Apple Features iWork Applications for iPad

[GeekLawyer]

I think that person just wants to show examples of why the iPad might not work for others using them as an example. Perhaps secretly want to like it but disappointed in things like the flash, multitasking, price, etc. Funny post anyways.

I guess that's possible, but taken in toto, the posts seem to indicate someone trying to justify their decision to not purchase. Or, more ominously, someone who's specifically raining on the parades of people who are genuinely excited about the iPad and the opportunities the iWork apps will bring.

Last night I re-watched the part of the intro keynote where Phil Schiller demos all the iWork apps. Since iPad will have a central file structure (I think Schiller called it a "file navigator," all the photos and PDFs one might need to bring into iWork will be available in one spot. Yes, one would have to change their work-flow from the way they're used to using it on the Mac. But that was going to happen on a tablet regardless.

 

[polaris20]

Hey Everyone,

Something ive been pondering, and critical to my decision:

Can i save a PDF to the iPad from its web browser (Safari)?

Scenario on Macbook Pro:
I surf along to a site which gives a link to a pdf, thereafter either opening it another window, or ordinarily downloading it to my desktop.

Scenario on iPad:
?

"The Dudeness abides"

I would hope so.

 

[satcomer]

A networked printer on your WiFi network?

I own one of the older Canon's iP5200rs. I love that printer because with the new Time Capsule (or Airport Extreme) Extreme I can setup two Wifi networks, one N and the other g for the wifi printer. It so far has been the best printer I have ever purchased. I urge anyone with either a g or n wireless router then consider a wifi printer. It is just as fast as USB and you can put it anywhere within wifi range.

 

[jragosta]

I asked about this just last week via Apple Chat. I was advised that at this time, you can't print directly from the iPad. The rep suspected that would be a future feature. I didn't specifically follow up with "not even wirelessly??" but fwiw, that's the answer I received.

I suspect the person you were talking to is badly misinformed. After all, you can print from an iPhone, so why not an iPad?

I don't really understand why Apple hasn't built in a handwriting recognition feature. I know that Steve is not big on the stylus and writing but in a lot of cases note taking is much easier just by writing.

I agree. Let's hope for a third party app (or an update from Apple with that feature, but I'm not holding my breath).

Just because we can't do this yet doesn't mean apple shouldn't include basic software for people to jot down notes with. It doesn't necessarily need to convert writing to text, it would still be a piece of software that lots of people would find useful, even if they (gasp) had to read their own handwriting. Additionally, if processing power is the major barrier to conversion, then the software could always be designed to just wait until the pad is idling before converting input to text.

Third party opportunity

Garageband on the ipad would be sick.

Can't wait for it.

But for the time being, BeatMaker will suffice

I don't do that much with Garageband, but it seems to me that it might not work so well on a 1 GHz processor with the limited RAM of the iPad.

You've said - I dunno - about a hundred times that you're not buying one. Therefore, why are you commenting on the ways in which an application that you won't buy won't work for you on a device that you won't even own? We get it. It's not for you. If the iPad isn't for you, why would iWork for iPad be for you?

Because there's an army of people who spend all their time bashing Apple products - even though they have never used any of them and are proud that they won't do so. You have to wonder what's wrong with them - or whether they're paid shills.

 

[Niko03]

And what happens when you want to print any of these documents?

There were rumors of document print capabilities.

 

[Niko03]

You make it sound like a bad thing?

This is a basic device for media consumption and light content creation. If people want the device to do more and are able to buy add-ons to make it do their bidding, then this is a good thing. There's no way that the big printer companies aren't going to produce simple drivers for this thing to print wirelessly to their blue tooth keyboards or over a wireless network, or via the USB adapter.

Jeez people like to moan about nothing.

For sure.

HP already has one that works quite well to print photos on your iPhone/iPod touch directly to a printer on your network. It's actually a ton easier than printing from something like Photoshop elements etc. (minimal editing however.) I've been waiting to print documents this way. I believe I hears that apple was going to include this. If they don't someone else will.

 

[Niko03]

Handwriting recognition at this point simply would be a hassle and really would not be effective. However, simple graphical stylus input would be extremely beneficial. Not EVERYTHING can be typed. Suppose you were in a class and a teacher was using a chalkboard (yes, they are still around). He draws a diagram of a physics model that I'm sure we all saw: firing a cannon straight off a cliff. You can't "type" that diagram into the margins of your notes, it has to be drawn. This is why something like the iPad cannot yet replace a simple five subject notebook. I'm not asking for a fancy handwriting recognition scheme, I just want the ability to doodle and create some sort of illustration to go along with my notes.

I believe capacitive touch screen styluses exist.
I know an ipad specific sketch app was demo'd during the ipad keynote.

To me it seems you have what you want.

 

[Corbin052198]

Pretty cool...

I have iWork '09 on a PowerPC G5 machine running Mac OS X 10.4.11, and this mobile version of iWork seems pretty cool.

As for opening files, I bet the main way to get the files is through iDisk. Perhaps a secondary way is to enter the web address of the file in a text box and press a button, and the file is temporarily stored inside the App's memory (like certain network drive apps). When you want to export it, you might just email someone the PDF, iWork, or Office document.

 

[robanga]

For sure.

HP already has one that works quite well to print photos on your iPhone/iPod touch directly to a printer on your network. It's actually a ton easier than printing from something like Photoshop elements etc. (minimal editing however.) I've been waiting to print documents this way. I believe I hears that apple was going to include this. If they don't someone else will.

Yes indeed I use that HP app on my home network. I am sure something like that will exist for the iPad and general printing.

 

[gregorsamsa]

It's 'not' designed to replace a netbook? Good, because it doesn't come close. Everyone knows a netbook can do more for less. Geez.

And this "new sector" you speak of, is it called the 10" screen sector? Because that's the same size as my netbook, which includes a tactile keyboard. Good luck touch typing at 100wpm on an iP!ss.

How does a netbook do more? FWIW, initially I felt similar, then I read up about all that the iPad is capable of. I assume you've read relatively little about the iPad's extensive features, but I can see how Steve Jobs & Ive are so excited about this device. This won't just be an excellent portable multimedia device, I think it'll also double up as a more than decent netbook for a good number of consumers.

FWIW, I mostly use my iMac for serious work & play (ie. games), but I also have an ageing 12" iBook. I'm already beginning to look at iPad as a more than adequate, relatively inexpensive replacement for my iBook for all those tasks that demand little graphical power. As well as using a version of OS X, an environment I'm used to, I expect it'll serve far more purposes better than any netbook ever could. IMO, set up with a BT keyboard & stand, it looks good too:

I really don't mind having to use a virtual keyboard on the move some of the time, then use the BT one when I'm at base. Also, hopefully apps like iWork will be just the start in this genre. Later on, once iPad has sold millions (which I'm confident it will), I'd expect the Scriveners of the Mac World to become available for iPad.

Though frankly I'd much prefer matte screens on my portables, in this case anti-glare film should be fine. I still won't buy a 1st gen iPad (besides, my iBook looks good for another year at least), but for me iPad is fast becoming a serious option for later.

 

[MorphingDragon]

Perfect for people like my mum.

/Serious Face

 

[seedster2]

Winner! Love the iWork integration.

I think everyone assumed you would

If they are really going to push these apps, it just cries for future printer support. At the very least, via wireless to a network/Airport-to-USB printer, no cables required. I can't see them not implementing it in the future at some point.

This thing is bare bones so I doubt they will implement any serious native support. Everything will be dependent on developers. Risky, but it's worked so far

Hey Everyone,

Something ive been pondering, and critical to my decision:

Can i save a PDF to the iPad from its web browser (Safari)?

Good question. One would hope, but that's what the preorder guinea pigs are for

 

[twoodcc]

i'm really looking forward to numbers

 

[Pandaboots]

Dude, the iWork apps are ten bucks apiece. Suck it up.

It's mindsets like this that worry me the most. The point of my post was to show how the "inexpensive" iPad becomes no less expensive than a more powerful laptop in the end. I'm not worried about a $10 price tag. It's all the $10 price tags for having to buy the same application I have on my mac for my iPad. iWork, iLife, OS, plus every other application eventually (office, adobe, etc etc).

Sheep being led to the slaughter I say for a product that really doesn't fit other than the "wow that's cool!" factor that will wear off after a couple of months.

 

[robanga]

It's mindsets like this that worry me the most. The point of my post was to show how the "inexpensive" iPad becomes no less expensive than a more powerful laptop in the end. I'm not worried about a $10 price tag. It's all the $10 price tags for having to buy the same application I have on my mac for my iPad. iWork, iLife, OS, plus every other application eventually (office, adobe, etc etc).

Sheep being led to the slaughter I say for a product that really doesn't fit other than the "wow that's cool!" factor that will wear off after a couple of months.

Its really not about the price of the computer. The fact is if they can be the one company that finally get the tablet done correctly, they will sell boatloads and yes people will happily pay for redundant technology in their lives as they have shown in the past.

....to the slaughter? ...what does that mean?

its not like this company made the MP3 player mainstream or drove the smart phone to the masses.

..oh wait, yes this company did do that.

 

[Shodan]

It's simple really.

Buy a NetBook and put up with non-native resolution applications, crappy TN panels, shocking colour gamut, slow rendering and processing speeds.

Or buy an iPad, where the OS/ applications are built around it, it's snappy, well built, fantastic high quality IPS screen, much more portable than a NetBook and a brilliant battery life.

Go figure.

 

[BornAgainMac]

Inkwell

I wonder what ever happened to the Inkwell technology that Apple had with Panther or Jaguar (Pronounced Jagwire by Jobs)? I don't see any evidence of that being used with iPad.

 

[Peter Harrison]

Sheep being led to the slaughter I say for a product that really doesn't fit other than the "wow that's cool!" factor that will wear off after a couple of months.

People need to stop generalizing. I have a MackbookPro. Sometimes I need to edit some video, use Photoshop, or do something else that MUST be done on a nice powerful machine. And if I'm on the laptop and have some browsing to do or music to listen to, I'll do it there. But, only if I was already using the laptop for the serious resource intensive stuff. When I'm sitting on the sofa and I want to browse the net, I just unlock my iPhone and go from there. It's not perfect, being on such a small screen, but I find the touchscreen experience very enjoyable and I can use the iPhone anywhere I want. Yes laptops are portable compared to desktop computers, but you still want a surface for the thing. If I'm not going to be doing something really serious, I always go for the iPhone. I listen to my music, browse the net, use social networking apps etc. If I'm on the train I always use my iPhone for this kind of stuff even when I have the MacbookPro in my bag. Within 5 seconds I have the iPhone doing whatever it's supposed to be doing, and I touch my way around. Having 3G etc also means that the iPhone can do things that my laptop can't.

I can't stress this enough... The only reason I use the MacbookPro sometimes is because I have some web design to do or something like that. But 95% of my computing time comes down to researching on the net and enjoying music, tv shows, podcasts etc. I've got apps on my iPhone that allow me to do nearly everything I need to. And the touchscreen opens up so many options for apps that just cannot happen on the laptops. The ONLY thing that stops the iPhone from being the perfect little device in my life is that it isn't very big. The browsing experience is great due to the touchscreen, but I'd like to do a little less scrolling and pinching. And then we have the iPad. It will do 95% of what I need a computer to do, just like the iPhone, but it will be nicer to use (I assume and hope) due to the increased screen size.

Would I completely replace my laptop with the iPad? I don't think so. The 5% of the time I need to do the other things is still important. But is the iPad just something with cool factor that will wear off after a few months? Well, my iPhone hasn't been like that. I use it all the time, all day. It's the hub of my entire life. I organise through it, research through it, enjoy entertainment media through it. Most of the computing I do now gets done on my phone, which I'm VERY suprised to admit. I never thought I'd ever say that, but that's the impact the iPhone has had. I've been using it for 95% of my computing for a couple of years. The iPad is going to be able to do all the same computing stuff, but now the apps have more screen real estate and the browsing experience will be improved. So, if the iPhone wasn't just a cool thing that wore off, why would the iPad be? A big iPod Touch is PERFECT for me.

Of course, it's not perfect for you. I doubt it would be completely useless to anyone, but some people will get better use out of a desktop machine or a laptop. Some may even get better use from a competitor tablet. I'm not suggesting that you should change your mind and like this thing or think you should get it. It's not for you, that's fine. But just because you see nothing to it than the cool factor doesn't mean that there is nothing to it but the cool factor. If it's not a great product for you and something that will get boring after a few months, then that says more about you than the product. You can't assume everyone thinks like you do. The iPhone is still one of the best examples of technology I have ever purchased and it is near perfect for me, but just needs a big screen. It's hasn't got boring after two months. I don't see how making it better, and allowing me to do even more with it is going to suddenly make my fave device boring after two months.

So speak for yourself, not all of us.

 

[polaris20]

People need to stop generalizing. I have a MackbookPro. Sometimes I need to edit some video, use Photoshop, or do something else that MUST be done on a nice powerful machine. And if I'm on the laptop and have some browsing to do or music to listen to, I'll do it there. But, only if I was already using the laptop for the serious resource intensive stuff. When I'm sitting on the sofa and I want to browse the net, I just unlock my iPhone and go from there. It's not perfect, being on such a small screen, but I find the touchscreen experience very enjoyable and I can use the iPhone anywhere I want. Yes laptops are portable compared to desktop computers, but you still want a surface for the thing. If I'm not going to be doing something really serious, I always go for the iPhone. I listen to my music, browse the net, use social networking apps etc. If I'm on the train I always use my iPhone for this kind of stuff even when I have the MacbookPro in my bag. Within 5 seconds I have the iPhone doing whatever it's supposed to be doing, and I touch my way around. Having 3G etc also means that the iPhone can do things that my laptop can't.

I can't stress this enough... The only reason I use the MacbookPro sometimes is because I have some web design to do or something like that. But 95% of my computing time comes down to researching on the net and enjoying music, tv shows, podcasts etc. I've got apps on my iPhone that allow me to do nearly everything I need to. And the touchscreen opens up so many options for apps that just cannot happen on the laptops. The ONLY thing that stops the iPhone from being the perfect little device in my life is that it isn't very big. The browsing experience is great due to the touchscreen, but I'd like to do a little less scrolling and pinching. And then we have the iPad. It will do 95% of what I need a computer to do, just like the iPhone, but it will be nicer to use (I assume and hope) due to the increased screen size.

Would I completely replace my laptop with the iPad? I don't think so. The 5% of the time I need to do the other things is still important. But is the iPad just something with cool factor that will wear off after a few months? Well, my iPhone hasn't been like that. I use it all the time, all day. It's the hub of my entire life. I organise through it, research through it, enjoy entertainment media through it. Most of the computing I do now gets done on my phone, which I'm VERY suprised to admit. I never thought I'd ever say that, but that's the impact the iPhone has had. I've been using it for 95% of my computing for a couple of years. The iPad is going to be able to do all the same computing stuff, but now the apps have more screen real estate and the browsing experience will be improved. So, if the iPhone wasn't just a cool thing that wore off, why would the iPad be? A big iPod Touch is PERFECT for me.

Of course, it's not perfect for you. I doubt it would be completely useless to anyone, but some people will get better use out of a desktop machine or a laptop. Some may even get better use from a competitor tablet. I'm not suggesting that you should change your mind and like this thing or think you should get it. It's not for you, that's fine. But just because you see nothing to it than the cool factor doesn't mean that there is nothing to it but the cool factor. If it's not a great product for you and something that will get boring after a few months, then that says more about you than the product. You can't assume everyone thinks like you do. The iPhone is still one of the best examples of technology I have ever purchased and it is near perfect for me, but just needs a big screen. It's hasn't got boring after two months. I don't see how making it better, and allowing me to do even more with it is going to suddenly make my fave device boring after two months.

So speak for yourself, not all of us.

Absolutely agree. The people that bag on the iPad are generally an endless stream of people who don't understand what it's for.

To say the iPad is useless it to say the iPhone/iPod touch is useless. I plan to use the iPad for the same things I use my iPT for, but have a better experience strictly due to the increase in screen size. The fact that I can also use a keyboard and iWork is just icing on the cake.

 

[Peter Harrison]

And if you really need it to do what the haters call "real computing", you could always use one of the great remote access apps like LogMeIn.

 

[polaris20]

And if you really need it to do what the haters call "real computing", you could always use one of the great remote access apps like LogMeIn.

Yeah I use Logmein, as well as RDP, VNC, and SSH as well. I wish someone did an NX app for it though, since I have a few Linux machines on my network and prefer using NX over VNC.

 

[evanren]

can I use those apps on my iPhone, or just exclusive on the iPad

 

[Peter Harrison]

can I use those apps on my iPhone, or just exclusive on the iPad

I believe iWorks is currently an iPad exclusive, like iBooks. You never know though, they could work their way onto future iPhone models.

 

[Garion]

I don't really understand why Apple hasn't built in a handwriting recognition feature. I know that Steve is not big on the stylus and writing but in a lot of cases note taking is much easier just by writing.

For instance, taking notes with lots of math symbols, is nearly impossible on a keyboard but is easy with a pen. Jotting down a quick phone memo or note is easier than popping up a text app and typing with a touch keyboard.

Don't you think, since this is a pad device that will be held with one hand and manipulated with the other. Doesn't it make sense to include handwriting entry instead of forcing everyone to hunt and peck on a reduced screen size because the keyboard takes up half the screen.

Yes, I agree that it would make a lot af sense if the iPad had handwriting recognition. It would be a very useful feature for the very same reasons you mention plus one more; for drawing and other kinds of graphic work. How ever we don't seem to be getting that with the iPad this time around. But I wouldn't be all that surprised if that was one of the new key features of iPad ver. 2.0 (along with that much requested webcam!).

I can imagine that Apple left out handwriting recognition in the first version of the iPad to establish the fact that the primary input method of the iPad is finger touch - not a stylus. This could confuse potential buyers if they see iPad owners seemingly using a stylus to operate the device. Just my two cents.

 

[Garion]

Perfect for people like my mum.

/Serious Face

Yeah, and just think how many mums there are in the world, and you may begin to grasp the size of the iPad market!