iApp Updates Coming: iMovie, iTunes, iPhoto and New App?

[Token]

Apple Blog

I think for consumers they will release a collaborative blog/diary/text/web publishing app, integrated with iChat/Address book, etc...

Later on, they will introduce "Apple Final Word" for Word Pro's (for creative writers, academics, students, etc..)

 

[singletrack]

Originally posted by JDOG_
Why do people want a new word processor? MS word is excellent and the industry standard. When you work cross-platform you'll appreciate it, I think a lot of people rag on it because they're the Mac only type.

Nope. People like choice. Word is too big and full of features many people don't need plus it's missing some features some people do need. And it's not cheap.

However, because people send you Word format documents, any word processor you have needs to support it. Since MS do not publish the file format, it's almost impossible for other vendors to compete.

I think a lot of things need to be added to iTunes and iPhoto basically needs a complete overhaul...for self-tauting it as the "missing link in photography" it fails to live up to that as I had more luck with Microsoft's Photo Wizard with my old laptop. In fact I still have to use my PC to put pictures onto my website because I don't want to pay $40 for a decent ftp program.

iPhoto needs one thing - more speed. It's partly because it opens in the Library and has to thumbnail 1000's of images and partly just because it's slow. The Library problem can be worked around by sticking the default view as 'Film Roll mode' and collapsing all the rolls.

iTunes - all it needs for me is a method of picking up new files you add outside of iTunes without having to delete your library and reimport the whole file structure.

 

[singletrack]

Originally posted by rdowns
If Apple releases a competitor to Office, MS retaliates and cuts off Macs from the corporate world.

Even when I use Word to write docs, I always send them in PDF format. It's smaller, doesn't store revision edits which can be potentially embarrassing in contracts and preserves font and layout better than Word does. It's cross platform and non-Word users can still view it for free. Plus people with old versions of Word aren't left out because you've used the latest whizzbang version.

You only need Word when multiple authors are involved. When that's the case I tend to use RTF. It's not that big a deal in the corporate world if people used it sensibly.

The problem is, loads of people don't.

 

[Trimix]

Re: But Don't Forget...

Originally posted by Tommy Wasabi
It should have BlueTooth!

Cool, it would call me on my i-phone, to tell me the toast is ready, while I am shaving with my i-pod-shaver (shave and hum...) 😀

 

[djdarlek]

iDJ

well i'd like to see Apple introduce iDJ!

I currently DJ in a club using Megaseg and have learnt to just set BPMs manually.. and then i saw 'Atomix' (pc) in action where it partically mixes itself! I felt quit bitter.

Apple need a program that auto BPMs, access the iTunes music database and has loads of trippy visuals. They do seem to be trying to pioneer a lot of things music wise atm, yet the crossfade in iTunes just doesn't cut it for partys and ESPECIALLY these iPod party nights everyone is talking about.

Ok, so i can dream at least. [Megaseg, f'ing get auto BPMing working!]

 

[billyboy]

Appleworks needs a cosmetic upgrade; it should be compatable for right click copy and paste, and scroll, and have improved Save As compatability with all standards, be it MS or Open Office. But really, as far as practical use, I think it is a good balance between function and bloat. Call me a dumbass teacher but basically its good enough for professional looking, easy to achieve work, especially the draw package. Then again, I do think Text Edit is great too, so what do I know about glam apps!

 

[GregA]

Originally posted by billyboy
Appleworks needs a cosmetic upgrade; it should be compatable for right click copy and paste, and scroll, and have improved Save As compatability with all standards, be it MS or Open Office. But really, as far as practical use, I think it is a good balance between function and bloat. Call me a dumbass teacher but basically its good enough for professional looking, easy to achieve work, especially the draw package. Then again, I do think Text Edit is great too, so what do I know about glam apps!

I use MS Office, I need the file compatibility but not many functions really. So yeah - MS file formats would be great.

But beyond that - how about just separating out the Appleworks programs (iWord, iSpread, iBase, iDraw, iPaint, iPresent...?) and link applications the same way iTunes and iMovie are linked.

Each application can be individually cleaned up & improved, and might share common code with other Apple apps (Filemaker? Keynote? TextEdit?). iPaint may have some synergy with iPhoto?

 

[iAlan]

How about a management tool for all the iApps- Maybe iApp Manager, where you can link audio, video, DVD and picture files in a central database and can call this up as a module in the other iApps, thereby not needing to bog down any one iApp (like is the case with iMovie) with everything already loaded. Just load iApps Manager from the file menu and you get an instant list of items to select from. Close it down and there is nothing running to slow the system down.

I hope the above explains what I am trying to say!!

Also, a more developed web design tool, an enhanced version of the current HomePage app that will alow you to add a little more creativity to your homepage, not just the bland standardised stuff in HomePage. Could maybe use Keynote as a layout tool.

 

[Potus]

Originally posted by JDOG_
Why do people want a new word processor? MS word is excellent and the industry standard. When you work cross-platform you'll appreciate it, I think a lot of people rag on it because they're the Mac only type.

I want an apple works update because I use MS word on a daily basis in my work.

Knowing and using something doesn't necessarily make one love it.

 

[Potus]

Originally posted by billyboy
Appleworks needs a cosmetic upgrade; it should be compatable for right click copy and paste, and scroll, and have improved Save As compatability with all standards, be it MS or Open Office. But really, as far as practical use, I think it is a good balance between function and bloat. Call me a dumbass teacher but basically its good enough for professional looking, easy to achieve work, especially the draw package. Then again, I do think Text Edit is great too, so what do I know about glam apps!

What you said.

The database rocks.

 

[TMay]

Filemaker 7, where art thou?

I haven't heard a thing about Filemaker 7 for months. Anybody have anything about when this might appear. I'm still at 5.5 as 6.0 was a pretty minimal update.

 

[mister880]

iDVD add RW Support!

If only Apple would add DVD-RW support to iDVD! My mirror door has a built in DVD-RW drive even though apple calls them a dvd-r drive. Why don't they market the RW format?

I would burn so much more! I don't send out movies as often as I would like when I think about th $5.00 a disc!

Kevin Leidecker
www.kevtv.com

 

[PeteyKohut]

What about iVideo? Sort of a video jukebox. iTunes is to Music what iVideo is to videos and movies. Not an editor, rather an organizer. I know there are third party solutions to do this, but they suck!

 

[bankshot]

Re: iDVD add RW Support!

Originally posted by mister880
If only Apple would add DVD-RW support to iDVD! My mirror door has a built in DVD-RW drive even though apple calls them a dvd-r drive. Why don't they market the RW format?

It's actually quite easy to burn a DVD-RW from iDVD. When you click Burn and it asks for a disc, put in a regular DVD-R. Then when it starts encoding the video, hit the eject key and swap in a DVD-RW. iDVD won't know the difference. I've done this many times.

As to why they don't officially support it, I suppose it's probably because DVD-RW has a hard time playing in many DVD players. It's probably Apple's philosophy of making everything extremely simple, and avoiding a bunch of novice users becoming confused or frustrated because their DVD-RW didn't play.

 

[~Shard~]

Re: Re: iDVD add RW Support!

Originally posted by bankshot
It's actually quite easy to burn a DVD-RW from iDVD. When you click Burn and it asks for a disc, put in a regular DVD-R. Then when it starts encoding the video, hit the eject key and swap in a DVD-RW. iDVD won't know the difference. I've done this many times.

Nice one, I'll have to give that a try msyelf! Now all I need is something to burn onto DVD... 😉

 

[~Shard~]

Originally posted by PeteyKohut
What about iVideo? Sort of a video jukebox. iTunes is to Music what iVideo is to videos and movies. Not an editor, rather an organizer. I know there are third party solutions to do this, but they suck!

But then would this app also play the movies, just as iTunes plays your music? Because if so, then what would QuickTime be good for anymore? An iMovie app would be nice though if they combined the functionality of QuickTime Pro, VLC and MPlayer, but I don't know if this is really feasible.

 

[coolsoldier]

Originally posted by ~Shard~
But then would this app also play the movies, just as iTunes plays your music? Because if so, then what would QuickTime be good for anymore?

Remember that QuickTime is more than just QuickTime player. iTunes does, and an iVideo app would probably also, use QuickTime to play. As for QuickTime Pro, the primary purpose of it is to edit, not play, videos. But for an iVideo app to be useful to me, it would have to be able to rip from DVD, and because of the legal issues surrounding De-CSS, I don't see that happening.

 

[CalamityShane]

My 2¢

Here are a couple of simple suggestions that I think would enhance the iApps and make them a lot more fun:

1. iPhoto integration with iCal. Make your own Calendars with pictures of your family. It could have all of your recurring dates like birthdays.

2. iTunes should have something to print a quick and dirty CD cover and/or CD label. With the design geniuses at Apple, they could make a few snazzy templates. More importantly, it would automatically print the song titles/ artist on the cover insert as well. Wouldn't this be great for all those mix tapes you make? Anyone else get annoyed w/ the way you have to put in a CD to burn? How about an easy method for splitting a track?

3. Ditto on the need to improve speed on iPhoto. Also, there should be more options for uploading pictures to other photo printing sites simply.

4. Appleworks - it needs a total overhaul obviously. Why not have integration w/ iCal and better yet Address book (for address labels, form letters, etc..)

 

[TorbX]

a bit late, but I'd like to comment this

Originally posted by pyknosis
coolsoldier: Just to be precise about the US vs. European GDPs, according to the CIA factbook 2002, which I referenced for this very question a while ago:

USA GDP = ~10 trillion USD
Europe* GDP sum = ~10.4 trillion USD

*Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Luxemborg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK

So, yes, there is certainly money to be made in the European economy, but at the current time, I think Apple and many other hardware and software companies are trying to establish users in the very rapidly growing Asian economies. Perhaps Europe is on the back burner for a lot of companies because of that focus?

There are treatys between most european countries that makes law and stuff very easy. You know, the Euro-currency and stuff. Should not be very hard at all...

I sure hope for it, I envy you folks in America 🙂

Myself, I live in Norway. Total population of 4 million people, not a member in EU... I guess we'll be diddeling along all the way back in the line... 🙂

 

[scat999999]

The level of paranoia here is hysterical. >

Microsoft is a software company that could care less what platform their software is running on as long as someone is buying it. Gates will support Office X as long as there is a market for it. Even if Apple releases a killer productivity suite, corporate America won't switch from Office. It's too ingrained. Sure, the Apple faithful may switch, but as long as the IT departments insist on Office compatability, MS will stay in the game. Sometimes you guys tend to forget that Gates et al don't do this for a hobby!

Originally posted by SiliconAddict
Actually Microsoft could kill office in a manner that would appear legit. Let Apple’s new Office app get nice and cozy (maybe 6 months.) and then drop the bombshell that hey if Apple is going to create their own Office suite why do they need MS Office. It’s basically the same reason they gave for **** canning IE. And frankly it’s hard to prove anticompetitive practices when your competitors put out a product to compete against yours. It would be as if MS giving up on the Apple platform would be anticompetitive and that can’t be claimed.
Contrary to popular belief there are A LOT of people that would not even consider a Mac if MS Office wasn’t available.
Someone had mentioned in a thread I read that the thing going on between Apple and Microsoft is like a cold war. Dang straight. Apple has an aging Appleworks product that is sitting out there and languishing. The closest Apple has come to sending a shot across Microsoft’s bow is with Keynote and even then that was ONE app.
I’m wondering if there is an unspoken agreement where as long as Apple doesn’t decide to update or push a new Office suite Microsoft will continue to support the Mac platform. I personally think both companies are hovering over the BUTTON. Apple wants to get this collar they have around there neck off but can’t really predict how the market would react and Microsoft wants to drop Mac support in a big way but right now is somewhat fearful as to what new antitrust charges would get slapped on them with such an action. If anything they are looking for an excuse.

PS- I’ve always wondered how the developers who are in the Microsoft Mac BU are treated by the rest?