What I've discovered through my extensive use of ClarisWorks, iWork, MS Works, and MS Office over the years is that one's approach to a task is just as important as the feature-list of the particular tool being used.
Many people have become accustomed to (what I call) the "do it" button. Rather than understand the underlying concepts employed in creating content, people have become heavily reliant on "do it" buttons (menu options, etc.). The "do it" buttons are a simple one-click solution for tasks to be performed, or a very specific setting that adjusts the software's behavior.
If one takes an "MS Office" mindset in using iWork '09, they will see it as far inferior. But, by thinking differently, the functionality gap between the two is less than a feature spec sheet would imply.
I still use iWork '09 and MS Office (2003/2007/2010) extensively each day... I prefer iWork, but I know that those days are numbered. When that time comes, I'll most likely switch away from OSX to Windows... MS Office for Mac is not a preferable option.
I'm surprised at how many people think that they can get an iPhone for "free" when signing up for a 2 year cell service contract.
I dread the oversimplification as well, it's a direct result of many people lacking any motivation to grow beyond the simplest of tasks.
In order to make software work
somehow for everyone companies are more and more going the way of dumbing down their products, which is also accelerated by the "feature parity" paradigm they strive for amongst their platforms.
(e.g. tablets/web/desktop)
Often times this would be perfectly avoidable, if a user was given the choice to get more options in return, if just hidden away in an "Advanced..." tab.
However, that is not happening as much as it should.
Few things in computing are as frustrating as software thinking it's smarter than you when you don't ask it to do something the easy way, but the advanced right way.
It's nice that more people end up being empowered to get started with the application, I welcome that, but to break power users' possibilities is just ridiculously overblown and when applications get recoded from ground up and the old code base doesn't see substantial love for YEARS the recode better be done thorough and not ask you to wait even longer to wait for features being readded.
Yes, I look at you, iWork.
I wish Apple was the only developer acting by this terrible principle.
Oh and: thanks for the notice you gave me regarding iPhoto for iOS past iOS 8.
I enjoyed being forced to stay out of the app a lot! /s
Apple says you can't use private frameworks, because apps would break too easily, once a developer makes changes that break another developer's software as well.
So you have to bundle the framework code.
Fine, but when Apple breaks apps BY INTENTION like with iPhoto or when often apps that don't get updates anymore break with high certainty after a few iOS major versions then this is quite ironic.
Apple and compatibility, it's really a horrible story.
Yet here we are, with Windows getting a bit better again after the ridiculous nannying Microsoft had in store with Windows 8: No, you do not need a start menu.
Fast forward to Windows 10: You asked for it, here it is! Star menu is back!
This is similarly ridiculous, but it's not as tragic. Especially as Microsoft saw their mistake and worked on it.
I still very much love my Mac and the OS I still much prefer to Windows in various aspects, but it's hard to trust Apple with compatibility.
Glassed Silver:mac
