“Any user who logs in to iCloud.com will find browser-based beta versions of Pages, Numbers and Keynote — Apple’s iWork suite — are now available to test,” AppleInsider reports.
“Any user with an Apple ID who logs into the iCloud.com website should have access to Pages, Numbers and Keynote,” AppleInsider reports. “The iWork apps join Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Notes, Reminders, and Find My iPhone as free cloud-based offerings from Apple.”
AppleInsider reports, “The service was first announced at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference in June, and works with Safari, Chrome and Internet Explorer.”
Read more in the full article here.
Related articles:
Apple’s iWork for iCloud beta gives a tantalizing hint of what’s to come – July 30, 2013
Apple’s iWork for iCloud beta seeded to consumers; brings iWork to Windows PCs; may be free, hurting Microsoft’s Office 365 – July 19, 2013
iWork, iLife appear in iOS 7 free downloads screen, corroborating theory of Apple apps going free – July 9, 2013
Computerworld first look: Apple’s iWork for iCloud beta is super-speedy – July 5, 2013
Tim Bajarin: Steve Jobs’ legacy lives on; Apple’s iWork for iCloud sets new standard for Web-based productivity tools – June 17, 2013
Hands-on with Apple’s new iWork for iCloud beta (with video) – June 14, 2013
The big question is whether iWork will follow the fate of iTools (which was transformed from a free service into dot-Mac paid service, which was eventually renamed to Mobile Me, before it became free again as the iCloud).
In other words, will Apple begin charging for iWork on the iCloud the way it did for dot-Mac and Mobile Me? Or will they decide to give up a sliver of possible revenue (from subscription to this iWork in the cloud service) in order to ween people away from Google Docs.
If weaning people from GDocs is the goal, it’ll have to be free. One draw of Google Docs is the realtime collaboration, which AFAIK is absent in iWork for iCloud (“Share link” doesn’t count), so it’s already an uphill battle.
For sure, iWork has a long way to go before it attains the feature set majority of G-docs users are using (notice how I’m not saying “to match the features”, as Apple frequently leaves out unnecessary or under-utilised features).
The Maps situation was similar in nature: Google’s Maps are still far superior in many ways, but Apple maps have a few advantages, so many are perfectly happy to give up some of the Google features in order to gain the advantages of Apple (full iOS integration being an important one). iWork may experience similar development trajectory.
When I opened a document I had created on my Mac Pages for iCloud gave me a message stating that it was incompatible. I immediately logged off iCloud and sent Apple some feedback, namely, until all documents are completely compatible between my Mac and iCloud the application has no utility for me.
Been using it for a month; beautiful web apps! But they desperately need colaborative features. Google Apps are light-years ahead here, unfortunately.
Re : But they desperately need colaborative features.”
Perhaps they have.
“Apple shows off iWork for iCloud—collaborate online like nobody’s business” http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CDoQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Farstechnica.com%2Fapple%2F2013%2F06%2Fapple-shows-off-iwork-for-icloud-collaborate-online-like-nobodys-business%2F&ei=paQXUpnlMaW-2QX7uIFY&usg=AFQjCNGRvnAjdC9j-QUff0uP_f4OdD84-Q&bvm=bv.51156542,d.b2I
Incidentally, it all depends on what you mean by collaboration. Personally, I don’t let any one electronically revise original manuscripts. Mine or otherwise.
Simply provide a printout or unmodifiable pdf that one/many can mark up/make suggestions. Proof/reproof as necessary. Seen too many times in the early days where even the company presidents directed modifications that went to press erroneously.
Like the iApp version of Pages, does not appear to support page-layout mode, only word processing, I.e. no way to link text boxes. That makes it less than half as useful as the Mac version right off the bat. Not only that, but I can’t find a way to wrap text around images. Much of the text in my imported document was hidden behind the pictures. Forget MS Word compatibility–first it needs PAGES compatibility
Re “Not only that, but I can’t find a way to wrap text around images.”
Select image. If toolbar does not appear in the right panel, click Tools in top right corner.
You can also check Coming Soon under Tools
I looked at “Coming Soon.” As I suspected, there is no support for Page Layout. All documents are converted to Word Processing and the links between text boxes are deleted. No hint this will ever be added; the same thing happens in iOS Pages. Objects in table cells are deleted, and most other objects–in line or anchored–can be viewed but not edited. Editing charts and tables may be supported someday, like printing. Version data is currently deleted on opening, so if you collaborate with someone in the cloud, you cannot tell what they changed or undo even your own changes. Mistakes are autosaved; prior versions are not. I understand this is a Beta, but it is missing so many features that it resembles TextEdit more than Pages.
I would never in my life use a cloud version of any software.
1 I would never in my life depend on web access
2 opens up all my docs to hacking
3 opens up all my docs to downed servers
F’no
Aren’t you already as soon as you open your browser and making this comment.
Nope. All of MY important document are on MY hard drive and back ups. If internet or servers goes down I still have them.
No one will be hacking into them either