Some Power Users Are Unhappy With Lost Features in the New iWork

[Glassed Silver]

They messed up Garageband too. You can't even export MP3 anymore or set the parameters you want.

Funny what they call an upgrade. Making the desktop less powerful to be parity with a weaker (IOS) platform is a mistake. Lowest common denominator.

AND THEY RIDICULE MICROSOFT FOR DOING THE EXACT SAME THING.

And what's even worse, they remove these features SILENTLY.

And how long did it take them to get a new iWork for Mac out?
Something like 4 or 5 years? Are you flipping kidding me?

All hail iWork '09 folder.

And they've been doing this for a long time. I even still have my iMove HD application in its folder in /Applications/ haha
(not using it, but heck, why not keep it around, doesn't cost that much space)

Glassed Silver:mac

 

[Chrjy]

A power user is someone who uses a computer the way I use it. Everyone else, isn't.

A handy, dandy one-size-fits everything definition.

You're welcome!

It is a rather vague term, although in all the years I have used computers, someone who could use a word processing application and a spreadsheet was not defined as a power user. Obviously that's changed.

 

[Tiger8]

And for all those features that have been removed, it's still more functional and better to use than Office.

Except Excel. All power to the pivot tables.

Bull! More functional?

 

[blackhand1001]

Well Microsoft don't even have a mobile version of their office suite out yet. The office on their Surface devices are still desktop versions.

They've been working on a mobile version with touch capable features for a while, and it's expected to be available for Windows 8.1 next year. I'm sure they already have an iOS version of it available, but they've been holding it back to give Windows a chance to gain traction.

Office 2013 is definitely heavily tablet optimized though and it runs on rt tablets. The controls are all easy to use with a touch screen and scrolling and pinch to zoom are all extremely smooth. I played around with it on my friends HP envy x2 on windows 8.1 and its definitely the best office suite available on tablets by a long shot. I can see why Microsoft chose to keep it in the desktop environment.

 

[Chrjy]

The all new 'Power User' dock!

 

[SteaKnife]

and they ridicule microsoft for doing the exact same thing.

And what's even worse, they remove these features silently.

And how long did it take them to get a new iwork for mac out?
Something like 4 or 5 years? Are you flipping kidding me?

All hail iwork '09 folder.

And they've been doing this for a long time. I even still have my imove hd application in its folder in /applications/ haha
(not using it, but heck, why not keep it around, doesn't cost that much space)

glassed silver:mac

gs:ftw

 

[apolloa]

I guess we could all say this is another example of Apples clear direction of having ALL their products share the exact same OS and Apps, including the iPad range. Which is a shame. They really haven't done very well this year IMO with iOS7 beta released to the public, and now this with iWorks, I have also read some bugs with Mavericks.

I think they have done well with the iPad Air and the new Mac Pro design and the iPhone 5S, the rest of the hardware is now designed for form over function with no upgradability, but it is clear with the software they are losing it. IMO of course.

 

[SteaKnife]

Office 2013 is definitely heavily tablet optimized though and it runs on rt tablets. The controls are all easy to use with a touch screen and scrolling and pinch to zoom are all extremely smooth. I played around with it on my friends HP envy x2 on windows 8.1 and its definitely the best office suite available on tablets by a long shot. I can see why Microsoft chose to keep it in the desktop environment.

They should have made a way to run it full screen from Metro.. Office is the only reason the RT has a desktop..

 

[pjrobertson]

I'm sorry, but how can "Power Users" and "iWork" be put in the same sentence?
Unless it's "I'm a power user so I don't use iWork".

 

[subsonix]

I'm sorry, but how can "Power Users" and "iWork" be put in the same sentence?

Why not?

 

[TheQuestion]

Completely agree.

There is NO NEED TO PANIC

This is just bringing OS X and iOS apps in line - updates to follow.

I'm sure Apple will listen to the feedback - they did and gave us the iPad mini with retina

OS X is released to Mass panic due to missing features, Apple's response is to add them back in.

FCP X is released to mass panic due to missing features, Apple's response is to add them back in.

iMovie 8 is released to mass panic die to missing features, Apple's response is to add them back in.

I think it's reasonable to assume there is a plan here.

 

[MellowFuzz]

Said it before, will say it again - the creepy looking guy in charge of iWork needs to be fired for being asleep at the wheel.

 

[Chrjy]

Why not?

That's funny.

 

[TheQuestion]

Said it before, will say it again - the creepy looking guy in charge of iWork needs to be fired for being asleep at the wheel.

Roger Rosen brought the suite to iOS and the web after a widely panned iWork.com. Big comeback I say. You can't do this stuff overnight you know!

 

[subsonix]

That's funny.

Lots of tough guy talk in this thread, very little substance.

Why do you want a bloated piece of software that tries to be everything to everyone, and thus fail to be great at anything in particular. The Swiss army knife of tools.

 

[blackhand1001]

They should have made a way to run it full screen from Metro.. Office is the only reason the RT has a desktop..

Rt also has the desktop internet explorer, windows file explorer, and a bunch of other desktop apps. There are times where having the full blown desktop makes sense. Especially since most windows tablets have optional or included keyboard docks.


I do think that the surface 2 should have been an Intel bay trail tablet and rt should have just been dropped.

 

[Chrjy]

Lots of tough guy talk in this thread, very little substance.

Why do you want a bloated piece of software that tries to be everything to everyone, and thus fail to be great at anything in particular. The Swiss army knife of tools.

What? Tough guy? Bizarre comment.

Who's referring to bloated software? A power user isn't someone who uses an application that tries to do everything...that's the sort of comment I'd expect from a non power user.

 

[HenryDJP]

Power Users? That use iWork?
Something must be wrong here!

I'd like you to explain to me what a "Power User" would need to do on any Office Suite including Microsoft Office? I'm referring to "on the norm". I've worked in an enterprise environment for years before running my own office and outside of "complex spreadsheets" , there was nothing about MS Office that a "Power User" would need it for. Most people don't even use all the functions in Word. It's bad enough it's very complicated for even a "Power User".

I would consider a Power user someone who does extensive video editing, encoding, music production, graphics design and for office stuff, creating highly detailed presentations using Keynote or PowerPoint. In that case iWork would be just fine for a "Power user".

 

[Poisonivy326]

Anyone think it's not necessarily in Apple's best interests for iWork to have all the functionality of MS Office?

Apple has been marketing the switchover from Windows to Mac as painless for years. That music collection? Transferrable. If you love Office? Office for Mac! Web browsing defaults to Safari but Apple allows Chrome and Mozilla.

If iWork has all the bells and whistles of Office Microsoft might play hardball and not license Office for Mac at all. And then Apple users who just have to use Office would bail.

Therefore iWorks I fully believe is designed to be a low key productivity suite, something that's fine for a small spreadsheet or writing a resume but Apple really isn't prepared to fully fight MS on this front, yet.

 

[moderately]

As far as the bug, I have an example document that shows it and I've shared it here. If you look at it, just don't edit it. I left it up for Apple Feedback.

https://www.icloud.com/iw/#numbers/BAITlYVCGJcdERdyY72BtDcxxSK4Y5_rqFCE/Eaxmple_of_Sorting_Bug

I think this bug first manifested in iOS Numbers. I had a table that I would only alphabetize on the desk top as the rest of the columns would scramble. Now I don't have that workaround. Cross-platform consistency.

 

[subsonix]

What? Tough guy? Bizarre comment.

I don't know, did you agree or not with the previous comment? Very few commenters actually explains what exactly a "power user" is, or exactly what features they miss. It's more commonly expressed as some kind of lame snobbery, similar to "real men use x". Which is why I asked for a clarification.

Who's referring to bloated software? A power user isn't someone who uses an application that tries to do everything...that's the sort of comment I'd expect from a non power user.

Feature rich software, as opposed to software with a narrow scope.

 

[HenryDJP]

apparently.

found it ironic that on the numbers site on apple.com they talk about advanced tools yet the only formula being used in the accompanying screenshots is the sum formula. i guess that makes you a super power user

No doubt, Numbers has never been "Excel" but you can't expect Apple to talk down their own product do you? Should they just say, "Basic tools for only simple tasks for only simpletons"?

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A bizarre situation. I use Windows Office 2010, running in Windows 7 in Parallels, because Mac Office 2011 is just too crashy to rely on.

I tell you this, I am NO Microsoft fan. I hate the company in fact and their OS but I have to say that your issues may be dedicated to you and a few only because MS Office 2011 for Mac is rock stable. My biggest gripe is that it still loads slowly uncached. MS is being rude about that because the slowest old beat up Windows PC can open Office upon first boot in microseconds.

 

[Chrjy]

I don't know, did you agree or not with the previous comment? Very few commenters actually explains what exactly a "power user" is, or exactly what features they miss. It's more commonly expressed as some kind of lame snobbery, similar to "real men use x". Which is why I asked for a clarification.

I would agree with most of the above comment.

Feature rich software, as opposed to software with a narrow scope

Such as Xcode, Terminal, Final Cut Pro, Instruments, Logic Pro, AutoCad, Strata 3D, Cinema 4D. None of which do anything more than they are supposed to...narrow scope.

These types of applications and many more are the types of applications I would expect power users to use on a daily basis.

That would be my definition of a power user anyway.

Perhaps the title should have read something like:
Some Advanced Users Are Unhappy With Lost Features in the New iWork

 

[subsonix]

Such as Xcode, Terminal, Final Cut Pro, Instruments, Logic Pro, AutoCad, Strata 3D, Cinema 4D. None of which do anything more than they are supposed to...narrow scope.

Ok, so an application that does nothing more than letting you write a document, is for power users. It doesn't try to be InDesign nor LaTeX nor VIM.

 

[SteaKnife]

Rt also has the desktop internet explorer, windows file explorer, and a bunch of other desktop apps. There are times where having the full blown desktop makes sense. Especially since most windows tablets have optional or included keyboard docks.


I do think that the surface 2 should have been an Intel bay trail tablet and rt should have just been dropped.

I agree, personally I think RT seems pointless.. I would rather have had WP8 in tablet form. I do agree that the desktop makes sense in some cases in mobile though..