Where the hell is iWork?

What doesn't it do that you need it to do?

Built-in voice dictation.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frank777 
Built-in voice dictation.

Ooh. Ooh. Hmm. Ooh. … We'll get that when we get system-wide Siri in OS X. Shouldn't be much longer.

Oh! Hey, we'll finally get a feature for the F6 key! It'll be used to activate Siri or dictation!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frank777 

Built-in voice dictation.

but is that an iWork feature or more a system wide one. Seems to me it would be system. 

I would pose TS's question like this. What does iWork need that warrants a full do over. Because it has been updated several times in the past 3 years. Just not as a whole new, time to buy it again application. no vast UI updates or such. Does it really need it. On the one hand I would say no. On the other I could see them going to something more like the current iPhoto where those pop up windows become a sliding sidebar (also not unlike the whole genius/ping bar in iTunes). but I don't know that that kind of change is really needed. Or needs to be a whole new version. Many folks would rather they drop the year on iWork and ilife and so long as we have the app store versions we never have to pay again. I'd be down for that myself

Speaking personally, voice dictation is the only feature I can really think is urgently needed in Pages.

(I understand it's probably a system level technology, but that's Apple's problem, not mine.)

Numbers, on the other hand, needs some work. It lacks some easy shortcuts for functions, and needs to feel less bogged down. Numbers is the only Apple software I use that makes me wonder daily if I should be firing up its competitor. And it's really hard to explain why.

I don't use Keynote enough to really care about additions.

What I really want is the next big thing in office productivity. Something that makes like at my home office infinitely cooler and easier, and something I didn't know I needed. That's what I expect from Apple, even in a boring category like office suites.

If Apple just wanted to round out the suite, however, they could add a diagrammer like OmniGraffle, a consumer-grade Project Manager (like Entourage had) that links to iCal and Mail, or a competitor to Microsoft's OneNote.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frank777 

If Apple just wanted to round out the suite, however, they could add a diagrammer like OmniGraffle, a consumer-grade Project Manager (like Entourage had) that links to iCal and Mail, or a competitor to Microsoft's OneNote.

Well they could, but Apple's long term stance is if it's not core OS functionality (whatever they consider that to be at the time as it evolves) and the market has a good 3rd party solution, they don't need to do it.   The sad state of Office and once-upon-a-time veiled threats to shutting it down led to iWork.  Core Graphics has allowed a bunch of Adobe competitors to find their footing.  Omnigraffle and family are very very good at what they do, no need to duplicate that just because.