Apple Designed Software
Here's a question for you all to ponder. The rumors have been flying that Apple will begin producing additional software titles to compliment their already powerful selection of software (iLife, OS X, Quicktime, Keynote..etc.) the question now remains, what comes next? The logical answer would be more Office related titles. But that's the obvious. What about the unobvious? What software would you like to see Apple produce? How would the software you suggest benefit the Apple community as opposed to current offerings from other vendors? Do you support older systems and OS's, or do you cut all ties and use Jaguar as a starting off point? Enjoy speculating, that's what makes these forums so interesting. 
Comments
[quote]Originally posted by Brian Green:
<strong>Here's a question for you all to ponder. The rumors have been flying that Apple will begin producing additional software titles to compliment their already powerful selection of software (iLife, OS X, Quicktime, Keynote..etc.) the question now remains, what comes next? The logical answer would be more Office related titles. But that's the obvious. What about the unobvious? What software would you like to see Apple produce? How would the software you suggest benefit the Apple community as opposed to current offerings from other vendors? Do you support older systems and OS's, or do you cut all ties and use Jaguar as a starting off point? Enjoy speculating, that's what makes these forums so interesting.
I'm extremely keen to see what the rumoured April-launched Appleworks 7 holds, because my belief is that this will give a lot of pointers to Apple's future software direction.
The uses would be similar to Gracenote.
I want to be able to have plugins that would.
Display thumbnails of my CD Collection and DVD Collection including pertinent info. See <a href="http://www.dvdprofiler.com"; target="_blank">www.dvdprofiler.com</a> for this done right.
With this you could easily have an iApp that's merely a container for viewing any type of data. Apple could set up some free services and then charge for more the really cool items in .mac.
I think they should call the app DBcooper.
<strong>Here's a question for you all to ponder. The rumors have been flying that Apple will begin producing additional software titles to compliment their already powerful selection of software (iLife, OS X, Quicktime, Keynote..etc.) the question now remains, what comes next? The logical answer would be more Office related titles. But that's the obvious. What about the unobvious? What software would you like to see Apple produce? How would the software you suggest benefit the Apple community as opposed to current offerings from other vendors? Do you support older systems and OS's, or do you cut all ties and use Jaguar as a starting off point? Enjoy speculating, that's what makes these forums so interesting.
Here are some Apple branded software applications I would love to see:
Greeting Card Software
Calendar Creator Killer
iPublish (Quark or InDesign Lite)
POS for Small Business Owners (the Apple Store version would work fine)
X10 Home Automation Software (and Hardware)
Apple Branded Games
Project Management Software
Money Software
Just to name a few.
Dave
[ 02-26-2003: Message edited by: Dave K. ]</p>
1. Final version of Safari. With AutoFill. I don't do beta software, period...
2. CocoaOffice. We've got Filemaker, Keynote, Mail, iCal and Address Book. Now tie in a Word Processor and Spreadsheet so we can actually get work done.
3. iPublish, basically something that puts MS Publisher out of its misery. Preferably by Adobe, but they seem not to get the idea (though they'll complain when Apple does it.)
4. iFax. I've only been waiting 5 years, what's a few more? Apple saw it fit to integrate email communications but forgot the fax machine for some reason.
5. Mapping software. Neither of the Canadian map programs (MapArt or Perlys) are Mac-compatible. Microsoft created Streets and Trips because it's obvious that people have to go out of the house/office now and then. Oh, and tie it into iCal and Address Book.
BONUS! Bible software with iTunes-like interface. Now that would be easy and extremely cool.
Maya on X was great news but at no point does it ever even pretend to adhere to mac interface and ease of use ideas.
<strong>2. CocoaOffice. We've got Filemaker, Keynote, Mail, iCal and Address Book. Now tie in a Word Processor and Spreadsheet so we can actually get work done.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Should be in Appleworks 7.
[quote]<strong>3. iPublish, basically something that puts MS Publisher out of its misery. </strong><hr></blockquote>
Allegedly already in Appleworks 7.
[quote]<strong>4. iFax. I've only been waiting 5 years, what's a few more? Apple saw it fit to integrate email communications but forgot the fax machine for some reason. </strong><hr></blockquote>
I suspect this is one of those areas where Apple would say "we're not going to develop software just to force a competitor out of business". Besides, fax is a fast-dying technology.
[quote]<strong>BONUS! Bible software with iTunes-like interface. Now that would be easy and extremely cool.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Can't see Apple doing this, since they'd have to provide texts for all the major religions if they weren't to be accused of discrimination, and it would be a major nightmare. Nice idea, though, someone should pick it up.
Lastly, in reply to spooky the amount of work that would go into Apple developing a 3D package would be enormous: can't rule it out, but it would be an absolute mountain to climb not just to create such a thing, but to achieve any degree of market share with it, unless of course they went down the road of buying one of the existing players. There should be some interesting upshots from the Shake purchase in terms of compositing: iMovie with composition would be awesome.
[ 02-26-2003: Message edited by: Overhope ]
[ 02-26-2003: Message edited by: Overhope ]</p>
I'm not sure there's such a thing as a casual user's 3D modeler anyway.
Many millions of people still send and receive faxes amazingly enough. Apple should integrate fax software, it would be easy and cheap.
Here's the best way to do it:
Add a fax mailbox and a fax template for outgoing messages to Mail.app to make it the central central clearinghouse for media. Add a fax printer driver.
2. Voicemail
I know what else I would like to see, I've posted it before, voice mail software So I can eliminate my answering machine. Preferably with speech recognition to convert the messages to text. Integrate it with Mail.app as well. Use Caller-ID to get from info and link to Address Book.
3. .mac Blogging
Why should I need cgi and perl to set up blogging
4. Balance
Personal finance software. Quicken and Money both suck.
5. iChat video
Videoconferencing, also with telephone capabilities so that I can connect to a Vialta Beamer videophone.
6. iTivo
PVR functionality through the firewire jack (requires special hardware)
That about sums up what I want to see from Apple to begin with....
P.S. AppleWorks that doesn't suck
No simple (but much more advanced than .Mac HomePage) web site-building program exists for the Mac -- it's a real gap. Claris HomePage used to fill this space -- now it's gone.
I'd love it if Apple took their implementation of the PDF spec to the next level -- instead of just rendering 2D as PDFs, to create PDF forms and give more destillery services to users with their own framework, based on either Frank Seigert's work with PStill or ghostscript.
what? i can't do it all the time. i do have to get some sleep.
Originally quoted by Overhope:
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3. iPublish, basically something that puts MS Publisher out of its misery.
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Allegedly already in Appleworks 7.
I must have missed this. Where did you hear DTP was being integrated into AppleWorks 7?
imagine, like in Keynote: you decide a theme for your words: a weblog, a cartoon, a illustrated book - then you place your content; rest is done by your favorite machine; templates are as iDVD etc.-
* a music maker software
a get a usb/midi interface or a usb/microfone, the software accompanys you while playing your music; you select your style; you import your own music; software harmoizes etc. have you seen the presentation fo this damned good guitar player from apple, what's his name?, at The Power of X? music IS a business for apple, home made music IS an iApp thing.
Video conferencing app. that works well over dial-up and broadband and has multiple user windows integrated with iChat.
Has to be secure p2p chat and drivers built in for most current web cams AND DV camcorders, utilising either built in Mac mic/external/or cam mic.
Also with the ability to save a conference to DVD and able to tell you when someone is "on-line" when you're using another app.
How hard for Apple would this be to achieve?
Now that would be cool!
<strong>Uh, Scissors...if you have to be vulgar, at least you could try to be funny too. <img src="graemlins/bugeye.gif" border="0" alt="[Skeptical]" />
</strong><hr></blockquote>
who's trying to be funny? :eek: