the Windows version - only $120 dollars for the 3-user license.

Actually, what if you got a Mac but decided to use Office for Windows on it? Last time I checked, they had different interfaces (this was 2011). I like the Mac interface a lot better since it is similar to the older versions and easier to use, but there might be people who are too used to the Windows version or something.

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So, are you developer or Apple?

What AppStore gave to consumers? Other than no trials and crippled applications.

Trials are annoying, especially when they are listed as "shareware" or something. I'd rather just get the trial from their own site if I'm so interested (or even pirate it to try it for a few minutes then delete, which I am honest enough to do).

Cripple applications? Nope. Being a Leopard user, I don't have the Mac App Store, but it looks like the best way for an average person to get their Mac apps. A lot of Windows to Mac "converts" are people who got an iPhone and want to get Mac apps like how they do it in iOS. Being kind of a cheapo, I only get freeware besides the occasional purchased item on a DVD, leading me to download a lot of stuff from SourceForge. If I had SL or later, I'd actually get any Apple software I need from the Mac App Store because it's so convenient and fancy.

I once saw a lady poking an iMac screen in the Apple Store, thinking it was a big iPhone. No kidding.

----------

You must not have been exposed to many things that came between the introduction of sliced bread and the app store.

Yes. The iOS App Store is better than the Mac App Store for now, and it came first. Oh, and there was also Star Trek.

 

[iMikeT]

I've never used Aperture but iWork is awesome enough to not need a trial.

 

[Mr. Retrofire]

Crippled applications? This makes no sense.

Ohh, really?

From:
http://www.barebones.com/store/macappstore.html

Are there any differences between the Mac App Store versions of your software and the versions available directly from your web site?

In BBEdit and TextWrangler, authenticated saves (the ability to save changes to files that you do not own) and the command-line tools are not available in the Mac App Store versions, in order to comply with Apple’s submission guidelines.

----------

I'd rather have this than Pages turning into another Word

One page can contain many words.

;-)

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I agree. My work still uses cs3 (graphic designer) and i am very speedy on that. i personally dislike cs6 UI color mode.

AFAIK, you can change this in the CS6 prefs.

 

[RedCroissant]

Twice the price, three times the hassle..

I apologize - you're correct and I was wrong.

The Mac 3-pack is $10 cheaper than the Windows version - only $120 dollars for the 3-user license.

And you are absolutely right about that costing $120 at newegg.com which is still twice the cost of iWork. And even the family pack, which seems like a better deal is meant for 3 users and each user can only install and run it on one machine each. Unless of course a single person buys it and wants to have three different Windows Live accounts to register and use them, then fine.

Including a mail application costs extra and the permission to install the software on more than one machine incurs an additional cost. In light of these two things, iWork is a much better deal. Combine that with a free and open source productivity suite that is compatible with Microsoft Office, there is no need for Microsoft Office at all, and you get two productivity suites with a database application(Microsoft Access costs and extra $117 at newegg).

 

[Winni]

I've used Office for as long as I can remember and have never gotten errors about it not being genuine.

That's because usually only people who use pirated software see that message... Usually. But in all honesty, I've seen that message appear after the installation with genuine product keys and had to re-activate the software via phone to get rid off it. But since this only happens once or twice in a decade, it's not a really big deal.

However, I would be VERY pissed if this happened on sea during a globe circumnavigation. Or in space. Or wherever there is no phone line or Internet connection available. Which is why Paul Lutus, the author of "Apple Writer", the first word processor for the Apple II, nowadays only takes Linux-based machines with him.

----------

Including a mail application costs extra and the permission to install the software on more than one machine incurs an additional cost. In light of these two things, iWork is a much better deal. Combine that with a free and open source productivity suite that is compatible with Microsoft Office, there is no need for Microsoft Office at all, and you get two productivity suites with a database application(Microsoft Access costs and extra $117 at newegg).

That comparison does not make much sense for most people. When you live in the real world, you either use Microsoft Office or you do not use software at all.

 

[Jynto]

The Mac App store doesn't allow Trials for anyone. Apple moved their software under the Mac App store roof. One place to buy, no confusion.

But why doesn't it allow trials? I don't see why not.

 

[Lennholm]

MS = BLOAT and horrid UIs. Word can have all the features MS can jam into it. Office has gotten a ****** reputation over the years for usability . . . there's a reason for that. That ribbon monstrosity doesn't make things any better.

On to the others. Frankly, Keynote makes PowerPoint look like third-rate Shareware. As for the deficiencies with Numbers, agreed. However, you'll find it generally gets high praise.

As for Pages . . . it's built to be HYBRID WP/Layout software (and since it's from Apple, it means you won't tear your hair out trying to get it to do what it was built for.) Apple does not currently offer any dedicated Word Processor. This is where developers pick up the slack, notably, with Mellel. Superior OpenType support and text-handling. Nisus Writer Pro in many ways comes close, but I find its UI not to my liking. Both Mellel and Nisus Writer Pro, however, are far superior to Word. They are both built for long, complex documents, with UIs and all-round simplicity that MS can only gawk at in envy.

However, back to Pages . . .

Image



Just sayin . . .

iWork has that awful UI centered around the Inspector mess where it's basically up to chance if you find the function you're looking for unless you consult a help guide/forum. Digging through subpane to subpane to find the most basic function.
The ribbon interface was a move to make a UI organized for usability and efficiency. The earlier interfaces was organized in logical categorization. I can't figure out what iWorks UI is based on, that "pick up sticks"-game?

 

[adder7712]

I wouldn't mind a new iWork, it is nothing compared to Office 2011.

 

[parish]

Prior to the Mac App Store opening Aperture was $199 in boxed form. Upgrades were half that. So across two full major release (likely around 4 years) someone who bought in at full price and then upgraded spent $300 ($200 initially and then $100 upgrade) Today with the Mac App Store the same person buys in at $80 and then pays another $80 for the full upgrade. So they've saved almost half of what they would have paid prior.

Exactly, and for iWork there's even bigger savings if you don't want/need all 3 components as you can now buy only the one(s) you want whereas with the boxed set you got all 3 whether you wanted them or not.

 

[tatonka]

I don't get that move or Apple repulsion when it comes to trials. Free trials is the biggest missing feature in the app stores. It is sort of OK in the iOS store, since it is mostly only a couple bucks one has to spend. But I would have never bought Aperture for 80$ without being able to try it first. I actually did start off with the trial about a year ago (coming from Lightroom) and was instantly hooked and ended up buying it and have been happy with it since. I guess that is a story of the past.

T.

 

[ikir]

(With a boxed set you could do more than one installation too)

DVD version is just 1 license, with Mac App Store you can reinstall many times on many computer you want. This just to correct your reasoning, but i agree that a trial version is important.

 

[chameleon81]

Trials and free versions are up to the developer. They can be had on App store if the developer wants to go to the effort. as to Apple why not wait and see what happens when the new versions come out.

What happens if Apple does not let us install any software on our Macs if the software isn't coming from App Store (like iOS)?

Then don't buy the software and write the developer a note or two as to why you didn't purchase his program. Don't blame Apple for something out of their control.

That is a really sill approach. People need software to do tasks and as a consumers it is our right to evaluate software's quality if that particular software would help us to finish our goal. A consumer should have the option to trial from different vendors and decide based on his judgment not others reviews

It depends upon the app. A developer might be making nothing or raking in millions. It is not unreasonable to expect solid software on the App store. Moreso it really doesn't matter how much something costs, if it doesn't work up to your expectations then you have the right to express that.

Stop what? App Store is the best thing since sliced bread. I really don't get this whining, App Store have been a win for both developers and Apple. Sure it is a different way to market things as there is no brick and mortar stores to deal with but that is a very good thing.

I'm not against App store and sure it helped people to make money hence there are so many people developing for Apple products now.

Stop not giving people to chance to evaluate...

 

[shaunp]

Backwards move.

Firstly I hope this is an indication that new versions are coming soon.

Secondly I think this is a backwards step. If Apple were to introduce a method to enable trails within the App Store it would benefit everyone. User reviews aren't enough, we need to be able to trial software - including that from Apple - before deciding to buy it.

 

[ppnkg]

By the way, for those not happy with Pages:

Mellel

http://www.redlers.com/

This is indeed a purist's word processor. It's very worth it.

The only real advantage the *other* purist's word processor - Nisus Writer Pro - has over Mellel, is that it employs a more familiar UI, and that it handles Word files better on import. They did a bit of a hack-job with styles though, and Nisus uses the same text-rendering engine as Pages, which is Webkit - and while that's quite good, it's nowhere near as good as Mellel's custom text engine. And if you're interested in beautiful OpenType typography, Mellel is the way to go.

I can second that.

 

[calb]

Maybe I'm way off mark here but I take this as an indication of a 'Try' feature coming to the (Mac) App Store, similar to the way Microsoft has implemented it in WP7 (two options: Try or Buy).

I hope so.

 

[pdjudd]

What happens if Apple does not let us install any software on our Macs if the software isn't coming from App Store (like iOS)? .

Apple has said over and over that they are not doing this. People need to stop asking this question since there is no basis for people to believe in it other than arguing a slippery slope argument (which I can argue can apply to anybody). You might as well ask what happens when Apple decides to buy Adobe or ARM and Foxconn - none of those are going to happen either.

 

[faroZ06]

This is simply a stupid move, they should just have an iwork lite/free or something in the app store that has limited features and if people are happy they would most likely purchase the full version, this way they are just increasing piracy or new customers who wanna try before they buy...

Don't most people pirate by getting the free trial then somehow cracking it?