Apple Document - Apple Branded word processor
[quote]MacWhispers
January 27, 2003
Reported: Apple's Microsoft Word Killer
Information from a variety of sources reports that Apple is near a beta release of their long-rumored professional word processing application. Details of the software are fascinating.
The new package, said to be named "Document," includes 100% import and export functionality with Microsoft Word files, but goes much farther than that venerable word processor has ever managed in giving the user a full-scope document development environment (a term used by one of our sources in describing the new product).
It is said that Apple Document will draw heavily from the experience gained within the KeyNote development team, but has been a completely independent project within Apple. And, many of the rich feature concepts evident in KeyNote will also be present in Document, with full implementation of the Aqua interface and of Quartz graphics, including anti-aliased text.
Sources say that Document will seamlessly import and export components in a large number of formats, from Word, Excel, and Photoshop, among others. And, most interesting is a report that it will also provide many alternate output format choices, including advanced .PDF (with selectable compression), several levels of HTML (including DHTML), a wide assortment of multimedia formats, and will provide easy to use tools for adding XML tags to documents.
Although we have received this early description of Document, there is much information still remaining to be determined... and facts to be verified. The most often mentioned timeline for release of Document is "late spring or early summer" of this year, with a MacWorld New York debut being most likely.
It should be noted that this report is less solidly grounded than most items published on MacWhispers; however, the specificity of many of the details provided by one source, and the flat claim of their knowing the actual product name "Document" swayed us to run this item. Only time (or an immediate message from Apple Legal) will determine the degree of accuracy of this information.<hr></blockquote>
<a href="http://www.envestco2.com/macwhispers/0000009.html"; target="_blank">Mac Whispers</a>
Well well... :cool:
January 27, 2003
Reported: Apple's Microsoft Word Killer
Information from a variety of sources reports that Apple is near a beta release of their long-rumored professional word processing application. Details of the software are fascinating.
The new package, said to be named "Document," includes 100% import and export functionality with Microsoft Word files, but goes much farther than that venerable word processor has ever managed in giving the user a full-scope document development environment (a term used by one of our sources in describing the new product).
It is said that Apple Document will draw heavily from the experience gained within the KeyNote development team, but has been a completely independent project within Apple. And, many of the rich feature concepts evident in KeyNote will also be present in Document, with full implementation of the Aqua interface and of Quartz graphics, including anti-aliased text.
Sources say that Document will seamlessly import and export components in a large number of formats, from Word, Excel, and Photoshop, among others. And, most interesting is a report that it will also provide many alternate output format choices, including advanced .PDF (with selectable compression), several levels of HTML (including DHTML), a wide assortment of multimedia formats, and will provide easy to use tools for adding XML tags to documents.
Although we have received this early description of Document, there is much information still remaining to be determined... and facts to be verified. The most often mentioned timeline for release of Document is "late spring or early summer" of this year, with a MacWorld New York debut being most likely.
It should be noted that this report is less solidly grounded than most items published on MacWhispers; however, the specificity of many of the details provided by one source, and the flat claim of their knowing the actual product name "Document" swayed us to run this item. Only time (or an immediate message from Apple Legal) will determine the degree of accuracy of this information.<hr></blockquote>
<a href="http://www.envestco2.com/macwhispers/0000009.html"; target="_blank">Mac Whispers</a>
Well well... :cool:
Comments
Spredshet
Database.
With Keynote and Document.
We have ... iWork. the M$ Office killer from Apple.
[ 01-27-2003: Message edited by: Alpha Mac ]</p>
It needs to be in the Pro area of Apple software (DVD Studio Pro, Final Cut Pro). So something ***** Work Pro (Power Work Pro, Data Work Pro or even Office Work Pro).
The price doesn´t have to be in the FCP area though. Slightly lower than Office. Low enough to be attractive and high enough not to be a loss for Apple. And thinking about what a money making machine Office is for MS that price could actually be considerable lower than that.
<strong>.... And thinking about what a money making machine Office is for MS that price could actually be considerable lower than that.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Let's not lose perspective of how many units Microsoft ships in comparison to how many Apple would even be capable of shipping
Lets see in half a year. Then Safari hopefully have been out as a 1.0 release for a couple of month. Lets see how many newer Mac users that prefer that over IE.
<strong>Oh no please not iWork. It sounds like Office light. This needs to be Office OS (on steroides)
It needs to be in the Pro area of Apple software (DVD Studio Pro, Final Cut Pro). So something ***** Work Pro (Power Work Pro, Data Work Pro or even Office Work Pro).
The price doesn´t have to be in the FCP area though. Slightly lower than Office. Low enough to be attractive and high enough not to be a loss for Apple. And thinking about what a money making machine Office is for MS that price could actually be considerable lower than that.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Office suites will have to get a LOT cheaper than they are currently. I had no idea that M$ sells an Office for Students and Teachers (Retail) on the PC side, I was surprised at the reasonable price. But alas the regular price will have to look more like that within the next 5 years than the inflated price it carries now. Schools and local governments are starting to think, "Office" just isn't worth it anymore -- TOO EXPENSIVE. They're even looking at open office type alternatives. M$ is so big that it ain't ever going away, but they can't exactly afford to lose the cash Office generates. They're stuck in that they can't drop the price too much, but they'll probably start losing a whole whack of sales if they don't. It's just a matter of time -- The commodity market comes knocking on everyone's door, not just Apple's, M$ ain't immune either -- funny cause this is software, but it is set to fall.
Enter Apple.
It seems to me that they're building their Office alternative on piece at a time. iCal, Keynote, iSync, Mail... with a slightly different philosophy about bundling. The oportunity to really get back some lost edu sales is right theree in front of them: BUNDLE iOFFICE/pro-OFFICE FREE with EVERY mac! Suddenly the iMac/eMac/PM prices Apple charges to schools don't look quite as ridiculous -- not when your machine includes all your licenses at no extra cost right out of the box (and no yearly extortion!)
Face it, that's value. Schools and business, and consumers too, NEED Office. They might WANT iLife, but they can't BUY a computer unless it comes with Office.
The only thing I could see is a tiered Office suite, with an i and pro version, but the FULL word processor and Spreadsheet MUST be included FREE. Apple might charge for additions including things like Keynote but that really ought to be included aswell. Mebbe the database, but again, the price needs considerably cheaper than Filemaker.
Apple is in a rare position to use software to propel hardware sales, iLife is not the suite to do that. They not to stop the bleeding in education and add some real value for the home/small business user or they won't ever grow. Not to mention chop prices, though if they're looking for ways to stave that off, adding some software people really need is a great way to partially justify your prices.
Spredshet
Database.
With Keynote and Document.
We have ... iWork. the M$ Office killer from Apple.
<hr></blockquote>
I will never really understand this. For me, a lot of the appeal of Apple products, is that I am able to avoid living in a computing landscape dominated by arrogant MS homogeny. A world that embraces open standards while still leaving room for 3rd party developers to flourish and produce great software.
In the last few months on this board, it seems that the prevailing sentiment in the Mac community is that they are willing to accept this, as long as it is Apple who provide us with our bleak, homogeneous computing experience.
We cheered when Safari came out "Yay, finally companies like Omnigroup, and the people behind Chimera can go to hell"
Now we look forward to another bland, elitist, brushed metal program to further consolidate our lil gated community.
This is not meant to be an attack, although I am sure that there are those who will interpret it as such. It simply makes me rather sad to think that in a few years most of you will own Macs with nothing but minimalistic, bland, apple branded isolutions installed on them, and while Apple may thrive, the "Mac community" will be gone forever.
"Thinking Different" isn't simply choosing to blindly march to a slightly hipper beat.
[ 01-27-2003: Message edited by: warpd ]</p>
What I am kind of concerned about though is that Apple continues to step on the toes of third party developers. If this continues, there may come a day when the only option for Apple computers is Apple software.
[ 01-27-2003: Message edited by: ryukyu ]</p>
<strong>I guess what constitutes "bland" is in the eye of the beholder.
What I am kind of concerned about though is that Apple continues to step on the toes of third party developers. If this continues, there may come a day when the only option for Apple computers is Apple software.
</strong><hr></blockquote>
This is a concern, but is Apple just supposed to sit on its heels on application software? Competition is the name of the game, and Apple is certainly entitled to enter this game, especially if other companies' software releases for OSX are slow or incomplete (eg. Word for OSX).
However, competition should be fair. The important thing is for Apple to ensure, unlike what Microsoft has done for Windows, is that third-party developpers are given a level playing field in development opportunity/information and that compatability between competing products is encouraged, rather than cut off.
<strong>
This is a concern, but is Apple just supposed to sit on its heels on application software? Competition is the name of the game, and Apple is certainly entitled to enter this game, especially if other companies' software releases for OSX are slow or incomplete (eg. Word for OSX).
However, competition should be fair. The important thing is for Apple to ensure, unlike what Microsoft has done for Windows, is that third-party developpers are given a level playing field in development opportunity/information and that compatability between competing products is encouraged, rather than cut off.</strong><hr></blockquote>
I don't disagree with you, but, like you said, it is a concern.
How many people do you think would have downloaded Safari it it had been announced at MacWorld by say, Jim Spiggot Studios in Alabama??
The answer is 1, and that would be by Jim's mother.
We are screaming out for Apple to "step up to the breech", and provide us with solutions. Adobe has voiced this concern in regards to Apple software; that they can compete with everyone out there but Apple.
It is one of the unique facets of the Mac community, and is, in my opinion a great cause for concern. Even amidst all the jubilation over the release of Safari.
This is a theme that has really emerged in the past couple of years, and intensified with the adoption of OS X. Apple wants to control every aspect of the user experience. From the boot-up screen, to shut down and everything in between.
How many of us would not use an Apple "Office" program? How many of us would not jump if Apple produced it's own .html editor, or a drag and drop vector graphics/animation suite that outputs .swf??
But, who cares about the Adobe's and Macromedia's of the world, right? We can always just log in to Appleinsider and whine about their awfull support for the Mac platform.
"Thinking Different" isn't simply choosing to blindly march to a slightly hipper beat.
[ 01-27-2003: Message edited by: warpd ]</p>
The simple fact is that Apple needs to have a top shelf Office suite of its own design and it has to "give" most of it away with their hardware if they hope to expand or even keep their marketshare, especially in education.
I think if Microsoft saw this as a threat then it only makes them look like a little baby. If what Apple produces cannot only read Word files natively (both from the Macintoch and PC) and keeps all of the formatting then Apple truly has something.
When you look at your average business person, they buy a cheap one 1,000 dollar machine, maybe up to 1,300, then bundle it with the OS that meets their office needs (maybe say 300 dollars) then get Microsoft Office XP Professional for 520 dollars...not to mention anything else you are looking at over 2,00 dollars!
Now, look at Apple...an iMac starts at 1,199 and then Apple's Workplace office suite only around 300 dollars that can read and write to any documents made in PowerPoint, Word, Excel from both platforms...and has more features, and is easier to learn...
Our hardware might be more expensive but the software will be cheaper and better!
[ 01-27-2003: Message edited by: Jared ]</p>
[QB]The problem is that as many developers are finding out, there is no competing with Apple. The reality is that if there is an Apple branded solution (even if it be an inferior one) the majority of Mac users will use it.
[...]
We are screaming out for Apple to "step up to the breech", and provide us with solutions. Adobe has voiced this concern in regards to Apple software; that they can compete with everyone out there but Apple.<hr></blockquote>
Good points. I guess, however, that an argument could be made that word processor software is a special case. What is there, really, for OSX as full featured word processor hardware? Microsoft Word is pretty much it, I think. And will Microsoft continue to develop/improve it? I am not sure. This really is a case where Apple is justified in stepping into the breech.
In other software areas, the concerns might be greater. Perhaps, for example, Apple should make an effort not to tread too hard on Adobe's shoes.
One more point, however, is that I don't think that Mac users would continue to use real dog software applications just because they were produced by Apple (I am not referring to any particular product here - just speaking speculatively). There might be a high initial download rate- especially if the software were free - but I think that the Mac Universe is discriminating enough to reject bad software. It is also discriminating enough to buy good software produced by third-pary developers.
This app can't just kinda sorta be compatible with Office. It has to be as close to perfectly compatible as possible. Nail it.
This is critical for those of us that work with the PC corporate world. Of course, if Apple keeps their current train of thought and simply aims this at the home or small business consumer, then they will still get many to use it but it won't cut it above that.
What I am most worried about is the fact that MS always makes their apps a moving target. Slight changes all of a sudden and wham, the translator does not work any more. Tables come to mind in Word.
I however, can't wait for Apple to crash this out to the public. It has taken small developers too long to make this happen and it is questionable if they have the resources to do it. MS has done it for us but at a very steep price.
Until then, I will continue to use Office X.
The difference with apps like Keynote, FCP/FCP Express and this rumored Document (I liked the name "Thesis" someone threw around a while ago) app is that you have to pay for them. I would assume like Keynote that it would be $99. I think it keeps developers in a competitive market. Besides, Apple is doing this because no one else has either done this or they don't have the resources to do something this compatible and clean (in terms of the UI). Also, personally, I haven't bought Keynote because I haven't had the chance or ability to take it for a test drive. There are things that other software makers can do that Apple either doesn't or won't do for potential users like this. As long as Apple charges (appropriately) for these apps, I think third parties still have room to play.
/me gets ready to save some money up...
<strong> I would assume like Keynote that it would be $99. I think it keeps developers in a competitive market. Besides, Apple is doing this because no one else has either done this or they don't have the resources to do something this compatible and clean (in terms of the UI). Also, personally, I haven't bought Keynote because I haven't had the chance or ability to take it for a test drive. There are things that other software makers can do that Apple either doesn't or won't do for potential users like this. As long as Apple charges (appropriately) for these apps, I think third parties still have room to play.</strong><hr></blockquote>
With a few of the problems with Keynote, and the high expectations of some of the users, I would rather they released a product as a time-limited beta first and had some consistent feedback to determine the best direction for the product regarding what people want/expect it to do.
Keynote was touted as a Powerpoint replacement, but I don't think anyone at Apple really knew how people used Powerpoint. Now they are starting to find out what people want/need/expect and those who paid $99 for it feel like they have been taken advantage of.
[ 01-27-2003: Message edited by: nosey ]</p>