Apple to take iWork '09 online?
With just under a week left before Macworld 2009, the rumor mill is turning out many rumors. One new rumor, proposed by 9to5 Mac, suggests that Apple may be taking their iWork suite of software online. iWork is Apple's answer to an office suite, and combines a word processor (Pages), presentation software (Keynote), and spreadsheet app (Numbers). Just as Apple took mail, calendars, and contacts online with MobileMe, 9to5 believes they might do the same with Pages, Keynote, and Numbers. Apple definitely wouldn't be the first company to take office applications into the "cloud," but they might be the first to make web apps that tie into MobileMe.
Google Docs (formerly Writely), Zoho Office, and Microsoft are just a few of the companies currently offering web-based solutions for office products.
[via MacRumors]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Chris said 5:21PM on 12-31-2008
It's interesting that they would do that, especially after the whole "MobileMe" fiasco (the web stuff is painfully slow for me...please no "it's working fine for me comments, it's still not for a lot of people). I'm a huge Mac fanboy, but I was so disappointed with MobileMe. At this point I would never trust my "work" (school or job) documents / spreadsheets / presentations to an "Apple cloud" at this time. I hope Apple gets it together, I think the concept of MobileMe is awesome and they really could have something there, but I think they need to get it flawless and work on their "street cred" with regards to their "cloud"...then do things like this.
Just my $0.02 (or $0.0213 if at a gas station).
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Vince said 5:55PM on 12-31-2008
It's working fine for me...
Vince said 5:56PM on 12-31-2008
And that was a real dumb joke at the end there...
Squid7085 said 6:03PM on 12-31-2008
I thought it was clever. And it works fine, but when you start regularly using it, you realize all its flaws. It works okay, but it doesn't work well enough to be worth $100.
mac_fanatic said 11:07PM on 12-31-2008
I have yet to have a problem with mobileme that has not made it worth $8.25 per month. ($99/year)
Hosting, backup, syncing all my macs and iphone, email etc.
csh said 11:14AM on 1-01-2009
Even if cloud computing were 100% reliable, I don't want it myself.
I buy a personal computer so it can be my personal computer.
I don't want it to just be a terminal dependent on outside systems.
I frequently use computers without an outside network connection, and I want all my stuff to still work.
Nate Bird said 4:04PM on 1-01-2009
I think everyone is missing the point here. They are NOT replacing the applications with online versions - they will be ADDING online versions similar to what they have done with Contacts, iPhoto, iCal, iDisk, already on MobileMe. This is more incentive to use your iDisk to store documents like this because then you can make changes on your Mobile, export out a PDF to email to a friend or partner.
I don't see Apple replacing iWork but I do see them adding stripped down Mobile versions for those who can find use for it. Oh, and I'm betting we see native app updates for iWork and iLife at Macworld. Maybe even some iPhone apps too. Presentations from your iPhone anyone!?!
nick said 5:23PM on 12-31-2008
apple can't even get mobile-me together after all this time. why would I want another failed online experience?
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Mo said 5:30PM on 12-31-2008
No, no, no, no, no.
Keynote, Pages and Numbers are fantastic desktop apps.
MobileMe is a horrific web application.
I don't want to see the satan-spawn of the two of them.
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Blackstar said 7:58PM on 12-31-2008
Agreed.
If they go Web-only I'll stick with '08 or use Neo Office or Open Office instead. Until I can get 100% reliable traffic at better speeds and bandwidth over the web than I can between my built in hard drive, I see no real advantage to it at all. Not to mention the potential security risks that come with constant online traffic. Sounds like a bad idea all around.
Quine said 9:06PM on 12-31-2008
Wow, I was thinking almost exactly the same thing. No need to repeat, I'll just say I totally agree!
Jim said 5:32PM on 12-31-2008
I would love to have mobile me sync for back-up purposes, but I would always want a stand alone app for word processing and number crunching.
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David said 5:33PM on 12-31-2008
If it's "in addition to," then that's fine. If it's "instead of," then I am firmly against it.
If you have a local copy of Pages, Numbers, or Keynote and then sync it to the (mushroom) cloud, then that's okay. However, if it's online only, then no thanks... I love Pages and Keynote, but I'll stick to the '08 versions.
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matthew said 8:31PM on 1-01-2009
Desktop plus web would make sense for the MobileMe model, since that's what they've done so far with Mail, Address Book, iCal, iDisk, iPhoto, iWeb, etc.
Dan said 5:37PM on 12-31-2008
Well, if they do the whole online thing, they've got a big head start with 280 slides: http://280slides.com/
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Odineye said 5:41PM on 12-31-2008
I use I work for almost all of my office suite needs. I have no interest in seeing an online or "cloud" version ala Google docs, but I would like to see them offer syncing of things like preferences and templates across MobileMe in a fashion similar to the way the other system items sync. It's very frustrating to build a template and then go to use it on your laptop only to find that it's not there because you created it on your desktop.
While I'm on that tear, let me say I'd very much like to see iDisk replaced by something more like FolderShare (now "Windows Live Sync").
Ideally I'd like that product to be combined with an iPhone/touch version of iWork so I can use the phone to work on products on the road and syc those changes across multiple platforms.
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Bob W. said 5:51PM on 12-31-2008
I am a huge fan of iWork, and I hope that iWork 09 is the final update to rid myself of MSOffice.
Microsoft aside, I find the Keynote and Pages incredibly powerful. As long as we continue to get desktop versions--for working offline--I could care less about it being available in the cloud. It's a nice to have in my book.
I think there is a great opportunity to create a serious competitor to MSOffice. Of course it will never be a big company staple, but that matters little. There are tons of mid to small companies who care about document output--in Apple's core enterprise market--that will buy tons of iWork for their Macs.
I suspect, but may be wrong, that this rumor is either false or partially correct.
Jobs' keynotes have shown some new Keynote features not available yet. I doubt this was coming from the cloud.
Also, a killer keynote could be another reason to buy a Mac and soften Apple dependency on MS.
Finally, mobileme has been a disaster. It's now working, but it's far from good. I hope Apple isn't going to bite off more than they can chew.
An iPhone version makes a ton more sense from an investment perspective. (sell more iWork and more iPhones. Get in the enterprise deeper since who knows when MS is going to release MSOffice or the iPhone? Probably never.)
In summary, I don't believe this, but as long as we get a killer desktop version too, a mobile version woul
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Dustin Dauncey said 5:59PM on 12-31-2008
After MobileMe? I'll pass, thanks Apple.
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Squid7085 said 6:07PM on 12-31-2008
I always thought that buy the way me.com is set up using "Applications" I figured adding things would be obvious. I agree with others though, If this is an "in addition to" I would be happy with it. Allowing the desktop apps to sync with the web apps, thus allowing you to use those apps on Windows. They are going to have to work on speed and stability though, that is lacking. It all has potential, but I can see Apple screwing it up.
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Ryan said 6:12PM on 12-31-2008
Apple cannot even get a webmail client working right, I have zero faith in any more complicated browser apps from them at this point. And I agree with the first poster; when you start using the web version of MobileMe mail, you realize how crappy it really is.
If it's a suite of online apps only that are geared for the iPhone and other Touch devices, I'm all for that. Throw it in with my existing MobileMe account and I'd hardly complain (unless it's as bad as the webmail).
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