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iWork to Become a Web Application at Macworld?

MacRumors said:
9to5Mac claims that Apple will be announcing at Macworld that the next version of iWork will be composed of web-based applications. According to the rumor site, that means the future versions of Numbers, Pages and Keynote will be entirely browser based.
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Sure hope not. I can't see iWork web being fast…and will we need to pay a subscription to use it?

If the "iWork web" part is just an extension of iWork and the main applications are still local, that would likely be a good thing. But I can't see how an all-web iWork will turn out good.

Maybe Apple is (if true) doing this for the rumored mini-tablet. But still, I can't see why they can't just make iWork mobile for that.

Bokito said:
I don't have a clue about the current status of Safari 4 but they might introduce it at MacWorld.
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For iWork web…

Bokito said:
It is very stable and they could use the "Save as application function" that is currently part of Safari 4 to get Pages, KeyNote and Numbers to work as real apps.
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That would be the next best thing from a local app + web extensions. I wonder how long it would take to save those apps though.

Bokito said:
I also wonder how QuickTime export/import in KeyNote is going to work. They might drop it.
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PLEASE NO
 
Note, that the front page article doesn't very accurately represent the 9to5 rumor. The rumor does not suggest that "future versions of Numbers, Pages and Keynote will be entirely browser based." What is does say is this:

We just got a truckload of Macworld information dumped on us from our best source. As we piece it together we'll trickle it out. The first big piece of information is that iWork is going into the Cloud. Not just storage, either. We are talking interface for Numbers, Pages and Keynote (which is going to see some interesting new templates and transition additions). Yes, the iWork applications are now going to be Web Applications.
This isn't a huge surprise as the industry (Google, Microsoft, Zoho) is heading in this direction. Questions remain that we'll try to get sorted ASAP. Will this work on iPhone/iPod touch? Will there be traditional apps that go along for offline access - or will this use Safari's new Offline DB functionality? Stay tuned...
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Note, no suggestion that "future versions ... will be entirely browser based." And since that would not really make any sense, I'd say all the worrying about Apple suddenly yanking the rug out from under current iWork users is baseless.
 
This will not kill the standalone-version of iWork, it will complement it. I bet they would do this so you could have iWork in iPhone...
 
well it kinda makes sence, but only if there is a desktop companion.

In my dev version of safari 4, there is an option to make a web app out of any web page. this can easily be done with like gmail or mobile me, or "webWork".
this not only is usefull when using the suite online but necessary for a netbook. An apple netbook that comes with safari 4 and wireless internet. thats apple's solution for not being able to pack apps on a netbook.

and u say u want wordprocessing for iphone? there u go. all u need to take to the presentation is ur iphone which with firmware 2.5 now has video out for things like mobile keynote.


just a thought....
 
My feeling is that Apple will still make physical software versions of iWork but make internet apps that tie in with them.
I have a feeling that if apple released a netbook it would come with a mobileme subscription and therefore be mostly based on internet apps. Just a thought though.

Edit: Whoops sorry I just read the article and replied without reading other comments =/
 
NO.

We're not ready for Web-only applications. Unless Apple starts incorporating 3G chips into all Macs, this had better stay optional.
 
that is just freaking dumb!!

web based application?? i wouldnt mind a version of it avail with some special online features. but cmon, i buy this program and i certainly dont want to require being online.

hell i would hate to have to use safari to use keynote or other versions.

that would be proof positive of the continual debasement of the the Apple company.
 
IJ Reilly brought up a very insightful point, did anyone read what he said? Apparently Arn's summarization of the article was incorrect. No where in the original article did it say that iWork would become totally web based.
 
More proof (as if we needed any) that people just don't pay attention.

MasterNile said:
IJ Reilly brought up a very insightful point, did anyone read what he said? Apparently Arn's summarization of the article was incorrect. No where in the original article did it say that iWork would become totally web based.
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Thanks, it's nice to know that somebody is reading!
 
Doesn't make sense for these apps to be net based. Besides they would have to change the name to: Imightwork
 
CrackedButter said:
So much over reaction over a rumour. Lame.
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This. And I wonder how many of these people even have iWork on their Macs?

I am not so sure it is a good idea either, but don't use Google Apps as the standard for apps in the cloud. Those apps are very basic.

Also, do you think Apple has not thought of all the things mentioned in this thread?

And lastly, vote with your dollars. Even if it entirely goes to the cloud, I doubt it will be free. If it is not, then don't buy it.

Personally, I use Open Office for the little personal work I need to do in an office suite. And at work I use what they tell me to use, which is Microsoft Office.
 
I really hope Apple knows better than this.

I don't get this trend were everything needs to be on the Net. I see it being useful as an additional feature for some users without MacBooks and need that functionality and data on the road, but I want my programs, and my files on my computers locally. I don't want to be a slave to my internet service provider and someone else's servers just to open a document. :mad:

But it is just a rumor, and I'm confident Apple is better than that. That's why we love them.
 
cool down. this is just a baseless rumor. of course iwork will stay a real application. they might add document sharing and such to mobileme. that would be great. but iwork as a office program will stay local on your HD.
 
As usual, IJReilly is the voice of reason around here.

Keep fighting the good fight. I know it keeps getting tougher around here.
 
Good news.

I think this is great news, especially given the fact that it's unlikely this would entirely replace the local iWork app.

Certainly the current generation of web-based productivity apps have their limitations, but I think we've only seen the beginning of what is only going to improve. The advantages of a software as service model here outweigh latency issues for many small, medium and even larger businesses. This is market that's profitable right now, and is only going to become more so.

With that said for many of us it doesn't make sense, but should this turn out to be true, and I would guess that eventually Apple would put out such a product, no one can say that the decision from a business standpoint wouldn't make sense.

Additionally, Apple (almost) never enters a market unless it has a great product, and that kind of competition is exactly what's needed here to drive the development and innovation of these web-based productivity platforms.

I see it as a smart move for Apple, a smart move for shareholders, and really great news for the rest of us who get to benefit from having the most talented folks in the business compete to create a really viable web-based productivity suite. I just don't see Apple canning the desktop app and forcing people to use the web platform--right now it makes sense to have a choice, and I think that's what we'll get.
 
slu said:
Also, do you think Apple has not thought of all the things mentioned in this thread?
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Given Apple's poor history with web apps, that is entirely possible. Web apps are something they just do not do well.
 
I really hope this isn't true, as it will be very disappointing. As a MobileMe subscriber and GoogleDocs user, I've gotten a feel of how web apps work, and I'm not too fond of them. MobileMe has a hard time keeping up with itself a lot of times, and it's not as fast and as responsive as native apps.
Please keep iWork on OS X.
 
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