“A small Macintosh software developer has renamed an application it had been calling iWork, lending credence to rumors that Apple plans to introduce office software of the same name,” Ina Fried reports for CNET News. “IGG Software, which has marketed a time-billing application as iWork, has changed the program’s name to iBiz. The change, which is reflected on the company’s Web site, follows reports on rumor sites that Apple plans to offer its own suite of word processing and presentation software… Several Macintosh enthusiast sites spotted the iBiz name change, including MacDailyNews and MacMinute.”
Fried reports, “The name iWork may seem a natural for Apple, which already bills its iLife suite as being ‘like Microsoft Office for the rest of your life.’ But the term is already used by many others. Sun Microsystems, for instance, uses the name for a program that allows its employees to work remotely. IGG Software applied for a trademark of the term in March 2003. In August 2004, Apple also filed for a trademark on ‘iWork.’ IGG’s application is currently suspended, while Apple’s is listed as newly filed and not yet assigned to an examiner. Other trademark applications are also pending for both ‘iWork’ and ‘iWorks.’ It is unclear what effect an Apple product might have on Microsoft’s long-term support for the Mac version of Office. The company, which at one time had a five-year pact with Apple to provide Mac versions of Office and Internet Explorer, now says that it evaluates new products one version at a time.”
Full article here.
Related MacDailyNews articles:
IGG Software changes name of ‘iWork’ to ‘iBiz’ – clearing the way for Apple’s iWork? – January 03, 2005
Mac users should not buy Microsoft software – May 16, 2003
Is it wrong if I train my dog to go ape when she sees my iPod
Magic Word = merely
The thing is this will be a bit of a gamble. M$ makes good money off selling Office for Mac. They would have to blow off that profit to kill Office for the Mac.
IF iWork is compatible AND we still have Office 2004 for the Mac (and I can’t see M$ pulling it off the shelves) then SHORT TERM there will be even more reason to switch. As someone said above, lots of people continue to use older versions of Office for a long long time so we are talking being able to get by at least 5-10 years on Office 2004 alone.
THEN Apple will get a lot of switchers, the more switchers there are, the harder it will be for M$ to blow off the percentage of people on the Mac and quit developing for them.
So I see this as a major power move for Apple that has a very high possibility for Success as long as FUD does not win out.
I think it would be good if Apple released iWork on Windows also, with the same UI and ease of use, it could also be used to entice users to switch to the Mac platform, and if it was far better than Office, it could really have an impact if released on Windows. I think Apple should keep putting the occasional app on Windows for a while, until we see market share increase. iTunes was a great first step, I think this would be the next big thing if it was released on Windows. Though I doubt Keynote 2 would run very well on Windows, if Apple could manage it, this would be great.
Actually Joe, I have my eleven button Kensington turbo mouse trackball set so I copy by “chording” (pressing together) the two upper main buttons and then I paste by “chording” the two lower buttons. You would have to try it to believe how convenient it is.
Every one of my clients is still in the Windows world. I must be able to read, modify and send their Office documents back and forth to the clients.
If this new Apple program does not have that capability with 100% compatibility – forget it… it will remain out of the mainstream as even die hard Mac fans will be forced to continue using Word, excel, etc.
keynote/filemaker/pages/appleworks
iThink apple is just covering their ass.
It is a long term move. So if MicroShaft where to pull the plug on the OSX version of office there will be something to fill in.
This may be a powerplay to send a message to Microsoft that we don’t want to run windows on our macs just to run Office.
So the platform will die if MS pulls Office for Mac. What a crock. Apple’s existence does not rely on MS Office. Like others said, there is a fairly decent version out now. If MS does pull Office, the copies that are out there now will not just magically “go away” or stop working.
One of the main gripes with AppleWorks was its lack of compatability with Office docs. I highly doubt Apple will make that mistake again. I wouldn’t be surprised if Apple comes up with an entirely new file format that has far superior capabilities and extensibility, but will also fully support MS Office files flawlessly and natively.
This compatability is important, but is NOT a platform killer.
G$
What can MS do?
Seriously.. in what market is a new competitor discouraged from entering because of.. oh.. another market’s leverage.
That’s Anti-Competitive.
That’s what’s wrong with a monopoly.. Competitors (Apple/MS) should not feel like they have to tiptoe around each other..
Apple comes out and says.. we have upgraded Appleworks.. and we’re calling it iWork..
With iWork and iLife, we have you covered.
What’s MS gonna say.. ‘Oh! Shit! Bill, they upgraded Appleworks!’
Who cares.. Apple will come out with a great free piece of software and we’re all better for it.. MS won’t even mind. And if this thing makes Office useless for some users, great.. they just saved $300-500…
This post is dedicated to all the trophy wives who bought Office Pro because the salesman told her it was more robust and improved the functionality of her (husband’s) PC.
Most people need Word.. which comes with MS’s Works package already. Most people don’t need Office. Admit it.
Office costs many $ to windows users too… if Apple could get this out cross-platform, that would shake things a little, I think.
bac
keynote/filemaker/pages/appleworks
that should be:
Keynote2/Filemaker Express/Pages
Keynote2 will fill in as the PowerPoint knock-off, but take where it is further, allowing more control. It will continue and expand on it’s MS PP integration for those who need it, but expand what it can do, including expanded support for the new Core-Image effects.
Filemaker Express will be a lower end version of FileMaker Pro, with lighter feature set, compatibility with it’s big cousin, and maybe one or two nifty new features that will make the next version of FMP.
Pages I imagine this will be some sort of combo word processor, page layout and web page design application. I don’t think it will be a full featured Word or Quark killer, but I would not be surprised if it was able to be compatible, at least with MS Word.
If Apple includes an Excel or spreadsheet type application, that will be a separate program.
I think the big key point will be compatibility with MS Office and tight integration between applications. I think Apple will either release a Windows version at the same time, or announce plans to do so later. AppleWorks is on the PC now, but few know about it. I think if MS decides to drop Mac Office, Apple could offer a “free trial” of Windows iWork. Even allow very generous terms of purchase, including very cheap site licensing with unlimited clients. Allow for unlimited use for very cheap, but charge for support packages.
That is how Apple could stick it to MS if they pull office off the Mac.
There are tons of other options for those not creatively impaired.
I think a good name would be “925 Office Suite”; a play on 9-to-5. There are also iAdmin, iClerk, Papyrus, etc.
“iWorks? Hmmm, seem like improper English to me. Much prefer the iWork.”
Have you never watched Popeye? (Magic word: never)
For Apple to make a successful Word-killer, it’d have to make a really kick-butt ap; something that is way out there like built-in speech recognition and grammar checker.
Apple already has MS Word destroyed regarding fonts (have you played with your shadows and typography lately? Hint: play with the Zapfino font).
Perhaps much more intelligent layout presets and exports. Anything that saves people a great amount of time by applying complex functions in a very easy interface; Apple’s trademark cool user interface.
I think the most important issue is price. Office is staggeringly over-priced. If Apple models their office quite pricing on MS, I won’t buy it. I don’t care how good it is. Since supply and demand forces do not work the same on software, and since word processing and spreadsheets are two of the most basic and ubiquitous computer applications using the most fundamental aspects of computer code (strings, string formatting, and databases), it stands to reason that such applications are not worth 500 dollars a license. Unless all you want to do is gouge your customers.
“Filemaker Express will be a lower end version of FileMaker Pro, with lighter feature set […]
[…] If Apple includes an Excel or spreadsheet type application, that will be a separate program.”
Um, FMP has a spreadsheet layout. If you speculate it will be included, I doubt they would disable this function.
I sure hope iWork is not just an AppleWorks on steroids. I hope it will integrate all the basics of AppleWorks and take mediocre programs like MAIL and iCAL to the next level. We need an OFFICE SUITE on par with Microsoft Office. For heaven’s sake, you can’t even do rich text emails with embedded graphics without confusion and hassle, and forget about emoticons and all that fun stuff. I hate to say it, but Windows is light years ahead in some of these areas. It’s time to add a two-button mouse and beef up everything. I’m still amazed at all the hype surrounding iSight as though it were some new technology, rather than an improvement on a technology that has been around for a long time. There’s a reason I rarely use MAIL, iCAL, AppleWorks, and even iCHAT. They are overly simplified, feature-deficient, weakly integrated programs that still feel like lite-version products. I LOVE APPLE, and I will be patienty awaiting what I hope will be a bright, innovative future. We’ve got a ways to go. Apple needs go lap the field one more time and recommit to the Mac. All this emphpasis on iPOD makes me worry about Apple’s true direction.