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iWork.com - a waste of time and money?

neiltc13

neiltc13

macrumors 68040
Original poster
May 27, 2006
3,128
28
When the new iWork was announced with iWork.com, I was thinking that it was going to be a serious rival to Google Docs. Some websites were reporting it as so, but looking over the details on Apple.com, there is a pretty significant feature missing.

That feature is the ability to edit documents! It seems that you can only publish documents to iWork.com to allow others to read them - it doesn't allow you to edit them in any way whatsoever unless you are using a computer with iWork installed.

It seems like a waste of time to me. Why bother with such a feature when most people will simply use email to share documents?

Have I got this wrong or is there something I'm missing here?
 
I think your right, but i think it is only used for what Phill demoed it. It's not overly advanced just meant for one person to be critiqued on. I really wish they did add editing as it would be much more useful.
 
I'm confused. I uploaded a file, and managed to download it again (via the e-mail I sent myself). Then, I opened the file in Pages. Now, how do I send the edited document back to iWork.com from Pages?

By the way, the help is not helpful.

"When you republish the same document, you can choose to overwrite the older version or to maintain multiple versions of the document on iWork.com.

At the time you republish the document (through your Keynote, Pages, or Numbers application), a version number is automatically appended to the document’s name. This number is incremented by one each time you republish, allowing you to maintain multiple versions of the same document."

There's no republish option for me. Just "Share via iWork.com...". I'm assuming they mean use that again?

Oh yeah and the feedback page doesn't work either.

http://www.apple.com/en/feedback/iworkcom.html

I think this is more of an "alpha" than "beta." But I'll wait it out. And honestly, shouldn't this be free to MobileMe subscribers? Haven't they gouged us enough? Wow.
 
neiltc13 said:
Have I got this wrong or is there something I'm missing here?
Click to expand...
According to the Ars review collaborators can (a) add sticky note comments via the iWork website, or (b) can download and open the document as a Pages/Word/pdf/Google doc where they can make the necessary changes and then reupload to iWork.com. Have to wait for some more reviews to see how the respective conversions are handled. But there isn't the ability to edit them online as per google docs. Perhaps in version 1.0.
 
I've been using it since yesterday and I agree with the OP. It is useless unless you can edit it through a browser. And yes. I have sent feedback to Apple.
 
Peace said:
I've been using it since yesterday and I agree with the OP. It is useless unless you can edit it through a browser. And yes. I have sent feedback to Apple.
Click to expand...

To you perhaps, but I can see the value in making documents available for comment but not editing.
 
Peace said:
If you just want to make a comment that can be done via email for no cost.
Click to expand...

I agree, I suppose this is mainly for those who work with people who have Windows machines and as such no iWork to view documents on.
 
Peace said:
If you just want to make a comment that can be done via email for no cost.
Click to expand...

We already do it that way, but this method can be an awkward iterative process when a document is being reviewed by more than one person. So I can see the value of having a document available for public comment. That way multiple parties can add their comments and see the comments added by the others. Most of the time I do not want anyone else actually fiddling with our reports, so at this point the inability for it to be edited online isn't an issue for me.

As for whether this service will be worth whatever Apple will charge, that remains to be seen, if only because we don't know how much they will charge.
 
It's beta at the moment. I'm sure editing will be added at a later date. Apple learnt their lesson from MobileMe- add features slowly, release products in beta. Google have nearly all of their stuff in beta for about 2 years.
 
IJ Reilly said:
Longer than that sometimes. Last I checked, gmail was still a "beta." I sure don't want to see Apple become as undisciplined as Google!
Click to expand...

You're kidding right? "Beta" or not, Gmail (and most other Google online apps) is infinitely more robust and reliable than MobileMe or any other cloud service Apple has put out to date.

Google has a different approach to releasing new features and maintaining their products. They add functions/features incrementally, rather than in large monolithic product releases (as in Apple disastorous release of MobileMe).

Apple has lots and lots to learn before they begin to come close to Google in cloud apps usefullness and functionality.
 
hitekalex said:
You're kidding right? "Beta" or not, Gmail (and most other Google online apps) is infinitely more robust and reliable than MobileMe or any other cloud service Apple has put out to date.
Click to expand...

No, I'm not kidding. Gmail is still a beta, after years and years, with no changes that I can see. Google has apparently moved onto other things, and then more other things. In fact most of their products have the same unfinished look. Google Earth still has a terrible interface years after it first came out, and they keep changing the way Maps work, not to improve it, but just to change it. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Google needs to finish something before moving onto the next project. They're starting to look a lot like Microsoft with their "just good enough" attitude.
 
IJ Reilly said:
Gmail is still a beta, after years and years, with no changes that I can see.
Click to expand...

This second part of this statement tells me you either don't use Gmail, or haven't used it recently. They just introduced a whole slew of new and useful features right before holidays - check out http://gmailblog.blogspot.com/

Like I said, Google philosophy to releasing apps is different from Apple or Microsoft.. and I think it's a sign of things to come for other companies. I understand some people may be offended by "beta" label, it doesn't bother me personally as long as their stuff remains as agile and useful as it has been.
 
I'm not "offended" -- I am just observing the way Google operates and suggesting that it's not necessarily a good model for any company to follow. Google has tons of money which allows them to pursue too many projects at once without actually finishing any of them.

FWIW, I access my gmail account with Apple Mail. I have pretty much given up on Google Earth because the UI is awful and doesn't seem to be slated for any improvements, and have grown frustrated with Google Maps because they change the UI regularly without actually making it any better.
 
Not to harp on this, but not sure what type of innovations you can expect from GMail when you use third-party mail client. Give web-based Gmail client a try, it's quite nice actually and you can do much more than via Apple Mail.

I suspect we'll have to agree to disagree on Google Earth.. I only use it occasionally for entertainment purposes, but it's highly innovative and useful app. I even have an iPhone version, it's a cool conversation piece :D
 
You are missing the point. Google still considers gmail to be in beta, years after it was released.

As for Google Earth, I'm into usefulness. Conversation pieces belong on my living room coffee table.
 
I would hope that Apple would be in the mind set to continually improve iwork.com and after a few updates could over take google docs. Google doc after all are not without their own issues. It would be nice to see Apple acknowledge them and work them out of iwork.com
 
IJ Reilly said:
You are missing the point. Google still considers gmail to be in beta, years after it was released.
Click to expand...

No, I think you're the one who's missing the point. I don't care if Google calls their cloud apps "alpha", "beta", or "version 10" as long as they're useful, stable and functional. This is more than most of us can say about Apple's "release" of MobileMe.
 
hitekalex said:
No, I think you're the one who's missing the point. I don't care if Google calls their cloud apps "alpha", "beta", or "version 10" as long as they're useful, stable and functional. This is more than most of us can say about Apple's "release" of MobileMe.
Click to expand...

Apparently they don't think gmail will ever be done. Like it or not, that says something about the culture of the company, especially when they've left other products similarly undone. Trust me, Apple has taken a big thumping for botching the rollout of MobileMe. They admitted as much themselves. But please, don't try to make sound like this is something Apple does time and again, because I think we all know that they don't. In fact this was the exception that proves the rule.
 
IJ Reilly said:
Apparently they don't think gmail will ever be done. Like it or not, that says something about the culture of the company, especially when they've left other products similarly undone. Trust me, Apple has taken a big thumping for botching the rollout of MobileMe. They admitted as much themselves. But please, don't try to make sound like this is something Apple does time and again, because I think we all know that they don't. In fact this was the exception that proves the rule.
Click to expand...
IJ, you are absolutely right about Google applications continuously being in beta and unfinished. I don't think they ever finish anything before moving onto the next project, and the sloppiness of the apps shows it. I use gmail but hate it and will probably move on to something else; I only tried it because the MobileMe rollout was so bad (but as you said Apple has acknowledged this), and yes I have tried using the web app and find it frustrating (but still better than MM). What I don't like about Google is that all of their apps appear unfinished and give no thought to cohesiveness; it is quite obvious that the different development groups never talk to each other or learn from each other's mistakes.
 
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