Appleworks 7 (or whatever it may be named)

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SitrucX88

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Does anyone have any information about this? I really cannot stand the current carbonized version. It is ugly and doesnt offer too many features. After the release of "Keynote" i am wondering if there will be an Appleworks as i would have assumed that Keynote would have been its Presentation app. I would really like to see a new version of this software, but the last thing i read about it was back in September (i read it would be released at the end of September :rolleyes: )I am thinking of getting MS Office v.X now. Anyone have any new information? Will i have to be stuck w\ Appleworks 6.2.4 until MWNY or Boston or longer? Or will i be forced to have 4 new MS apps on my iMac (i still have IE although i havent used it for over a year)?
 
I would love to see an Apple branded version of an Open Source project.

It could be based on OpenOffice but then that has a built in presentation program as it is. Not sure the interface is the best either.

They could also base it on KOffice. Since they are already doing stuff with KDE's opensource project.

Gnome office?

I think the most viable one would be to take their current Appleworks and finding an opensource project they would not mind contributing some Appleworks customizations. Possibly using Abiword as the basis of their word processor and Gnumeric as their Excel rip-off. They would bundle it with iCal, iSync. This could be Appleworks and sell for around $50 bux or next-to-free for education bundles...

For the professionals they could ship keynote-light add a nice Database program, iSync, an integrated Mail.app with iCal and Address book integration (basically a souped up version of Mail.app with those others built-in.) This would be a great AppleOffice. It would be available for about $99 bux.

AppleOffice Pro would add full Keynote, all the other stuff and maybe a nice layout program for html/web stuff and perhaps even some customized business sync programs that would make the new Mail.app in the previous bundle better able to sync with corporate mail, corporate calendars and do stuff like support the reservation of rooms and syncing to corporate address books. This could be sold for for around $149 bux. Still undercutting Microsoft.

This last version would be sold with the Medium to Small businesses in mind. Those who would benefit from the Xserve as a backbone for their small businesses. I know alot of design agencies who have under 100 staff members that could use something as robust as this but can't afford the fancy Exchange server with all those licenses.

Oh yeah and these packages would have 1 windows version would let those windows users in the business use what their cousins use (since Abiword and Gnumeric already work in Wndows and so does Appleworks...) this would be a package that basically ships with the database program, fancy email/calendar program ... possibly iSync which would be great for those windows iPod users)

All of the packages would be available for education at nice discounts... I think apple should do this. It would eliminate one of the biggest pains in having mac's function in a workgroup.
 
NO Appleworks is appleworks.

OpenOffice for mac is comming out, not so soon though. it might be ready by 2004.
 
Originally posted by terran74
I think the most viable one would be to take their current Appleworks and finding an opensource project they would not mind contributing some Appleworks customizations. Possibly using Abiword as the basis of their word processor and Gnumeric as their Excel rip-off. They would bundle it with iCal, iSync. This could be Appleworks and sell for around $50 bux or next-to-free for education bundles...

For the professionals they could ship keynote-light add a nice Database program, iSync, an integrated Mail.app with iCal and Address book integration (basically a souped up version of Mail.app with those others built-in.) This would be a great AppleOffice. It would be available for about $99 bux.
Click to expand...
So they redo Appleworks (think investment $$) and charge less for it, and then invest more $$ into a better, pro version and charge the same as keynote? I don't think so. If anything, they will make components like M$, but offer them cheaper separately than M$ does, and people can pick and choose affordably what they want and/or need. Fact is, the AppleWorks name is long in the tooth. they need to replace it with a real word, like with keynote/safari/mail/address book.
 
Some of those ideas are okay, however i wanted to know what rumors or truths were floating around about this program. Or are there none?
 
Originally posted by sheepguy42
If anything, they will make components like M$, but offer them cheaper separately than M$ does, and people can pick and choose affordably what they want and/or need.
Click to expand...

If Apple does this, this is the way they will do it.

Look at their other things...AddressBook...iCal...Mail. One application does one thing, it does it well, it integrates with the other apps. No "Swiss Army Knifes" here.
 
Originally posted by sheepguy42
So they redo Appleworks (think investment $$) and charge less for it, and then invest more $$ into a better, pro version and charge the same as keynote? I don't think so. If anything, they will make components like M$, but offer them cheaper separately than M$ does, and people can pick and choose affordably what they want and/or need. Fact is, the AppleWorks name is long in the tooth. they need to replace it with a real word, like with keynote/safari/mail/address book.
Click to expand...

Well i think you are completely wrong since this would be repackaging of Opensource projects which has already had years of development. The only thing that would need to be done is the cocoaization of the products which already work under MacOS X using X11. As for the "Pro" version, it would be the $149 dollar package for full Keynote. Keynote lite would be in the $99 version and as it stands this is still a huge discount over MS Office v. X.

In order for Apple to make an impact some sacrafices would need to be made but even then, they don't really sell many Appleworks licenses as it is. So your whole argument loses ground on that part. It is bundled for free on all consumer lines of Apple computers. Right there that is development $$ they are not getting money back on. The only people they really sell Appleworks to as it is currently is Education. This would actually broaden their opportunities to make money off something they give away as it stands.
 
Perhaps you are right. Your point about Apple both selling Appleworks and giving it away is reflected in iDVD as well. However, I still believe that Apple will release more Office-like component apps like Keynote (the full, the only) priced much more reasonably than M$ Office, and perhaps turn AppleWorks into an iApp like iWorks or something. Also, to back up my development point, iDVD is the only iLife iApp Apple charges for, AFAIK, and is the only iApp that I have not heard of having a significant amount of "borrowed" code from a pre-existing app bought by Apple. iTunes had Soundjam, for example. So perhaps your vision of a $50 substitute for AppleWorks isn't so far off, but I really believe Apple will sell components at or around $99 each rather than a combined "AppleOffice" for more professional needs. That's still cheaper than M$ Office, since only 3 Apps are needed (entourage = iCal+Mail+Address Book). On top of that, each component can have the integrations you mentioned, and each of those iApps integrated are already either bundled w/ the OS or a free download away. The AppleOffice Pro you mentioned? I just don't see it fitting in with everything else they're doing - components are their big design right now. Apps like Safari, Mail, Address Book are more like optional pieces of the OS than Apps; the iApps are well-integrated functional software; and Keynote, like DVD Studio and Final Cut Pro and the other non-i Apps, is a proffessional App.
 
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