What program would you like Apple to develop next?

[Spock]

Seems like between Mini vMac, Basilisk II and SheepShaver, they've got most of the bases covered, no?

vMac covers the earliest Macs and software, Basilisk goes to ~System 7.5, while SheepShaver claims to go to OS9.

I didnt make myself very clear, I have used these apps in the past. Part of the reason I would like to see an iApp that does this is to only have ONE program for them all, that does not require me to use illeagaly downloaded ROM files and is a Universal program so the emulated software can be run on intel Macs it would return Classic.

 

[MattyMac]

What did I misspell?

haha

 

[M-theory]

A REAL web designer that competes with dreamweaver but puts it in the dust. Seems logical since all their iapps have pro counterparts.

Mac Web Pro

I would like to second and third this sentiment

 

[lonepilgrim]

Joking aside, I'd like to see some sort of CGI, animation program for novices, along the lines of iMovie/iDVD etc.

That's a very good idea, and I wouldn't be at all surprised to see it either! With Pixar supplying the technology.

 

[menziep]

I would like to second and third this sentiment

I Trird That And My Perents 4th and 5th That

 

[miloblithe]

Seriously, I'd like to see a simple audio DJing / mixing program that would go significantly beyond what iTunes does, sort of à la AskTheDJ, but without all the goofiness and limitations. They can make it a separate module that uses iTunes, so that iTunes doesn't become over complicated for people who don't want all the beat matching and so on. What would be *really* sweet is if I could hook my iPod up and use the wheel as a jog dial.

I really like this idea. I don't think I'd use it, but it would extend the market that Apple seems to be seeking.

 

[Josh]

An office suite compatible with, yet better than, every MS office format (excel, access, for example).

Virtual desktop manager built into OS X.

Thats all I can think of right now.

 

[Beligerent]

iChat AV for Windows. And while they are at it... how about a way to "webcast" right to your .Mac website from your Mac. Imagine people being able to go to your .Mac site and see you LIVE. Any browser, any computer. no software required.

 

[mkrishnan]

I really like this idea. I don't think I'd use it, but it would extend the market that Apple seems to be seeking.

I'd think there might even be a market eventually for professional DJ'ing software, that gives the DJ control they need, but adds to their capacities... Right now, there are a lot of mediocre DJ's who use digital music players and live with the limitations... I don't know if they're mediocre because of the software, or because they don't really feel music, though.

 

[SmurfBoxMasta]

I wish they would devleop an app that would stop, permanently and forever, this "windblows running on a mac" crap.....

makes me wanna p u k e

and BTW, Apple could have made this happen several years ago, IF they had wanted it to........

 

[motulist]

I want Apple to STOP coming out with new software and START making the ones they've already released better.

1) iCal hasn't had a real update in years and it REALLY needs one
2) Pages should be made more robust so I can replace MS Word
3) Address Book needs more features and polish
4) etc ...

 

[shrimpdesign]

I want Apple to STOP coming out with new software and START making the ones they've already released better.

1) iCal hasn't had a real update in years and it REALLY needs one
2) Pages should be made more robust so I can replace MS Word
3) Address Book needs more features and polish
4) etc ...

1 and 3 gets updated with Mac OS updates, since they are apps included with OS X.

 

[Bubbasteve]

I would really love to see Apple release an Excel killer .... oh yeah they are making one but they are taking there sweet @$$ time with it lol

 

[Eluon]

i would like a program that will update the files on my iMac G5 when I join my home network with my MacBook Pro. this would help me update school notes and lectures I take in class.

 

[Balli]

I would really love to see Apple release an Excel killer .... oh yeah they are making one but they are taking there sweet @$$ time with it lol

I would also like them to release an Excel 'killer', but first I want a 'Word killer'. Pages is okay, but no where near the standard of Word. I especially hate the way you have to change font sizes / type in Pages.

 

[motulist]

1 and 3 gets updated with Mac OS updates, since they are apps included with OS X.

In versions number only. iCal hasn't seen a REAL update in years

 

[GrannySmith_G5]

I'd like to see them make an amazing font creation application.

 

[Josh]

Pages is a long way away from replacing Word, and I'd expect any "Numbers" app to be the same in comparison to excel.

It will be 5+ years before Apple comes out with something that can replace them, if they choose to even try.

 

[andiwm2003]

1.) bring back MacDrawPro
2.) release an Excel alternative in iWork
3.) bring back MacWritePro
4.) make a very fast universal binary Photoshop Elements alternative
5.) release about 1000 basic Automator actions as alternative to Applescript
6.) release an easy scientific graphing program like CricketGraph
7.) bring back the old graphing calculator
8.) sell an inexpensive collection of Pages, Keynote, iMovie, iDVD, iWeb templates with sounds and graphics effects


put 1.) to 3.) and 6.) into the iWork package.

 

[Aarow]

Something like, or better than MS Paint.

 

[YS2003]

OneNote equivalent

I would like Apple to create note-taking program similar to MS's OneNote. Input methods can be either keyboard or Wacom tablet (for handwriting). I think that would be a nice addition to Apple's 2-program-only iWork.

 

[mkrishnan]

I would like Apple to create note-taking program similar to MS's OneNote. Input methods can be either keyboard or Wacom tablet (for handwriting). I think that would be a nice addition to Apple's 2-program-only iWork.

There's an apparently amazing third-party program that was reviewed recently in the Times that combines some of these sort of note-taking features with Bonjour ad-hoc networking to allow people in a room -- such as a classroom -- to collaborate wirelessly on their notes. It sounds amazing.

It would be interesting if something like this got integrated with iWeb and .Mac ... although .Mac is going to have to do a *lot* more to convince me to invest.

 

[celebrian23]

I also think a program like MS paint. It's something I know I'll miss with the switch. It's something both fun and functional.

 

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

I would like to see a proffesional/prosumer image creation and manipulation program, something to take the best from Photoshop (layer editing) and Illustrator (possibility to work vectorized) and made into an "Apple-esque" application.

I would also like an easy-to-use database application with some form of MySQL integration.

And a WYSIWYG web creator ("Dreamweaver killer" might be the best description, even if I hate all those so-called "killer" applications and devices).

Do you start to sense the web bundle I'm trying to put together...?

 

[RacerX]

Personally, I would like Apple to be a little more careful about stepping on third party developers. There are areas that Apple can produce "entry level" apps in and I have no problem with them selling "professional level" apps that help sell hardware... it is the in between stuff that scares me a little.


Well, that having been said... it would be cool if Apple introduced (or should I say reintroduced) apps like Quartz Composer for direct editing of PDF documents and HTMLEdit for building simple web pages. And it would be nice if Apple started playing up services, specially now that Carbon apps are in a better position to take advantage of them.

I'm not quite sure why people keep looking for a vector illustration app from Apple though. Create was available for Mac OS X before Freehand and Illustrator. Infact, Create was the first third party app for both Rhapsody and Mac OS X. Stone Design has a long history of working very closely with Apple/NeXT and is usually one of the first to implement new Apple technologies... come to think of it, Stone Design created the first third party apps for NeXT systems also.

Create solved a lot of problems for me when I moved to Mac OS X... it replaced Illustrator for me (I didn't need to buy the Mac OS X upgrade), it replaced PageMaker for me (I didn't have to upgrade QuarkXPress or buy InDesign) and while it didn't replace GoLive for me, I do make a majority of my web pages (by about a 2 to 1 ratio) in Create. Actually making web pages in Create is nice because I can use tools that I would normally use in page layout to help with web page layout.

But even with Create in Rhapsody, I still do a lot of work in OmniWeb's HTML editor (which colorized the tags and flags mistakes) and Apple's HTMLEdit (which helps with setting up standard tables and simple layouts). Having Apple's HTMLEdit in Mac OS X would be great*.



*Note: I have tried to see if the Public Beta version of HTMLEdit would work in later versions of Mac OS X, and it doesn't.