“Apple Inc.’s release of iWork ’08 this week is ’embarrassing,’ an analyst said today, not for its maker, but for rival Microsoft Corp.,” Gregg Keizer reports for Computerworld. “Tuesday, Apple rolled out a refreshed iWork that added a spreadsheet, dubbed Numbers, to the earlier mix of a word processor/page layout Pages and presentation maker Keynote. But it was iWork’s ability to handle the Open XML file format — the new native format for Microsoft’s own Office 2007 application suite — that Michael Gartenberg of JupiterResearch LLC talked about.”
“‘This was the ultimate insult to injury,’ Gartenberg said. ‘Not only has Microsoft not delivered the ability to read and write Open XML in its Mac Office, but at the end of the day, Apple was the one who delivered,'” Keizer reports.
“Gartenberg referred to Microsoft’s problems developing Office 2008 for Mac, which the company announced last week would be delayed until mid-January. Among the roadblocks, said Microsoft’s Macintosh Business Unit (MBU), is the shift to Open XML as Office 2008’s native file format… ‘This is embarrassing for MBU,’ Gartenberg said,”Keizer reports.
Keizer reports, “Ironically, one of those who praised iWork’s handling of the Microsoft file format was a program manager for Office 2007. “[iWork ’08] reads the Office Open XML files with very high fidelity,” said Brian Jones on his company blog… ‘What this really shows is Microsoft’s inability to ship software on time these days… It’s going to be hard for Microsoft to get those people who try and buy iWork back,’ Gartenberg said. ‘Microsoft’s let down its Mac customers.'”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Apple’s iWork ’08 should embarrass Microsoft for many more reasons beyond just being able to open up Open XML files, but we’re not so sure Microsoft is even capable of being embarrassed – just look the Zune or their flagship OS or their CEO; a huge embarrassment who, we pray, will continue to helm the ship all the way to the bottom.
Many Mac users — the majority, we believe — think they need Office, but really don’t. Give Apple’s free 30-day iWork ’08 trial a try and see for yourself.
Just another reason in my list to justify completely leaving MS office.
Apple’s Steve Jobs stated that Numbers would not be able to import or export all files to Excel, meaning that Numbers is not likely to compete directly with Excel.
Additionally, if Numbers cannot handle algebraic equations, logarithms, exponents, and simple statistics it is unlikely that iWork will make a significant dent in MS Office sales.
Insert joke about flying chairs in space provided: ____________ _________________
While I was waiting for an Apple Store employee to help me purchase my new iMac, I started watching the Numbers demos on one of the computers. By the time I was helped, I was convinced and bought my copy…
So far, I’m beyond satisfied.
I wish I had a solution for when people email me Word documents and Excel spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations. Am I not locked in to M$?
Or use the free and open NeoOffice – it works just as well, opens more file formats than Office, etc..
Apple is kicking some major sand in Ballmer’s face. How gritty is is!
Uhh, do you think it was really coincidental that Office 2008 “slipped” into early next year just a week prior to iWork shipping? I certainly don’t! Microsoft found out this was shipping and conveniently decided that there were “too many problems” with the development process as a way to show Apple who they were dealing with (after all isn’t Office the MOST important software for the Mac?). Of course, this is going to bite them on the butt when Mac users stop caring if Office ever ships….
I just installed iWorks this afternoon.
My quick tests looks promising. I may say goodbye to Microsoft forever. MBU looks like a bunch of jokers after you see how slick the new pages and numbers are (keynote was already completely polished before ’08).
Office? Who actually “needs” Office?
Hell, I’ve used AppleWorks and MacLink Plus for years and never felt the need. When I send files I usually send PDFs, since they can’t be monkeyed with on the other side. Rarely do I send an editable file. When I do, it’s an RTF, not a Word file.
As it (sort of) says in the article, it’s all about file formats and seamless translation, not about the tool or the OS you use. I can’t wait to try out the iWork ’08 demo.
Yeah, NeoOffice works quite well, too.
Weirdly, the primary reason I stick with MS Office 2004 is Entourage. Pages is more fun and flexible than Word; Keynote is infinitely more elegant than PowerPoint; and Numbers looks like it will handle 90%+ of my spreadsheet needs. But iCal, Mail and Address Book are three disjointed apps that do not come close to adding up to Entourage.
Fortunately, you can sync Entourage with iCal and Address Book — a necessity if you are an iPhone user like me. But I really look forward to day — in October?? — when we get some apps with more professional functionality, to say nothing of iPhone support for stuff like Notes and Tasks.
By the way, there is also NeoOffice — which never seems to get the credit or attention it deserves. And it, too, can read and write the XML files.
Under no circumstances … I mean fscking none …will I upgrade to the next Microshit Office. Its over. Numbers and support for so called open xml spells the complete end to MS office for me. And I have A LOT OF CORPROATE CLIENTS.
Unfortunately for most of my clients, iWork neither displays, modifies, or exports Word documents properly.
I hate to say it, but I need pivot tables for my work. Numbers needs to have this in its pipeline or I cannot justify moving to it no matter how clean it is.
@ Mr. Dave
iWork can open and edit all Word and PowerPoint files and most Excel documents. Plus it’s really easy to work with and you can make some fantastic looking stuff with it.
You should download Apple’s 30 day trial and give it a spin.
“after all isn’t Office the MOST important software for the Mac?”
I think it might be OS X. Just a guess.
I love iWork 08. It is really a very nice product. But I still need two things:
1. pivot tables in Numbers;
2. An Entourage/Outlook alternative. Entourage is not the worst software ever made, and it does provide just enough functionality to interoperate in a Windows environment. Mail/iCal/Groupcal are not yet good enough because they rely on opening up IMAP functionality on the Exchange server, and there are some legitimate reasons for sysadmins not to do so [Groupcal is not a bad little product, but again, the combined package is not robust enough]..
I’ve been an iWork user since it’s first version, and now I’m absolute certain that I won’t be purchasing MS Office anymore. I don-t use Excel much, more than to check some files that clients send me for design purposes (lists, essays, articles and so on). If you haven’t tried iWork yet, you have to!
Microsoft has lost me. I bought the iWork ’08 Family Pack two days ago to replace Office 2004. I won’t be buying any future versions of Office either.
I love apple and the products….
but HOw about a headline that reads “Apple Embarasses itself with iMovie ’08” ?
Apple really fumbled that one.
“Additionally, if Numbers cannot handle algebraic equations, logarithms, exponents, and simple statistics it is unlikely that iWork will make a significant dent in MS Office sales.”
Yeah because most EVERYONE uses those features.
Numbers is just what I was waiting for. Buh-bye MS Office! iWork ’08 will be on my doorstep on Monday; meanwhile, I’m using the trial version and loving it.
Now, we just need Intuit to spiff up their crappy Quicken for Mac product.
iWorks
IT WORKS… I dumped Office totally now!
Numbers does all the numbering in a slick refined, logical manner that ONLY Apple seems to understand. Numbers excels over Excel as do all the iWork programs. Microsoft has been LAGGING behind in Apple upgrades in Microsoft Office, even though it claims Office for Mac has functionality that Windows version doesn’t… well GUESS what it caused incompatibilities!!!!
Very bothersome.
Better yet, my taxes, and invoices are easily imported and calculate perfectly in this new application.
I am so glad I bought it. DOWN with all Microsoft apps for me.
A++ Apple
Keep up the GREAT and very much appreciated work.
Tomorrow I am buying iLife’08. Just as a treat.
Since I still running ’06… even the slightest improvement LEAPS over Microsofts updates.
j
paddywack, I agree with you. The company I work at uses excel extensively and the forumlas/sheets they’ve created only work on Excel. I’ve tried NeoOffice and Numbers to no avail.
The really fscked up thing – and proof MS has no clue – is that this one sheet we use was built on/for Excel 2003. Well, i’m the guinea pig for Office 2007 and it is just a complete clusterfsck now. The sheet won’t open. All kinds of problems. The developer seemed so down that it would probably have to be rebuilt eventually for Office 2007. He used to work for MS, you’d think he’d know they would eventually fsck everything up.
But, I won’t be buying iWork 08 anytime soon since I can get by at home with NeoOffice.