Mr. Vieira
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
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I didn't see this coming. I mean, I kinda hoped it would...but I just assumed it wouldn't make much sense. No, I wouldn't want to build a complex document or slide presentation on the iPhone, from scratch, but to have the ability to make a few tweaks and changes from the phone? Hell, yeah. $9.99 each, available from the App Store. |
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I've written blog posts (and I don't mean the three-sentence kind) on my iPhone. It's surprisingly workable.
So, depending on how well they optimized the UI for the constraints, iWork on the iPhone might actually be quite useful, especially for quick minor edits, as you said. |
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Mr. Vieira
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
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Definitely in that post-PC era now...
I, too, often write long e-mails or forum posts on my iPhone. Especially at night, while lying in bed. I don't want to get up and come to the living room where the iMac is, so I just type away on the phone. I'm quite good at it. Sometimes the predictive spelling/word substitution makes me scratch my head (and I'll send out an e-mail or post with a silly word..."horseshoe" instead of "horseshit", for example..."don't believe any of his horseshoe!" ), but, typing-wise, I'm fine with it. I don't think I'd want to write a novel on the thing, but I'll type 5-8 paragraphs (with punctuation, capitalization, breaks, etc.) and not even blink. I figure about 15-20% of my posts here are from my iPhone, these days. |
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Veteran Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: oaktown
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Simple fix for that-- go into settings and uncheck the "Snakes on a Plane Broadcast Television" option.
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Custom User Title
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: At home
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Got it reversed on my jailbroken 3GS. I tap the suggestion to make it replace... Awesome.
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Veteran Member
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I am not so sure about typing long-ish docs on an iPhone. I did use to give it a go, but since having the iPad i have realised how much a a pain in the arse it is. Especially scrolling around on the screen to replace spellings. I think this is all part of their iCloud thing. All docs, music etc on every device.
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can't read sarcasm.
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Toronto, Canada
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Isn't iWork '11 due sometime soon or are we going for 3 year update cycles?
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Veteran Member
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Longer form document creation on the iPhone could get a nice boost with accurate voice dictation input. Nuance..i'm looking at you.
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Formerly “MumboJumbo”
Join Date: Dec 2009
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While I'm glad it is available, I'm not sure Apple is going to be the best choice here. To get all three apps is what, $30?!?! Then you need to purchase the desktop version as well. All that MIGHT stil be acceptable IF Apple releases some cloud based features for it and those features are free. Apple has made a dozen attempts to charge for cloud services and it just doesn't work. People are already paying for the hardware and the network access.
Much like how Android gained a foothold and was growing until Apple stalled their growth with a CDMA iPhone, someone can dent what Apple is doing here by offering a good suite with dropbox/google docs integration for a good price. There are guys out there attempting this but they haven't gotten it right. |
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BANNED
I am worthless beyond hope. Join Date: Dec 2005
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@kk@pennytucker.social
Join Date: Jan 2005
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I could see the usefulness of this if I was still in college and needed to make a quick change to a document, but other than that, I don't really see a use for it.
No more Twitter. It's Mastodon now. |
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Mr. Vieira
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
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I'm guessing that would be its main purpose. It's universal, so maybe Apple is assuming most (sane) people would do actual building/layout on their larger iPads. But, in a pinch, a quick tweak or edit could be performed from the iPhone (which is something most people would have with them at all times...iPad, no so much?).
I don't know. I still think that cloud/syncing stuff will factor in heavily to all this, where you create an iWork document and it's automatically thrown up somewhere, instantly and easily available to you, from your other devices. I suppose they just wanted to get these apps down to the iPhone and iPod touch so it feels more like a "whole solution", where nothing is left out. If you have a Mac or an iOS device of any kind, plus this iCloud stuff, you can now create and edit these iWork projects anytime, from anywhere, etc. There could be some value in that. I'm sure you could do the initial creating on the iPhone and iPod touch (why not?), but I can't see droves of people doing it with ongoing regularity (that's hardly the most comfortable, efficient approach). I think it's mostly there for convenience and last-minute "crap, I didn't bring my iPad!" tweaks. It'll probably all make a lot more sense, come next week and the keynote. With Jobs being involved, you automatically know a) they're considering it all a "big deal" and deserving of his presence and involvement, and b) he's going to have the RDF cranked to the max to make it all look cooler and more enticing than we can possibly imagine right now. They're almost always a full 2-3 steps ahead of us, and most of what we're expecting/predicting now is probably just scratching the surface. Hardware or not, I'm thinking next week's keynote - even if the sole focus is Lion/iOS 5/iCloud - will be quite a thing. As much as I love Apple hardware (who doesn't?), the truth is it's the software and OS that make it what it is. Always has been. So a keynote like this has the potential to be way more interesting and exciting, long-term, than new Thunderbolt-equipped Mac minis or whatever. Our iPhones and iPads are about to get a lot more useful and cooler, as are our Macs...without having to spend a dime on new hardware. That, to me, is good, exciting stuff! |
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But. I don't have an iPad. Or an iPod touch. So, to me, the deal is $10 each for an iPhone app. While you can eliminate the constraints, such as by getting a Bluetooth keyboard, I still imagine most people would use it primarily for minor edits, not for creating major documents from scratch. If these apps were iPhone-only, Apple would probably price them differently. Developers either go the "universal app" route, as with iWork; this is a bad deal for those who only have one device. Or, they go the per-platform route, where you have "for iPad" or "HD" versions; that's a bad deal for those who do have both devices. |
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…or they could, I suppose, never have iWork.com leave its beta. And shut it down. Or not. |
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Mr. Vieira
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
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True.
I think your first scenario is possible. Tuesday, the apps got out to everyone to mess with, create a couple of things for fun, do some exploring and testing, etc. Next week, there could be an update to them that, sure enough, adds whatever new features/functionality required for this iCloud stuff (but doesn't need to be present now, a week out, to spoil any surprises or give anything away). That's not far-fetched at all. They've done it before, right...release software updates that "turn on" a previously hidden or dormant feature? Or that add to the original release with some new goodies. That's the very essence of a software update. The "x.0.1" updates are probably waiting in the wings... I'm getting excited. We'll see more of Lion, we'll see if iOS 5 is a big "Oh yeah? Well, watch this!" to all the other smartphones (and I believe it will be) and we'll finally learn what this iCloud stuff is all about. That's pretty major stuff, taken together. And you know the three of them are going to work together like crazy, like no other previous version of Mac OS X or iOS. As long as the prices are right, the release dates aren't too far off and there are no snags or glitches in the implementation (as before, during the MobileMe transition), Apple would be heading into autumn and the holidays with some amazing offerings on the OS/software side of things. These iOS devices have way more "halo effect" potential than the old-school iPod ever did. And we saw how such a simple device turned people on to the entire platform. I think the more Windows/PC users who wind up with iPads and iPhones in the coming year will be even more inclined to seriously look at the Mac on their next home computer purchase. With Lion borrowing so many surface elements from iOS, it's only natural that many people will think "damn, their computers kinda look and act just like their iPad...and I love my iPad. Honey, grab the kids...we're gonna go buy one of those iMacs today!" That's gonna happen. A lot. You know it will. Besides, with iPhoto and all on the Mac, these iOS devices "play nicer" and are even simpler and more straightforward than they are, paired with a PC. There's a seamless, slick aspect to a Mac paired with an iOS device that is missing from the other scenario. And if people would just take a few hours to sit down, once and for all, and tighten up their contacts and bookmarks and calendar/to-do stuff, that whole aspect of their lives suddenly gets real easy too! Off-topic (click to toggle):
Last edited by psmith2.0 : 2011-06-02 at 13:27. |
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Which way is up?
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Boyzeee
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Isn't it interesting that, prior to the app store, people didn't even shake a stick at a $40-per-device word processor for their Blackberry, or Palm, or Win CE device? Now, after two years of app store goodness (or is it three?), people are griping about a $10-per-five-device word processor for their iOS stuff?
$30 for a full suite of apps for five devices is chump-change! This griping is coming about because Google has convinced people that their crap is "free", when it actually isn't. You're paying for it through the price of advertising, which elevates the cost of goods, and through their theft of your personal information. I would rather pay for quality products than get screwed over by the "free stuff" vendors. - AppleNova is the best Mac-users forum on the internet. We are smart, educated, capable, and helpful. We are also loaded with smart-alecks! :) - Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. (Mat 5:9) |
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BANNED
I am worthless beyond hope. Join Date: Dec 2005
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If you are not a topselling app on the iOS platform, I have to imagine the .99 cent price barrier is a major hindrance. As a consumer I certainly don't mind, but its obvious that the Mac App Store, with its smaller sales volume, is not as successful as the iOS App Store primarily because the software is priced more traditionally. Apple itself seems to recognize this and has slashed prices on its own apps on the app store. But third parties don't seem willing to do that yet. |
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Which way is up?
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Boyzeee
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But at $50, it isn't going to sell any more copies than the box version, because it is just too stinking expensive. I can order it and get it at cost, but I don't because even at cost it is unreasonable. But I would buy it for $10 in a heartbeat. And I'd buy a copy for my kid so we could network and shoot each other. And a lot of other people would buy it, and then the install-base of users would rise dramatically and they could push $5 expansion packs and make a boat-load of money. A good economy cannot be supported by "free" junk, but it will thrive with "inexpensive" and well-built stuff. Edit: And I haven't even factored in the reduction in cost of manufacture and distribution. COD4 is $49.95 in a retail box. At the Mac App Store? $49.99! Why? One word, which begins with "g" and ends with "d". And why is it .04 more expensive? - AppleNova is the best Mac-users forum on the internet. We are smart, educated, capable, and helpful. We are also loaded with smart-alecks! :) - Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. (Mat 5:9) |
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Formerly “MumboJumbo”
Join Date: Dec 2009
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Suddenly we are seeing what used to be free iMovie and GarageBand, have costs associated with them. They aren't costs that were traditionally expected like upgrade costs, but costs to initially acquire them. This has happened with Facetime HD as well. Quote:
Like everything else it can even be used to drive hardware sales. Want the new version of iMovie that can deal with _____________ (new iPhone 4s/5 features) well then you should get the new iPhone 4s/5 to get that great new ability which the software exploits! Most of you defending this, you do realize that the only iApp available for iOS that used to be bundled free and now still is free is iTunes. Think about how much money, leverage and profits that "FREE" app has given them? Apple was actively bragging about how many agreements, users and people with purchase information entered and available they have thanks to iTunes. It is worth much more than whatever amount of money they would have made charging some nominal fee for it. Apple was selling Macs at double the cost of PC's and able to leave entire low segments of the market empty and still take the majority of profits due to bundling the whole ecosystem on their Macs. They should give up these piddling fees and bundle it and use it to sell more $600 phones, $300+ iPods and $500+ iPads. |
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Close to three, yes. I'm not sure it's five devices (isn't it unlimited?), actually. I thought the five-device limitation applies to Macs/PCs running iTunes, not to iPods, iPhones, iPads and Apple TVs. Maybe it's different for apps. But, regardless, I don't have five devices running iOS apps. I don't even have two. My household doesn't have a family with a wife and kids, all of whom have their own device; it has one single member with a single device. So while I appreciate the ability to use it on multiple devices, it's completely irrelevant to me; I arguably pay extra for something I don't benefit from. Quote:
I'm not sure why a series of $10 apps of all places is used for this discussion. There are plenty of much-cheaper apps with people criticizing them. Reading the average App Store review is almost as bad as YouTube comments. |
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For one, bundling those apps would put third-party developers in an awkward position. It's much easier for Kindle to compete with iBooks because neither comes bundled. There's a market for e-book readers; for movie editors; for word processing, spreadsheet and presentation applications; bundling any of those would make it much harder to compete in such a market. For another, I appreciate that Apple puts a value on those apps. They have value and deserve to be perceived as such. |
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Which way is up?
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Boyzeee
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You have either had to buy the software at a number of different price points, or you have had to buy an Apple computer. Neither of these things is "free". iMovie and Garageband are part of the Mac experience, but they have never been "free". They were "bundled" in order to allow Apple to differentiate its offerings, but you paid for them through the price of the computer. As far as the iOS is concerned, there has never been any association of iMovie and/or Garageband being "free" or even "bundled", so there is no place to stand in asking for "free" software on these devices. Since their inception, you have had to "buy" them for $4.95, which is dirt cheap. Yes, Apple could "bundle" these, but doing so would elevate the cost of the phone, or pad, or pod, as those development costs have to be recovered somehow. You can pay for software development in one of three ways: 1) You can pass the cost on to consumers through direct retail; 2) You can pass the cost on to consumers by bundling it with hardware; 3) You can pass the cost on to consumers through advertising. Any way you look at it, the cost of software is passed on to consumers. That is, if the software offers the consumer something that he/she actually wants. Asking for real, live, "free" software is akin to passing the cost of software on to the software developer, which dilutes the quality of said software until no one actually wants it any longer, as "free" does not pay the bills. Well, at least not in a "free" society. Edit: I guess I forgot about "software as a service", so add that in. But even then, the cost of development is still passed on to the consumer. So…meh. - AppleNova is the best Mac-users forum on the internet. We are smart, educated, capable, and helpful. We are also loaded with smart-alecks! :) - Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. (Mat 5:9) Last edited by kscherer : 2011-06-02 at 16:13. |
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Formerly Roboman, still
awesome Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Portland, OR
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Just for reference, here are things that are also $5:
and i guess i've known it all along / the truth is, you have to be soft to be strong |
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Formerly “MumboJumbo”
Join Date: Dec 2009
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Also there are already plenty of third party alternatives to native iPhone apps. All they have to do is be better at a reasonable cost which isn't hard to do in many cases because so many native iPhone apps have sat stagnant for years. Why just last week I purchased Calvetica to end using the abomination that is the native Calendar app. There a loads of camera apps, messaging apps, mapping and gps apps as examples. Quote:
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