Apple iWork - Now in 3D?

[bigiffo]

How about AppleWorks '08?

What really annoyed me is when apple stopped AppleWorks. That had the entire suite and was ahead of MS Office in many respects. Why apple can't re-release that...
Office 2008 for mac won't be due for a while and even when MS do release it it's doubtful they will update it in the next 5 years.

 

[0098386]

"By George, Jeff, this is the greatest bar chart I've seen"

 

[martijn.s]

Leopard does move more into this direction with quick look. And the idea wouldn't be completely new--it reminds me of the lisa, document focused, rather than application focused. And we still need developers to make stuff--its not all smoke and mirrors, maybe the OS could handle all the file types, but the developers would still develop plugins--we need software companies, to suggest that they are unnecessary is insulting to a whole industry and people who really care about what they do.

we need software company's, but not applications.

by the way, i wrote a viewer for apple, that displayed documents in the finder, they killed it, because of pdf, in 91, and now it's back as quick look.

 

[bigiffo]

Why 3D?

Why not release the new iWork and deal with the trivial problems later?
It sounds cool, but not everyone needs frilly edges!

 

[trevorlsciact]

we need software company's, but not applications.

by the way, i wrote a viewer for apple, that displayed documents in the finder, they killed it, because of pdf, in 91, and now it's back as quick look.

I guess I misread your post. Anyway I have faith in the future, and I believe it will be better than what most expect, and in entirely different ways--I am much more concerned with foreign policy, I do not have much faith in my government; right now, I have much more faith in the tech industry, which is sad--but I have digressed.

 

[martijn.s]

I guess I misread your post. Anyway I have faith in the future, and I believe it will be better than what most expect, and in entirely different ways--I am much more concerned with foreign policy, I do not have much faith in my government; right now, I have much more faith in the tech industry, which is sad--but I have digressed.

i thought u were making sense

software company's still have a role to play, but when software development becomes so much easier (i promise), it will just be about ideas, creativity, not huge teams rewriting the same stuff over and over (80% of all apps are the same stuff)

 

[eric_n_dfw]

I thought Pages used OpenGL already

OpenGL isn't just for transitions and the like - if you've ever used Pages, you know that the text automatically flows around objects and does so very fluidly as you move them around the page. I'm probably wrong, but I have always assumed they are leveraging OpenGL already to accomplish that with each glyph in the page being an OpenGL object and letting the GPU take care of moving them around.

If they're not doing it already, then I sure hope this job posting is to help implement it.

 

[sezme]

If anyone here had used Pages extensively, they'd know that it already includes 3-D charts. No, there's not spreadsheet app yet, but as of iWork '06, you can create tables, and charts from those tables. In 3-D(!) But I'll be the first to admit that it's a bit klunky, for example rotating a 3-D chart to get the right angle of view even on a dual 2 Ghz G5 is dog-slow not to mention hit-or miss. So anyway, I'd expect the next version will hopefully include a proper spreadsheet app and that its charts will be much nicer.

Also, as someone said earlier in the thread, I'm glad because this means they haven't abandoned iWork, all signs to the contrary.

 

[AtHomeBoy_2000]

I am guessing the next version of Keynote is already done. I think Steve has used it for his last two Keynotes. There were some new transitions and effects in there.

 

[denn333]

iWork PISSES ME OFF

Frankly, it irritates me that Apple has this software to begin with.

They ought to put their weight behind openoffice.org, which would do three things:

1. Encourage Mac users to use software that's actually COMPATIBLE (and I don't mean compatible in the half-hearted way that Keynote and Pages are "compatible" with PowerPoint and Word)

2. Introducing yet ANOTHER proprietary file format is freaking stupid.

3. they are already naturally aligned with Sun and Google, both proponets of ODF; this would just strengthen that.

4. they could dedicate less (human and physical) resources toward development.

5. God knows that iWork isn't making them any profit and NEVER WILL be a big source of money for Apple either.

6. AND THIS IS THE BIG ONE: MS Office for Mac sucks ROYALLY and iWork is not a viable alternative. We Mac users are once again left in the dust, and this time, it's totally Apple's fault.

 

[lifeseeker]

Pages is Excellent for Long Documents

I wrote my first novel (Sci-Fi) on Word, and when I hit about 300 pages, it got weird. I switched to Pages (1.0), and never looked back.

I'm now on my third work, and using Pages 2.02 and two 30" displays to create an entire "writing space." The scrolling, even with 8 pages showing, is smooth, and doesn't crash. Try that with Word.

Pages' tools integrate with iCal, and other Apple software flawlessly.

Can't wait for 3.0

 

[ricosuave]

I wrote my first novel (Sci-Fi) on Word, and when I hit about 300 pages, it got weird. I switched to Pages (1.0), and never looked back.

I'm now on my third work, and using Pages 2.02 and two 30" displays to create an entire "writing space." The scrolling, even with 8 pages showing, is smooth, and doesn't crash. Try that with Word.

Pages' tools integrate with iCal, and other Apple software flawlessly.

Can't wait for 3.0

I love Pages! Moving pictures around to where you WANT them is quite astonishing.

What tools are you referring to with iCal?

 

[Digital Skunk]

Yeah!... but not really

Frankly, it irritates me that Apple has this software to begin with.

They ought to put their weight behind openoffice.org, which would do three things:

1. Encourage Mac users to use software that's actually COMPATIBLE (and I don't mean compatible in the half-hearted way that Keynote and Pages are "compatible" with PowerPoint and Word)

2. Introducing yet ANOTHER proprietary file format is freaking stupid.

3. they are already naturally aligned with Sun and Google, both proponets of ODF; this would just strengthen that.

4. they could dedicate less (human and physical) resources toward development.

5. God knows that iWork isn't making them any profit and NEVER WILL be a big source of money for Apple either.

6. AND THIS IS THE BIG ONE: MS Office for Mac sucks ROYALLY and iWork is not a viable alternative. We Mac users are once again left in the dust, and this time, it's totally Apple's fault.

I agree with you on the whole "Apple should work with NeoOffice.org (same as OpenOffice except for the Mac) and other devs to produce inexpensive/free apps to use over the web and on the computer. I am suffering with .Mac and Gmail is much better, the only problem is that Gmail doesn't integrate with OS X and won't offer the biggest new feature of Leopard... the ability to retrieve files from another Mac effortlessly.

If Apple worked together with opensource devos to make apps that were just as powerful as the mainstream then MS would loose marketshare based on the price of its apps alone. Why buy MS Office for $300+ when you can get NeoOffice or OpenOffice for FREE... or if you want to spend $80 you can get software that works with iLife and MacOS X flawlessly and has no rival when it comes to integrating graphics.

That is why I want apple to keep iWork however.... there is no office app that works seemlessly with Aperture, iLife, Mac OS X, and each other on the market, which is why iWork IS doing so well. It does need improvement however... and as for other proprietary file formats... everyone has one. And iWorks "export" feature works just fine with every program that is supposed to open the files... it is Windows that has the problem. I haven't had much trouble opening PowerPoint documents exported from Keynote on Windows machines, especially if I use simple fonts or bring the font file with me.

 

[eastcoastsurfer]

Frankly, it irritates me that Apple has this software to begin with.

They ought to put their weight behind openoffice.org, which would do three things:

1. Encourage Mac users to use software that's actually COMPATIBLE (and I don't mean compatible in the half-hearted way that Keynote and Pages are "compatible" with PowerPoint and Word)

2. Introducing yet ANOTHER proprietary file format is freaking stupid.

3. they are already naturally aligned with Sun and Google, both proponets of ODF; this would just strengthen that.

4. they could dedicate less (human and physical) resources toward development.

5. God knows that iWork isn't making them any profit and NEVER WILL be a big source of money for Apple either.

6. AND THIS IS THE BIG ONE: MS Office for Mac sucks ROYALLY and iWork is not a viable alternative. We Mac users are once again left in the dust, and this time, it's totally Apple's fault.

I agree and for most of those reasons you list I think Apple should also put their weight behind FF/gecko and drop Safari also.

 

[heisetax]

Well, I personally experienced that with Safari for Windows. I wouldn't want to rely on productivity software that wasn't carefully tested and reliable.

Maybe that's why it is called a beta version. That means it is not ready for prime time yet.

Bill the TaxMan

 

[heisetax]

Finally another believer

I think I've stopped believing the Apple hype.
Mr. Jobs has deceived me, in a way.

I've always seen Steve Jobs as a used car salesman. A good one, but still a used car salesman. I never have worshipped him or blindly believed what he has said. I'm a Mac User inspite of Steve Jobs, not because of him.

This is the year of the non-Mac. Just before the close Apple will release the long awaited by some, meaningless to me, the iPhone. Maybe then the Mac World can become a little meaningful to Apple. Remember this iPhone thing gave a second selay to Mac OS 10.5, not the first. At least we weren't told enough about the first to really know.

Steve didn't deceive in the world of used car sales, so how could he deceive you about these secret features in Mac OS 10.5. If these are the best features of 10.5, then we will be continuing the non-Mac period of Apple. Just remeber to treat his sayings as if they came from a used car salesman, then you won't feel deceived, you'll just be getting what you expected.

Bill the TaxMan

 

[heisetax]

What is Pages anyway?

Precisely my thoughts. If they're abandoning the yearly updates they should just tell everyone. It's getting so far into 2007 that it's barely worth releasing an 07 product if they release it now. Recruiting software engineers now will surely be for products released next year.

Mind you, they really do need to add some major functionality to the iWork software. I tried Pages instead of Word, and unfortunately had to go back to Word due to lack of Pages functionality.

Finally someone willing to speak out & say that Pages, even in its second version is still a weak beginning. Or is it as strong as the end will be. Maybe that's why we haven't seen a new version of iWork. Maybe it will just revert to KeyNote as it has been all along.

Bill the TaxMan.

 

[zap2]

lmfao...iWork is ancient...if they only hiring a software engineer now, it won't be out for ageeeesssss

Whos to say this isn't for iWork '08...or an update for iWork '07...or maybe they are near they end, and want a little more work done with new eyes.


But ya this sounds like its a Keynote based Job.

 

[heisetax]

Apple has done it before

Does anyone have even a general ideal of staffing at Micro$oft compared to Apple?

My thought is this. While Apple has always been on the edge of tech in what they do they have gotten themselves into too may unrelated products which thins out their talent pool and quite possibly Steve's attention span.

Over the past few years look at the items which have pretty much gone neglected or have not been updated as often as they should have even if just minor updates.

iWeb
.mac
Pages
Keynote
Logic <--- This one is an embarrassment

While I love to see Apple expanding into different areas, they need to understand that for good or bad, Apple users have come to expect and demand continual evolution on their productions keeping them ahead of the pack.

iWeb, while a nice easy to use web designer is missing come critical items that most site now have. And for God's sake why can't you set the number on the counter?! If you've just transitioned a site from something else to a iWeb site, why would you want the counter to start over?

The one app that either Apple needs to update or sell to someone who will is Logic. Compared to other audio packages on the market, Logic is the most difficult to just jump in and use. Enough with the cut and paste loop software (garageband & soundtrack). This is a pro app right along Final Cut so they need to either bring it up to date or cut it loose. But right now it's sad just watching it die under Apple's watch.

Apple has let a lot of of their software languish in the past, why do you think that things will change in the present or the future. Tat was before they were spread so thin. Now with a thinness, I would expect more of this. Like all of the parts of iWork, iWeb, Logic & others. Even the 6 month delay in the release of OS 10.5 shows signs of the beginning of the end.

Bill the TaxMan

 

[heisetax]

No Burden?

Maybe, Logic is getting the same treatment that Shake is getting. Apple bought Shake, put it in their product lineup, killed the PC version and are now rebuilding to a higher quality product that might see daylight in 2008, and that probably integrates seamlessly with FC Studio, and the Intel multi-core roadmap, and maybe even some multitouch.

iLife and iWork have to wait for Leopard, and I suspect even a later release at MWSF 2008 won't be a huge burden on anyone.

Patience.

Some people here like iLife & iWork, as weak & limited as they may be. Since most people expected an update at MacWorld 2007, they are feeling the lack of "Computer" in the Apple Inc. name. As weak & lame as iWork maybe, don't assume your feelings are those of anyone else other than yourself. I don't expect anyone to have my feelings when it comes to Apple, so why should anyone follow yours?

Bill the TaxMan

 

[heisetax]

NeoOffice!

Maybe try NeoOffice

I will do more NeoOffice testing on my Mac with my Excel income tax prep program that I wrote 12+ years ago. All of the other spreadsheet programs have done a good job of failing greatly with all of the requirements of my programs. I'll see if I can fix the problems. One was a lack of a missing font. I'll see how my macros will hold up. I have around 75 groups of spreadsheets that are tied together.

NeoOffice seems to hold promise. Finally someone that seems to know & know right.

Bill the TaxMan

 

[Digital Skunk]

Finally someone willing to speak out & say that Pages, even in its second version is still a weak beginning. Or is it as strong as the end will be. Maybe that's why we haven't seen a new version of iWork. Maybe it will just revert to KeyNote as it has been all along.

Bill the TaxMan.

Dude... Pages and iWork aren't weak apps. Where did you get that? Have you ever tried pulling graphics, images, and other AV related stuff into Word or NeoOffice? Both apps suck with regards to that...

HAS NO ONE THOUGHT OUTSIDE THE BOX!?

I've always seen Steve Jobs as a used car salesman. A good one, but still a used car salesman. I never have worshipped him or blindly believed what he has said. I'm a Mac User inspite of Steve Jobs, not because of him.

This is the year of the non-Mac. Just before the close Apple will release the long awaited by some, meaningless to me, the iPhone. Maybe then the Mac World can become a little meaningful to Apple. Remember this iPhone thing gave a second selay to Mac OS 10.5, not the first. At least we weren't told enough about the first to really know.

Steve didn't deceive in the world of used car sales, so how could he deceive you about these secret features in Mac OS 10.5. If these are the best features of 10.5, then we will be continuing the non-Mac period of Apple. Just remeber to treat his sayings as if they came from a used car salesman, then you won't feel deceived, you'll just be getting what you expected.

Bill the TaxMan

If Steve is a used car sales man, then Bill Gates is the back alley guy trying to hustle you someone elses rims.

 

[BenRoethig]

I've always seen Steve Jobs as a used car salesman. A good one, but still a used car salesman. I never have worshipped him or blindly believed what he has said. I'm a Mac User inspite of Steve Jobs, not because of him.

Gates is the used car salesman. Jobs is kinda like the tele-evangelist who knows he has a captive audience.

 

[heisetax]

Freightliner Pickup?

And that is the problem, motivation. Apple really hasn't put much effort into making decent word processing or spreadsheet since they dissolved their claris subsidiary. It might not have the cool factor that making your own song, movie, or keynote presentation might have, but as a hobbyist writer, it's infinitely more useful to me.

But you forgot that IH did just that. They set a pickup box on the back of one of their all-wheel drive semis. So many people asked where they could buy one, they started making one a few years ago. At 100 thousand+ & the size of the unit, the market is limited, but they still sell some. The same goes for an Intel Mac Pro as a home machine. Everyone wants something sifferent & have different amounts to spend. If you happen to want to use 2 or more of Apples 30" LCD displays, a G5 PPC PowerMac or the Intel Mac Pro is the only way you can go.

I use an Intel Mac Pro with 4 displays connected to it. I run my business out of my house. Does that mean that I purchased a Freightliner to do my work? To me not. I just purchased the only easily upgradable Mac. There are PII Express expansion boards that can be connected to the Intel MacBook Pro. But that involves a lot more chance & actually more expense.

Bill the TaxMan

 

[flopticalcube]

I've always seen Steve Jobs as a used car salesman. A good one, but still a used car salesman. I never have worshipped him or blindly believed what he has said. I'm a Mac User inspite of Steve Jobs, not because of him.

This is the year of the non-Mac. Just before the close Apple will release the long awaited by some, meaningless to me, the iPhone. Maybe then the Mac World can become a little meaningful to Apple. Remember this iPhone thing gave a second selay to Mac OS 10.5, not the first. At least we weren't told enough about the first to really know.

Steve didn't deceive in the world of used car sales, so how could he deceive you about these secret features in Mac OS 10.5. If these are the best features of 10.5, then we will be continuing the non-Mac period of Apple. Just remeber to treat his sayings as if they came from a used car salesman, then you won't feel deceived, you'll just be getting what you expected.

Bill the TaxMan

Its been a very dry year from the Mac perspective and we should have seen it coming. They even dropped "Computer" from their name in January! I was quite annoyed when they said they were going to delay Leopard because of the iPhone and now my worry is that they have poured so much into this thing and hyped it so high that if it were to not meet expectations there will be some serious problems for Apple and that would have a knock-on effect on the Mac side.