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When I installed the AppleWorks update on an older Mac OS 8.6 system, it prompted me to install QuickTime Authoring. I wonder what that was about.
 
Re: Let it go....

What do you mean there is no need and no market? Average computer users use contextual menus on a daily basis in a Windows environment. Granted, I love my mac infinitely more, but it's time Apple just moved on in its stubborn and archaic love for one-button mice. Moreover, there is definitely a market for two-button and scroll mice from Apple. What mac user would not purchase such a mouse from Apple rather than Microsoft, Belkin, etc. The very fact that the mouse will most likely match and conform to Apple's fashion sensibility is more than reason to purchase it.

Originally posted by Krizoitz
I really wish people would give up on this old argument. There is no reason for Apple to make a mouse with a scroll wheel. There isno reason for them to make a mouse with multiple buttons either.

Why?

Simplicity. The original designers of the Macintosh wanted the user to be able to learn to use the computer simply by watching. If you have multiple buttons its not as easy to learn. And yes I realize that learning to use a multi-button mouse isn't THAT hard but there are more factors.

Need. The average computer user doesn't NEED a second button or a scroll wheel. Yes those of us who regularly visit these forums probably do, but you have to remember, we aren't a very good sample of the whole Mac community. We represent the high end users, so its a bad idea to assume that our needs reflect the needs of all Mac users.

No market. Face it, there are a TON of great third party mice/trackballs out there. Kensington, Logitech, Macally, Microsoft even make great USB mice from the most basic to the most advanced of features in a huge price range. Why should Apple spend the time and money creating something that it doesn't need to.

So quit waiting for Apple to make an uber mouse, spend $15 and you can find a nice multi-button, scroll wheel, optical mouse, or spend more money to get all the bells and whistles.
 
Re: Re: Re: Re: Let it go....

Originally posted by SiliconAddict
You yourself made my point. As I had stated previously if you use something enough you automatically assume its the easiest method of doing something.

Let me ask one final question on the topic. Lets assume we found someone with ZERO PC or Mac experience. Which system do you think they would pick up the right/alternate mouse click first?

Well, in point of fact, I've helped set several people up with new computers when they've never used a computer before. I've helped them with both Macs and PCs. In general, I've recieved more calls for help from the PC newbies than from the Mac newbies. Why? Because the interface on Mac OS doesn't need the contextual menus. Everything you can do from the contextual menus you can also do from an actual menu. So, the Mac newbies are able to see what they want to do much faster. It's far easier for them. Now, if the graduate from being a newbie and start to explore some of the more advanced features, great! Then they can learn how to use contextual menus.

As a contrast, the PC people are forever looking for the proper widget to click to get at what they want. 'Do I look in the tool bar, the menu bar, or the stupid right click thingie?!?' It's a much more difficult system to learn, based on my experience with newbies.


... an alternate/right mouse click or a 2 button mouse where after 10-15 clicks an average, relatively intelligent, individual should pick up on it...

Again, I know several individuals that would take great insult with that comment, including my grandfather-in-law, who used to work for the Navy designing battleships, amoung other things. I certainly would not refer to him as anything other than quite intelligent.

You like the single mouse. That’s great you can live with that. But coming from a PC environment I can’t live without a 2 button mouse.

I never said that I like a one button mouse. All I ever said was that I can't stand multiple buttons on a track pad on a laptop. In point of fact, on my workstation I have a multi-button track ball. Actually, not only do I not like one button mice for my own use, I don't like mice at all. If I'm going to be doing any kind of serious work at a computer, I want a track ball. Does that mean that I think Apple should produce multi-button track balls for all of their computers? No. Not in the slightest. Why not? Because a mouse is easier for beginners to learn and use and because it's just as easy for me to go and get the track ball that suits me. After all, if I'm spending $3k on a computer, am I really going to complain about spending another $40 for the right interface tool? Not likely.

I’ve NEVER had problems with the mice buttons on my laptops. Its 1/2 an inch difference in spacing from the right mouse to the left. *shrugs* Its always been fine for me.

It's not the distance between them that's the problem for me. It's the placement. I typically rest my thumb across the button on the trackpad and navigate with my index finger. To reach the right button on Windows laptops, I have to shift my whole hand over to get my thumb to it (very impractical), or, on others, my thumb tends to rest at the joint between the two buttons, and clicking becomes a highly unpredictable affair. Now, maybe if there was a button along each side of the track pad, so the right edge button could be the right click, and I could hit it with my ring finger, that might just work well. But, as I said, I'm not against multiple buttons on PowerBooks (or even, for that matter, multi-button mice available for Power Macs - I just think that the consumer line is well aimed with simplicity being a key feature), I'm just against any configuration that I've seen so far.

Fortunately I think I have a workaround for when I get my PowerBook. Double tap the touchpad for left click, mouse for right. From what I understand you can program these for the touchpad and mouse button so there is somewhat of a workaround. I’m still going to have to carry a BT mouse with me because of this.

When you get your PowerBook, I'd recommend installing the SideTrack alternative trackpad driver. It makes programming button clicks this way easy, and it gives you edge scroll wheels.

I hope you enjoy your PowerBook when you get it. I think we're actually closer to agreeing than at first it might have seemed.

Peace.
 
Re: OpenOffice compatible?

Originally posted by zamyatin
The way overstated hockey phrase from the business world, about skating to where the puck is going, not where it is now, comes to mind.

Attempting compatibility with MS Office is useful in the short term. Being completely compatible with OpenOffice is a requirement in the long term. Please make it so with the next version of AppleWorks! Even use the OpenOffice file formats as the default for AW -- they are completely open and fully documented, and can be shared with OOo on four major platforms, as well as with AbiWord on Linux, KWrite is adopting them, etc, etc.

Everyone is moving toward OpenOffice. When the tipping point arrives, MS Word will fall off the end of the world and OOo will be supreme! Get ready...

The big problem with this is that OO isn't going to be anywhere near ready for primetime on Mac OS X for at least a couple of years. I check back with them every now and again, and right now their just in a holding pattern waiting for the Toolkit to be updated before they continue development further, and that's not expected for about a year. So, while I had hopes for using OO a couple of years ago, the glacial pace that the development has taken leaves me feeling that I'm not going to hold my breath.

The rumor that really got my hopes up was that Apple was working with Sun to port Star Office to the Mac. Now that would be something. A fully supported version of an alternate, powerful office suite. But that rumor was quickly debunked. Oh well.
 
Re: Re: Let it go....

Originally posted by slpdprvd
What do you mean there is no need and no market?
{snippage}
Apple rather than Microsoft, Belkin, etc. The very fact that the mouse will most likely match and conform to Apple's fashion sensibility is more than reason to purchase it.

I would have bought an Apple brand mouse if it has all of the features of the relatively cheap Logitech Marble Mouse: scroll buttons, left & right buttons, and a trackball.

I hate moving any hockey puck all over the desktop.

I hate pressing a keyboad key AND a mouse button to get the contextual menus.

The scrolling buttons are just icing on the cake.
=-=
JJ
 
Re: Yeah.

Originally posted by MOFS
Once again Apple offers a feature...but then doesn't allow us non-north Americans to use it. If you read the fine-print, the update won't work on European (or Asian or African or...) Macs.

Back to TextEdit for me...:(

The international version is available from Apple UK at least...

http://www.apple.com/uk/appleworks/update/

It never appeared in my Software Update for some reason but it is available.

On a side note, it would seem even the AppleWorks team don't use it. The release notes are horrible html generated from Microsoft Word - Doh!
 
CW Benefits

Waiting for AppleWorks to update has been almost as bad as waiting for my ex to call. I understand why it's against Apple's best interest at the moment to do a complete update (assuming that MS's response to Safari would be similar to their response to a full AW update), but there's a large part of me that can't help but want it.

Despite what it's still missing, there are so many things it has that Word just hasn't caught up with. The Draw feature alone is something that Word has never gotten right (with pictures and shapes popping completely off of the page for no apparent reason and putting itself inline with text even when you tell it not to). And the integration of the easy-to-use database with both word processing and with draw is incredibly powerful. If I need to throw together a quick database and merge data into a Draw document, CW/AW is where I'm going to go.

As a power user, I use more powerful programs all day, but AW is always there as my right-hand man to fill in the holes.

I'd love to see Keynote and Filemaker packaged with an updated Draw and Word Processor. (MS can keep Excel).

Now, I have to hop on the mouse debate. While I can understand why some people want the second button, those people have to understand that the rest of us are deathly afraid that if Apple makes a two-button mouse, they'll stop making the one-button mouse we love. The Mac is a beautiful OS with its constantly changing menu bar that negates the "need" for a second button. The mouse becomes a natural extension of your hand.

On the off chance that you need a contextual menu, Control+Click couldn't be easier - with the mouse in your right hand (sorry lefties) and the Control key conveniently located in the lower left-hand corner of the keyboard.

Personally, I have a Mac and a PC on my desk - and the only difference in the mice is that one is the black Apple mouse and the other is the white Apple mouse. It works just fine on Windows 98, 2000, and XP.

As graceful as ClarisWorks, itself. And much easier on the right pointer finger for those of us with joint problems.

And, for those who can't get enough buttons, they do make a mouse with over a hundred buttons - it's called a keyboard. ;)

Long Live ClarisWorks and Filemaker!
 
Sadly, this updater seems to only be for the U.S. version. I am running the U.K. version and it just tells me that I cannot run the updater. Touch wood an update for the U.K. will be in the works.

I use AppleWorks a lot, and it's actually getting me through my MSc (essay wise).

Have a nice day!

Edit: A U.K. version is already available according to a poster above. Hoorah!

Edit2: Ooh! And the poster below. How lovely!
 
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