I'll save you the disappointment... it isn't. It isn't meant to be.
Its for people, not accountants/engineers. (no offense to accountants or engineers meant.)
No offense taken to accountants, but if apple is expecting to unseat Office, which is obviously the goal, then this is something they should address.
We can't make excuses for a program named for something it's supposed to handle effectively and efficiently, and then say "well, it makes great charts..." that's all well and good, but if you can't get it to process the data that feeds the charts, then what is the point of making nothing out of nothing?
At the time I was using pages I just wanted it to have something as simple as the double line office is able to generate anywhere in a cell border. In accounting, this line placed on the bottom is called "the bottom line".
A spreadsheet program should be able to do that. I believe even OpenOffice (I didn't use it enough to know for sure) is able to do that function, so why not Numbers?
a replacement for Adobe Illustrator. I have never understood how to use 90% of Illustrator. I need apple to make a great, user friendly mac-like replacement that is more powerful than OmniGraffle Professional but less complicated than Illustrator.
OmniPlan GUI looks like it was created by Mattel, so it's losing. Merlin, designed by people who don't even speak English, looks very professional.
Basecamp is leading the web app side of things, though I haven't been able to get into it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by aaarrrgggh
Well, it is easy to do 90% of the functionality of Project with a relatively simple spreadsheet. Not sure if Numbers can pull it off effectively, but we do them all the time in Excel.
I've never seen a really cool project template in Numbers, but I'd like very much to see what's possible.
2. Microsoft got dinged cause they tried to make the installation of IE and only IE a condition of licensing Windows. AND they refused to give up critical details to other browser companies like Netscape as well as sue them for reverse engineering.
Not really. The problem under the law was that Microsoft used their market power to disadvantage Netscape as a competitor, by a variety of means. The means are far less important than the exercise of market power to restrain competition. If Apple is not found have market power in a relevant market (and they never have been), they cannot be found to have restrained competition, no matter how much they bundle or how they treat their competitors.
Apple should have bought FreeHand before Adobe killed it. FreeHand was ALWAYS easier to use than Illustrator, and had better pagination functionality as well. The death of FreeHand is really a major part of why I quit graphic design.
Quote:
Originally Posted by wizard69
I've noticed many posts here indicating an interest in drawing programs. There are many good solutions on the net for raster and simple vector graphics. I dint want to highjack this thread to list out those.
What I do want to mention is the addition of a "CAD" like program to iWorks. I put XAD in quotes because I think Apple could put a modern twist on the concept to make the app far more useful than the standard CAD program. The sad reality is there are lots of drawing programs out there and as such Apple really doesn't need to offer anything at the simple end. However when it comes to opening AutoCad .dxf files or creating them or PDFs there are far fewer options and even fewer low cost ones. That when today 2 & 3D wire frame CAD is old hat tech. Mind you I'm not talking about competeing with the $1000+++ CAD programs in features or capabilities. Rather I want to be able to open and edit the mechanical drawings often found on the net for various engineering components. Most of the times theses are simple 2D dimensioned drawings. The ability to create such drawings is also required.
What we really are talking about is a product that competes with AutoCad Light and Adobe Illustrator but frankly does not need the complexity of either. The idea would be to deliver maybe 80% of the features at a far more reasonable price.
The flip side of this is that as iWorks natures there is less development, that is useful, that can take place on the core line up. A good professional quality drawing program can go a long way improving the line up.
IMPORTANT NOTE: the support of AutoCads dxf format is extremely important due to the lack of low cost support on the Mac for those data files. However I'm nit talking about a program that is focused in CAD in the traditional sense. It needs the ability to handle CAD quality drawings but also needs the rapid expressiveness of a "drawing" program. If this sounds like wanting the best of both worlds then you understand what I'm asking for.
a replacement for Adobe Illustrator. I have never understood how to use 90% of Illustrator. I need apple to make a great, user friendly mac-like replacement that is more powerful than OmniGraffle Professional but less complicated than Illustrator.
To further comment on this, word from the patent office is that Apple is working on an app for illustration. Take a look at the drawing in this article.
I don't know who Apple is trying to fool with the Apple TV linkage, but it's obvious the purported screenshot illustration is for a design with a computer interface.
Obviously, a tablet would have a different interface for an illustrator-type app. If Apple's designing a MacPaint successor for iWork on the desktop, you can bet it will also come with a version for use on the tablet.
Comments
I'll save you the disappointment... it isn't. It isn't meant to be.
Its for people, not accountants/engineers. (no offense to accountants or engineers meant.)
No offense taken to accountants, but if apple is expecting to unseat Office, which is obviously the goal, then this is something they should address.
We can't make excuses for a program named for something it's supposed to handle effectively and efficiently, and then say "well, it makes great charts..." that's all well and good, but if you can't get it to process the data that feeds the charts, then what is the point of making nothing out of nothing?
At the time I was using pages I just wanted it to have something as simple as the double line office is able to generate anywhere in a cell border. In accounting, this line placed on the bottom is called "the bottom line".
A spreadsheet program should be able to do that. I believe even OpenOffice (I didn't use it enough to know for sure) is able to do that function, so why not Numbers?
a replacement for Adobe Illustrator. I have never understood how to use 90% of Illustrator. I need apple to make a great, user friendly mac-like replacement that is more powerful than OmniGraffle Professional but less complicated than Illustrator.
Yes.
a Microsoft Project alternative.
No. This space is full of apps.
Openproj is free, with OmniPlan and Merlin battling for the paid market.
OmniPlan GUI looks like it was created by Mattel, so it's losing. Merlin, designed by people who don't even speak English, looks very professional.
Basecamp is leading the web app side of things, though I haven't been able to get into it.
Well, it is easy to do 90% of the functionality of Project with a relatively simple spreadsheet. Not sure if Numbers can pull it off effectively, but we do them all the time in Excel.
I've never seen a really cool project template in Numbers, but I'd like very much to see what's possible.
2. Microsoft got dinged cause they tried to make the installation of IE and only IE a condition of licensing Windows. AND they refused to give up critical details to other browser companies like Netscape as well as sue them for reverse engineering.
Not really. The problem under the law was that Microsoft used their market power to disadvantage Netscape as a competitor, by a variety of means. The means are far less important than the exercise of market power to restrain competition. If Apple is not found have market power in a relevant market (and they never have been), they cannot be found to have restrained competition, no matter how much they bundle or how they treat their competitors.
I've noticed many posts here indicating an interest in drawing programs. There are many good solutions on the net for raster and simple vector graphics. I dint want to highjack this thread to list out those.
What I do want to mention is the addition of a "CAD" like program to iWorks. I put XAD in quotes because I think Apple could put a modern twist on the concept to make the app far more useful than the standard CAD program. The sad reality is there are lots of drawing programs out there and as such Apple really doesn't need to offer anything at the simple end. However when it comes to opening AutoCad .dxf files or creating them or PDFs there are far fewer options and even fewer low cost ones. That when today 2 & 3D wire frame CAD is old hat tech. Mind you I'm not talking about competeing with the $1000+++ CAD programs in features or capabilities. Rather I want to be able to open and edit the mechanical drawings often found on the net for various engineering components. Most of the times theses are simple 2D dimensioned drawings. The ability to create such drawings is also required.
What we really are talking about is a product that competes with AutoCad Light and Adobe Illustrator but frankly does not need the complexity of either. The idea would be to deliver maybe 80% of the features at a far more reasonable price.
The flip side of this is that as iWorks natures there is less development, that is useful, that can take place on the core line up. A good professional quality drawing program can go a long way improving the line up.
IMPORTANT NOTE: the support of AutoCads dxf format is extremely important due to the lack of low cost support on the Mac for those data files. However I'm nit talking about a program that is focused in CAD in the traditional sense. It needs the ability to handle CAD quality drawings but also needs the rapid expressiveness of a "drawing" program. If this sounds like wanting the best of both worlds then you understand what I'm asking for.
Dave
What do you know about it
a replacement for Adobe Illustrator. I have never understood how to use 90% of Illustrator. I need apple to make a great, user friendly mac-like replacement that is more powerful than OmniGraffle Professional but less complicated than Illustrator.
To further comment on this, word from the patent office is that Apple is working on an app for illustration. Take a look at the drawing in this article.
I don't know who Apple is trying to fool with the Apple TV linkage, but it's obvious the purported screenshot illustration is for a design with a computer interface.
Obviously, a tablet would have a different interface for an illustrator-type app. If Apple's designing a MacPaint successor for iWork on the desktop, you can bet it will also come with a version for use on the tablet.
Larger user base = larger numbers sold.
Simple statistics.
That said, I still like iWork much better than Microsoft's Office.
Thuis is my first Mac and its an Imac, an I love it, and love iWork!!!!!!!