Omnigroup Commits to Bring Five Productivity Apps to iPad

[Lesser Evets]

Wow, that's quite a great suite of programs! Developers are coming to the Pad with true productivity.

On a negative side, that site of Omni's is awful. They really need a text editor/organizer to make the sale. It was hell to read through the site and figure out what the products do. Just a true and simple single sentence to begin, then a 2 or 3 sentence paragraph to expand, then better outlining of specific points.

But, after spending a lot of time reading through the stuff, their programs seem great.

 

[TraceyS/FL]

When is the last time you sat like that? WTF.... are his legs floating in the air, or up on a table? Or is it a contrived video that masks just how awkward any level of productivity will be on this thing?

Toy? Yes. Paradigm shift? Laughable.

Crap. I can't buy it, I don't own a coffee table.

Oh well, I'm pretty sure I can figure something out! Lol!!

Glad to hear about the omni products, can't wait to hear what else might pop up!

 

[Hattig]

Crap. I can't buy it, I don't own a coffee table.

Oh well, I'm pretty sure I can figure something out! Lol!!

Glad to hear about the omni products, can't wait to hear what else might pop up!

I can imagine lots of people sitting with the iPad on their lap, resting on the cushion that they've put on their knees to get a decent angle on the device.

I can imagine the single handed walking around scenario better!

The Omni applications are great, although I haven't tried the latest versions. OmniOutliner in particular is very useful, and OmniGraffle IMO makes Visio look like the 1990s product it is. They're a definite pull towards the iPad like iWork is. I might put off buying the iPad until all the apps I would like are available though - will avoid the initial release, might even get the version with the next OS release which hopefully does some form of multitasking (why else have a dock on the iPad?) even if it is limited to two or three user applications.

 

[huntercr]

ok don't derail the thread

Lets talk about Omni products shalll we?

I can't say they're stuff I use ever day but Omni Graffle has come in very handy at home for me drawing up quick plans for landscaping ( believe it or not ) and house wiring and one off 2D things like that.

I think that would be extremely useful on iPad. I think products like that would really shine on iPad... it would be perfect for that spontaneous "scrap of paper" design and planning.

 

[twoodcc]

i'm glad that they are porting their apps for the ipad. and i hope more developers do so as well

 

[pubwvj]

Expect for Apple to have 3 different SDK's soon

I expect that it will all merge into one scaleable operating system and one SDK. You can already run iPad/iPhone/iPodTouch Apps inside the MacOSX for development. Soon we'll see users get that within iTunes and the MacOSX. Then MacOSX will run on the iPad. Symmetry. The iP OS is really just a simplified access to the OS. Apple did this before a long time ago but failed and this time they'll get it right.

 

[pmz]

Pff. Call me when it runs OSX and it no longer matters what companies want to spend their sweet time developing for yet another platform. Until then, I'll be on my laptop.

Good for you, hope you enjoy.

Meanwhile Apple is bringing the benefits of a computer to people who can't use one.

Happy with your laptop? Excellent! Your needs are SATISFIED.

Guess you don't give a crap about the people who want to use computers but are not going to spend minimum $1000 on something they don't know how to use?

 

[swagi]

The iPod had (and probably still has) the best user interface of any MP3 player.

There is not the slightest hint that suggests a touchscreen tablet is a superior interface to anything already on the market. You hold it with one hand and hunt/peck type with another, inefficient. You lay it flat and stare down at a table, inefficient. You prop it against your knees (God help you if you're 30+ or don't want to put your feet on your furniture) and type at an awkward angle, inefficient.

Notice all the promotional material when the person is typing on the iPad:

[**]

When is the last time you sat like that? WTF.... are his legs floating in the air, or up on a table? Or is it a contrived video that masks just how awkward any level of productivity will be on this thing?

Toy? Yes. Paradigm shift? Laughable.

When was the last time I sat like that? Hmmm...yesterday evening. While my head was resting on my wife's legs my feet were just put on the sofa while I was surfing with my Powerbook.

So...yeah...I'd sit like this a lot of times. Like two to three hrs an evening.

And talking about productivity: What do you actually need as information to understand, that the iPad is in no way meant to be a productivity tool? It's a LIFESTYLE OBJECT, giving you some convenient time while doing leisure projects (like using Numbers for your household plan).

Maybe I should put it that way: The iPad is an accessory. It is no tool.

Think it will flop? Well, in the nerd community basically yes, but I see millions of 30+ people, that will love this thing.

Why do you think, Apple designed a very high profile accessory case?

Because they know, that people like me will spend 150$ alone for this spectacular case.

You think, that's not worthy? Well, let me tell you that way, I'm still waiting for a MBP, that will replace my Powerbook. I'm still waiting for a 15-incher, that not only sells for 3,500 € (should be around 4,500 $) but is worth that money. I paid that for my Powerbook and still don't regret it.

So I'd rather go for the top-of-the-line 3G iPad to tide me over, while Apple still fails to deliver a worthy notebook.

But as soon as there is a Core i5-MBP 15" with Blu-Ray, that is half an inch thicker but offers some hrs. more battery and comes with OLED and some advanced I/O-options (say FW 3200, USB 3 or LightPeak) - count me in. I'm buying.

 

[JeffDM]

Enjoy that laptop (I am using one now) while you can cause they are going to stop making them in 5-10 years. "Touch" the future.

That's a short timeline. Even desktops still aren't dead yet. Mainframes desktops were supposed to kill aren't dead yet either.

Yes to print.

I wonder how they'd do it. They would probably have to have a service running on a local computer, because so many people don't have networked printers, and there's an issue of drivers. I recall there is an iPhone program that did it this way.

But, along the FB talking point that this some paradigm-shifting product, it IS crippled. I've been surfing the Internet on my couch since 2004. Surfing the Internet isn't groundbreaking.... this is 2010. The FB's say this isn't meant to replace your computer - well, it's going to be competing head-on with netbooks that offer a lot more for a lot less money. But, but.... it isn't a netbook, they say. Well a Segway isn't a scooter, but it couldn't compete against scooters.

The Segway being what it is, probably won't ever be realistically priced compared to scooters unless they can hold on long enough to significantly simplify their circuitry. But for a hundred or so dollars more than a netbook, you get a device with a nice-sized IPS screen with a good viewing angle. If the tablet is built as well as the MacBook Pros, then it's going to be far better built than the netbooks I've tried. The OS limitations are unfortunate though.

The only people who think that this is some great paradigm shift in the history of computing are simpletons who are amazed by a different, inefficient input method.

The tablet does accept keyboards. And the keynote video gave a glimpse of how simple and yet powerful the controls can be. If you haven't seen it, I suggest watching it.

For the record, I'm not sold on it just yet, but I'm not writing it off yet either.

I started noticing this later on in the Flash thread. Web sites will just bend over from the lack of Flash and just start making application versions of their websites instead. That's somehow the "new" internet with Apple as the gatekeeper.

It would be unfortunate if sites did this. It is possible to provide a substitute for Flash for a lot of its uses. As I understand it, it's easy to provide an image failover if the flash object doesn't play.

I just think that's just part of the whole Apple hates Flash for their devices so I hate it too group. I'm not fond of Flash but for something Apple promotes as the best browsing experience it's kind of a necessity.

I think a lot of the complaining is legitimate, but it would really have been nice if Apple offered Flash with the current style blocking, you only play the elements that you touch. I think that would help eliminate the more annoying and abusive flash, especially when sites and advertisers find their flash elements aren't playing so much.

 

[pmz]

I started noticing this later on in the Flash thread. Web sites will just bend over from the lack of Flash and just start making application versions of their websites instead. That's somehow the "new" internet with Apple as the gatekeeper.

I just think that's just part of the whole Apple hates Flash for their devices so I hate it too group. I'm not fond of Flash but for something Apple promotes as the best browsing experience it's kind of a necessity.

I was only joking...

I'm sorry but, the NYTimes making a digital newspaper in addition to their website, is not the end of the free internet.

 

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

For one, I'm rockin' the original iPhone, and OF is slow to load. It would be better on the the 3GS, certainly, and faster still on the iPad.

Have you upgraded the OmniFocus iPone app to 1.6?

I use OmniFocus on an iPhone 3G, and syncs it to my MacBook at home and iMac at work, and - as you - struggled with poor load time and extremely slow syncing.

After I upgraded to 1.6 it became much better.

 

[Ugg]

Not sure how reliable this rumour is but:

"Sources who talked to Apple’s business unit also say the company is working on some additional features that haven’t been publicly announced yet. These include support for direct network printing from iPad apps, as well as support for accessing shared files from a local file server."
— http://www.roughlydrafted.com/2010/01/29/apple-to-target-ipad-at-business-users-with-added-features/

Watching Steve on stage and hearing that the iPad won't be ready for 60-90 days, my gut feeling was the "One more thing" is yet to be announced. I'm sure we'll see additional features.

 

[sonicboom]

Workflow challenge

I love Omni Group products. I think they have the knack for delivering highly functional, naturally intuitive and useful products for my day-to-day.

I do, however, think delivering this on the iPad is going to be a challenge for them. Think of OmniOutliner... it's a great program for pulling your thoughts and data together. A lot of the time this means dragging and dropping web page links, or photos, or documents into your outline (things in or created by other applications). This is a place where the lack of multitasking is going to hurt. Flipping between apps is an important part of the omnioutliner workflow. Changing the workflow of products like this introduces the risk of them not being naturally intuitive and useful.

It'll be interesting to see what Omni Group comes up with, as I said - they have a knack for this sort of thing. The result will be a good indicator (to me at least) how far productivity software can go with the current single task limit.

 

[sanPietro98]

I'm now sold on the iPad. Omnigraffle on the iPad is a killer app. I use it everyday on my MBP, so this is a fantastic announcement!

 

[hugodrax]

Everything changed for me as soon as I saw the MLB app. I'm ditching my MacBook for the iPad. 12 games a night at your finger tips with most being in HD.

Yeah that sold me also

 

[lord patton]

Have you upgraded the OmniFocus iPone app to 1.6?

I use OmniFocus on an iPhone 3G, and syncs it to my MacBook at home and iMac at work, and - as you - struggled with poor load time and extremely slow syncing.

After I upgraded to 1.6 it became much better.

Well, what you know. I'm 1.5.something. I'll try the new version.

i also noticed that when launching the app, it presents you the option to enter a new item even before the database is finished "optimizing." That's nice.

However, without a fast, global, application switcher, the iPad is going to have a hard time competing with the speed and elegance of the full Mac version of OS X. No, I don't need photoshop on an iPad, but I do want the thing to fast and fluid.

Is it hopeless, I mean, aside from jailbreaking? There is a chance OS 4.0 will bring multitasking for 3GS and later products, right? right?

 

[hugodrax]

Mainframes are not dead because there are plenty of needs that cannot be serviced by PC architecture.

One example is the Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation, American Express,etc..
(DTCC settles those millions upon millions of trades that occur daily)
PC architecture and Microsoft Operating systems/Linux OS would melt down.

 

[Eidorian]

It would be unfortunate if sites did this. It is possible to provide a substitute for Flash for a lot of its uses. As I understand it, it's easy to provide an image failover if the flash object doesn't play.

I'm sorry but, the NYTimes making a digital newspaper in addition to their website, is not the end of the free internet.

I understand that it's mostly a userspace trend but the thought is still somewhat disturbing.

I think a lot of the complaining is legitimate, but it would really have been nice if Apple offered Flash with the current style blocking, you only play the elements that you touch. I think that would help eliminate the more annoying and abusive flash, especially when sites and advertisers find their flash elements aren't playing so much.

Flash on demand would be a start. I just don't see it going away within several iPad generations.

 

[robanga]

Really good news. I use the following Omni applications:

OmniOutliner
OmniGraffle
OmniFocus
OmniGraphSketcher


I could definitely see Focus on the iPad as well as Outliner.

 

[Ed91]

It's not my fault if all YOU do is lurk around internet forums. I get out a lot and I hear people talking about the iPad, plus I watch a few tech shows weekly and they talk about it a lot. I don't hear them talking about other announced released Tablets from CES. Wonder why?

Exactly.

I was at a family meal earlier, and my mother asked what it was that Apple had released this week. I didn't have to answer, because everybody else on the table answered for me - and I'm the only one that's interested in tech in my whole family. Honestly, I've never known a tech product to get so much exposure..

 

[Adalbert]

i love the OmniGraphSketcher!

 

[PlayRadioPlay]

The iPod had (and probably still has) the best user interface of any MP3 player.

There is not the slightest hint that suggests a touchscreen tablet is a superior interface to anything already on the market. You hold it with one hand and hunt/peck type with another, inefficient. You lay it flat and stare down at a table, inefficient. You prop it against your knees (God help you if you're 30+ or don't want to put your feet on your furniture) and type at an awkward angle, inefficient.

Notice all the promotional material when the person is typing on the iPad:

[**]

When is the last time you sat like that? WTF.... are his legs floating in the air, or up on a table? Or is it a contrived video that masks just how awkward any level of productivity will be on this thing?

Toy? Yes. Paradigm shift? Laughable.

Seriously. An ergonomic nightmare. Everyone keeps talking about using this thing while on the couch, but who wants to hold it up or resort to staring at it at a weird angle sitting on your crotch? There is a reason why screens (computers, TVs) are standing up vertically.

People are kidding themselves if they think these will be fun to watch movies on.

 

[Inkling]

Scrivener to the iPad

I'd love to see them bring Scrivener to the iPad. It's the best tool out there for writers, whatever the writing they do. Omni could create a version that'd look marvelous.

 

[pondie84]

I can imagine lots of people sitting with the iPad on their lap, resting on the cushion that they've put on their knees to get a decent angle on the device.

I can imagine the single handed walking around scenario better!

Sounds comfortable!

 

[gstylez]

Pff. Call me when it runs OSX and it no longer matters what companies want to spend their sweet time developing for yet another platform. Until then, I'll be on my laptop.

I say you should stick to your laptop. The iPad does not replace your laptop or your phone. The product falls into a whole new category not meant for heavy computing. It's meant to be a light Mac computer for customers that do not need a full computer at the time or at all.

The iPad does not replace "Cheap Netbooks" or "Slates". To me it replaces the magazines that come in the mail, the cookbooks taking up room in the kitchen, the newspaper in the morning, the portable DVD player and Digital picture frame that don't come close to the display Apple is putting out with the iPad, plus more...

The iPad is a GREAT deal for $499 or even $829 with 3G if you need to be connected away from home.

Just to compare a few prices on device that this replaces in my opinion:
Portable DVD players $75 - $499 (Prices from Best Buy)
Digital 10" Picture Frames $99 - $249 (Prices from Best Buy)
Kindel DX $489 (Price from Amazon)
Verizon Wireless hardware options $49 - $99 with 2yr Contract (Prices from Verizon)
Verizon Wireless plans 250MB $39 - 5G (5,120 MB) $59.99 (Prices from Verizon)

Would you buy a Netbook to replace your current laptop? What about a HP Slate or any other "Tablet"? CES didn't give me much hope on these products. I just heard about prototypes and a few specs. If someone can show me a clear demo showing me what these other devices can really do, with prices and release dates that would be great. Thanks!