Actually, in reading through another thread, something hit me.
Microsoft can't really get upset at Apple for building their own Office suite since it's MICROSOFT THAT KILLED OFF APPLEWORKS!
Follow me here. For eons, Apple has been happy to bundle a low-cost, limited feature set productivity app. Letting MS have the high end was simply good business strategy, and recognized their stranglehold in the area. So AppleWorks was a $100.00 app that also allowed Apple to be highly competitive in the education market.
Meanwhile on the Windows side, Sun and Corel, while not boasting huge marketshare numbers, have managed to take the low-end market away from Microsoft with their full Office-type suites.
Recognizing that MS Works was getting blown away by StarOffice and Corel, Microsoft decided to protect their gravy train by releasing a reduced-price (US $149.) Office for Students and Teachers.
This move necessitates that Apple gut AppleWorks and create their own suite, if they are to stay alive in the Education market.
Thus, Apple is not "thumbing its nose" at Redmond, as is the conventional wisdom. They aren't the ones who started it. Cupertino is only responding to Microsoft's price cuts.
If MS threatens to cut Office for Mac because of Apple software releases I think Apple would be able to show that it was Microsoft's own actions that made it necessary to launch an Apple-branded suite.
Comments
Microsoft can't really get upset at Apple for building their own Office suite since it's MICROSOFT THAT KILLED OFF APPLEWORKS!
Follow me here. For eons, Apple has been happy to bundle a low-cost, limited feature set productivity app. Letting MS have the high end was simply good business strategy, and recognized their stranglehold in the area. So AppleWorks was a $100.00 app that also allowed Apple to be highly competitive in the education market.
Meanwhile on the Windows side, Sun and Corel, while not boasting huge marketshare numbers, have managed to take the low-end market away from Microsoft with their full Office-type suites.
Recognizing that MS Works was getting blown away by StarOffice and Corel, Microsoft decided to protect their gravy train by releasing a reduced-price (US $149.) Office for Students and Teachers.
This move necessitates that Apple gut AppleWorks and create their own suite, if they are to stay alive in the Education market.
Thus, Apple is not "thumbing its nose" at Redmond, as is the conventional wisdom. They aren't the ones who started it. Cupertino is only responding to Microsoft's price cuts.
If MS threatens to cut Office for Mac because of Apple software releases I think Apple would be able to show that it was Microsoft's own actions that made it necessary to launch an Apple-branded suite.
<strong>wasnt it said that apple's word processor would be called AUTHOR. which would be a really cool name.</strong><hr></blockquote>
i don't know if it's been confirmed, but i was one of the first to suggest it, so i'll take the credit (and royalties).
<a href="http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/technology/2003-02-26-desktop_x.htm"; target="_blank">www.usatoday.com/money/industries/technology/2003-02-26-desktop_x.htm</a>