Apple promises iWork toolbars, other legacy features will return within 6 months

Posted:
in Mac Software edited January 2014
With a Wednesday afternoon update to its support knowledge base, Apple has sought to reassure iWork users that features which went missing in the productivity suite's recent 64-bit overhaul will return.

Pages


The support article reiterates that the applications were rewritten from the ground up with compatibility in mind, enabling 64-bit support and bringing interoperability between iWork on Mac, iWork on iOS, and iWork for iCloud. Apple also acknowledges that "some features from iWork '09 were not available for the initial release" and pledges to reintroduce some of them "in the next few releases."

All three applications will regain the ability for users to customize the toolbars, perhaps the most oft-cited omission by upset iWork '09 users.

Pages will also see a vertical ruler, keyboard shortcuts for text styles, the ability to manage pages and sections in the document's thumbnail view, and a procedure to import cells containing images from Numbers. Apple also promises improved alignment guides and object placement for the word processor.

Numbers is set to regain multi-column sorting and in-cell autocomplete alongside the ability to define page headers and footers and improved zoom and windowing functionality. Keynote will bring back Keynote '09 slide transitions and builds and improvements to the presenter display.

Apple also promises improved AppleScript support for Keynote and Numbers. The new iWork suite's relative lack of AppleScript support compared to its predecessor was particularly sorely received by power users who depend on the scripting language to tie the apps together with other OS X functions.

After its release alongside OS X Mavericks, iWork was the subject of a swift and vociferous backlash from veteran users. Apple faced similar complaints from professionals after the ground-up rewrite of the Final Cut Pro video editor in 2011.
«13456

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 111
    Exactly my point when it was released - they made it so all versions have feature-parity; and for that to happen a complete rewrite had to take place.
  • Reply 2 of 111

    I would rather have cross platform capabilities as opposed to "power" user capabilities...

     

    I would use iWork '09 to make rather elaborate charts for my real estate listings...I spent too much time to make them look pretty.

    When I got my iPad I redesigned the charts to be more simple so I could update them on my iPad. In doing so, it suddenly dawned on me that the more simple approach to my work flow was the way to go. I now achieve the same results with a lot less time and effort. And anything I can do on my iPad is more fun than on my iMac.

    I know this does not apply to power users, but I like Apple's approach. The ability to do my work on my mobile devices is the best! 

  • Reply 3 of 111
    But Joe Average doesn't know or "get" why "feature parity" is significant. All they know is that it went from "it just works" to "WTF??"

    This "feature parity" stuff was never even announced.

    Not very user-centric, which is what Apple is supposed (and expected) to be. Part of the Apple Experience is that things are supposed to appear and behave in obvious, expected and efficient ways. The new iWork rollout was anything but.
  • Reply 4 of 111
    ash471ash471 Posts: 705member
    I don't understand why they didn't clearly communicate this when they released the new version. They should have given power user's the heads up and/or had a beta phase. Duh. It isn't as if they haven't been through this before.
  • Reply 5 of 111

    In my opinion, the iWork'13 rollout was a fiasco of grander proprortions than last year's iOS Maps debacle (http://www.apple.com/letter-from-tim-cook-on-maps/).  I wonder who Tim will fire over this?  Richard Williamson is already gone....

     

    (edited to correct ex-employee name)

  • Reply 6 of 111
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ash471 View Post



    I don't understand why they didn't clearly communicate this when they released the new version. They should have given power user's the heads up and/or had a beta phase. Duh. It isn't as if they haven't been through this before.

    Excellent point! :)

     

    Have Craig F. do a video explaining the rational, features, future, etc., instead of 'white papers," open letters.... Ugh!

     

    Put them all on social media, blogs and National Media...Facebook, Twitter, NYT, WSJ, Ai, etc., etc., and in doing so stop the media's false/biased interpretation of Apple's intentions.

     

    Apples PR division of "no comments" is a too old school and damaging. Apple get on it! :)

     

    Every negative issue/news story should be addressed by a video to explain Apple's position, from FoxConn worker problems, Samsung/Google Copyright infringements, SW/HD issues, etc., etc.

  • Reply 7 of 111
    haggarhaggar Posts: 1,568member
    If any other company released "updated" versions of their applications with so many missing features, everyone here would ridicule them for rushing premature software out the door. Why is Apple treated differently in this case?
  • Reply 8 of 111
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Haggar View Post



    If any other company released "updated" versions of their applications with so many missing features, everyone here would ridicule them for rushing premature software out the door. Why is Apple treated differently in this case?

    In what way is Apple being treated differently? It is receiving lots of complaints about it from users. No different than initial versions of Final Cut Pro X. This idea that Apple is being treated different seems to be a figment of your imagination.

  • Reply 9 of 111

    I am fine with them taking this approach, like they did with FCP. I am not fine with them removing iWork '09 and all traces and support of it, until they close the gap. They want people to use their software (which I do) but then I become dependent upon it and hit issues when the functionality vanishes. Back to Office 2011 for 6 months then I guess...

  • Reply 10 of 111
    haggarhaggar Posts: 1,568member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by ash471 View Post



    I don't understand why they didn't clearly communicate this when they released the new version. They should have given power user's the heads up and/or had a beta phase. Duh. It isn't as if they haven't been through this before.

     

    Because they wanted to see what they could get away with before having to respond?  If nobody complains, then Apple would assume that  they don't need to do anything else.

  • Reply 11 of 111
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by brlawyer View Post



    Exactly my point when it was released - they made it so all versions have feature-parity; and for that to happen a complete rewrite had to take place.

     

     

    I think it was that clear.

     

     

     

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ash471 View Post



    I don't understand why they didn't clearly communicate this when they released the new version. They should have given power user's the heads up and/or had a beta phase. Duh. It isn't as if they haven't been through this before.

     

     

    Apple´s PR sucks.

    They are not afraid of bad mouthing.

  • Reply 12 of 111
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    And Steve Jobs said Apple was a software company.
  • Reply 13 of 111
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Haggar View Post

     

     

    Because they wanted to see what they could get away with before having to respond?  If nobody complains, then Apple would assume that  they don't need to do anything else.


     

    Nah!

    I do not think so.

     

    FCP X is an example.

  • Reply 14 of 111

    Too short that Pages list

     

    Where's "facing pages"?. Only this omission make Pages 13 a joke app.

     

    Multiple inspector palettes, style box, copy and paste format?. There's a long list of missing features not in Apple "return list".

     

    And, by the way.... who's the genius at Apple that is seriously thinking in parity between OSX-iOS versions?. Trying to use old Pages 09 power in the only-one-app little iPad screen is simply ridiculous.

  • Reply 15 of 111
    Apple yanking features and telling its customers to suck it is nothing new. But Apple admitting the omissions and deciding to return the functionality? This is very new indeed.
  • Reply 16 of 111
    haggarhaggar Posts: 1,568member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by MikeJones View Post

     

    In what way is Apple being treated differently? It is receiving lots of complaints about it from users. No different than initial versions of Final Cut Pro X. This idea that Apple is being treated different seems to be a figment of your imagination.


     

    And just as with Final Cut Pro X, the defense "it's a brand-new version" is Apple being treated differently.  Yes, it was receiving lots of complaints.  But the complaints were generally dismissed and are still being dismissed by the Apple defenders.  Would this happen for any other company?

  • Reply 17 of 111

     

    Apple´s PR sucks.

    They are not afraid of bad mouthing.


    Agreed! See my post above! :)

  • Reply 18 of 111
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by manfrommars View Post



    Apple yanking features and telling its customers to suck it is nothing new. But Apple admitting the omissions and deciding to return the functionality? This is very new indeed.

    Agreed! See my post above! :)

  • Reply 19 of 111
    Apple also acknowledges that "some features from iWork '09 were not available for the initial release" and pledges to reintroduce some of them "in the next few releases."

    The headlines promise "ALL" while the Apple statement promises "some."
  • Reply 20 of 111
    saareksaarek Posts: 1,520member
    They could have avoided the backlash if they'd just announced that features were missing and were going to be added back in shortly.

    This whole wall of silence maybe no one will notice bull shit does them no good!
Sign In or Register to comment.