Apple Looking to Expand Cloud-Based iWork Experience?
The Productivity team (i.e. iWork) is seeking an energetic, highly motivated software engineer in building a scalable rich internet application. The person will be part of the core development team and engage in an area from design to development of the software system.
Apple's desired qualifications for the position include experience with JavaScript and browser technologies, computer graphics, scalable rich internet applications, and productivity application development.Although the job posting provides no details on project specifics, the mention of the position's involvement in "design to development" stages suggests that Apple is looking to undertake a new project of grander scale rather than simply continuing to tweak and build on its existing iWork.com offerings.
From the outset, Apple noted that iWork.com was planned to be a fee-based service, although it remains free for users of iWork '09 while in a pre-release beta version.
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Call me an old fart (I'm 24), but I'm not really looking forward to this "cloud computing revolution." MobileMe is enough. I really would rather own my own apps and store things locally. Now if this is just going to be a companion to their software offerings, then fine. But when it becomes more than that and completely in the sky--that's when I get concerned. I read somewhere like a week ago that Windows 7 would be the final version of Windows and that Microsoft is moving everything into the cloud with subscription services. No thanks!! I hate that idea, and hopefully Apple doesn't follow.
good news
Windows 8 is in development and will use more RAM and HD space than ever
i've used Live Office and it's pretty good. nice mix of cloud and local power. much better than Google Docs or Wave
Call me an old fart (I'm 24), but I'm not really looking forward to this "cloud computing revolution." MobileMe is enough. I really would rather own my own apps and store things locally. Now if this is just going to be a companion to their software offerings, then fine. But when it becomes more than that and completely in the sky--that's when I get concerned. I read somewhere like a week ago that Windows 7 would be the final version of Windows and that Microsoft is moving everything into the cloud with subscription services. No thanks!! I hate that idea, and hopefully Apple doesn't follow.
I'm a really old fart (77 next week) and agree with you. Cloud computing is only as good as he weather up there. One cloudburst and you're going to be mighty wet and, for who knows how long, damp. Such things have a tendency to happen just when you need what you can't access. Best of all is, at the least, a copy of your contents on an external hard drive and on your own computer(s).
I must add that after several years of using it -- I still have it handy, but little-used) MobileMe is a slow and inefficient function. Why Apple has not made it competitive with much faster, better cloud functions is hard to understand -- unless Apple simply believes it can get away with third-rate programming indefinitely.
I really would rather own my own apps and store things locally.
So store local and sync with the cloud rather than just live on the cloud?
Well let's see...iPhoto works with MobileMe like that. The current iWork works with MM like that. iMovie works with YouTube like that. iCal and Address book works like that no matter which online service you use (MM, Google, or Yahoo). Mail downloads messages to your hard drive. The iTunes Store makes you download the content, not stream it. The iPhone keeps contacts on the phone, unlike some other phones.
Pretty much everything Apple does stores locally.
What makes you think Apple is going to scrap that and decide to suddenly go all google on us all of a sudden?
Call me an old fart (I'm 24), but I'm not really looking forward to this "cloud computing revolution." MobileMe is enough. I really would rather own my own apps and store things locally. Now if this is just going to be a companion to their software offerings, then fine. But when it becomes more than that and completely in the sky--that's when I get concerned. I read somewhere like a week ago that Windows 7 would be the final version of Windows and that Microsoft is moving everything into the cloud with subscription services. No thanks!! I hate that idea, and hopefully Apple doesn't follow.
Total "cloud software" may be a ways off yet, but that's where it's going, like it or not. There are many advantages to it, namely: customers always having the latest versions and being able to upgrade to more features instantly via tiered pricing; less computing power needed on the client side; much better proof against piracy; reduced costs to the provider which can then be passed on to the customers; possible on-demand or pay-as-you-go usage rates, etc.
You never have owned the software you've used over the years. It's all been merely licensed.
Personally, I use Adobe Creative Suite and Adobe not long ago issued a survey about a subscription model. It think it's very interesting, as even the Master Collection would be "affordable" via monthly subscription fees. Another possible benefit to an Adobe "cloud computing" scenario is to have their entire font library available.
You never have owned the software you've used over the years. It's all been merely licensed.
Good point. I feel I should expand on my last post.
I'm totally in favor of cloud applications. As the iPhone has proved, web apps can feature all of the advantages you just mentioned and they can even work while the phone is offline. I also think things are moving that way for all computers and I'm in favor of it.
What I'm not in favor of is the actual data living on the cloud. I much prefer the iPhone method of storing locally and just syncing with the cloud.
And there's no reason applications can't keep doing that even after the apps themselves are cloud-based. That way you can get the advantages of cloud-computing without the downsides.
It will be convenient for millions, who do not care about the limitations and these smallish annual fees adding up. But for those, who want more control, these incorporated options generally mean further annoyances. But I'm the kind of guy who would prefer Winamp to iTunes (although I haven't used Windows at home for over three years), when it comes to playing music and Amazon, when it comes to downloading.
Or is it just me, who demands more than some stylish, simple and predefined options from an increasingly more powerful corporation?
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