Comments on: Is Numbers Right For You? http://www.numberstemplates.com/2007/09/23/is-numbers-right-for-you/ Templates, Tips, and Tricks for Apple's Numbers Spreadsheet Thu, 28 Jul 2011 17:58:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Gus http://www.numberstemplates.com/2007/09/23/is-numbers-right-for-you/comment-page-1/#comment-153 Gus Wed, 17 Oct 2007 19:40:27 +0000 http://www.numberstemplates.com/2007/09/23/is-numbers-right-for-you/#comment-153 I'm a power user of Excel and the lack of basic functions really sucks (pivot table and external data ARE basic functions nowadays, I wouldn't say that they are power user features and the freeware Open Office has both!). I do would say that today Numbers is a very good companion tool for Keynote or if you are only interested in professional looking charts or table layouts as we can see in magazines and books. I'm a enthusiastic for Apple products and software but I think that Apple has missed some important basic steps when it has developed Numbers: market research! I’m a power user of Excel and the lack of basic functions really sucks (pivot table and external data ARE basic functions nowadays, I wouldn’t say that they are power user features and the freeware Open Office has both!).

I do would say that today Numbers is a very good companion tool for Keynote or if you are only interested in professional looking charts or table layouts as we can see in magazines and books.

I’m a enthusiastic for Apple products and software but I think that Apple has missed some important basic steps when it has developed Numbers: market research!

]]> By: Al http://www.numberstemplates.com/2007/09/23/is-numbers-right-for-you/comment-page-1/#comment-111 Al Wed, 26 Sep 2007 16:30:37 +0000 http://www.numberstemplates.com/2007/09/23/is-numbers-right-for-you/#comment-111 A fair chunk of the improvements wouldn't even need to be done by Apple internally. Focus on these: -Plugins. -Scripting. -External Data. Once you have a way to add a new, arbitrary function or chart type, then any little niche that has a crazy chart type, or a function that is unwieldy when expressed in the more common functions, can go off on their own. Both Scripting and External Data are focused on getting it done. Stripping the raw data off a company RSS feed, or a company webpage, or whatever. and exporting (via script) a particular chart. Or publishing it to the web. Whatever. A fair chunk of the improvements wouldn’t even need to be done by Apple internally. Focus on these:

-Plugins.
-Scripting.
-External Data.

Once you have a way to add a new, arbitrary function or chart type, then any little niche that has a crazy chart type, or a function that is unwieldy when expressed in the more common functions, can go off on their own.

Both Scripting and External Data are focused on getting it done. Stripping the raw data off a company RSS feed, or a company webpage, or whatever. and exporting (via script) a particular chart. Or publishing it to the web. Whatever.

]]> By: Michael http://www.numberstemplates.com/2007/09/23/is-numbers-right-for-you/comment-page-1/#comment-99 Michael Mon, 24 Sep 2007 13:20:34 +0000 http://www.numberstemplates.com/2007/09/23/is-numbers-right-for-you/#comment-99 Sue, Thanks for the comment. Here's my thinking: * I suspect that Numbers will catch up to Excel in functionality at some point in the future (this could take 5 or more years). My reasoning is that Numbers currently meets the needs of 70 - 80% of all Mac spreadsheet users. This means that only 20 - 30% of users will be potential buyers of the next version of Office. I think that means the next version of Office for the Mac, could be the last version of Office for the Mac. If so, Apple will have to improve Numbers, or risk losing power users to other platforms. * From my reading on other boards, I get a real feeling that a lot of users are desperate to get anything made by Microsoft off their systems (too much bad blood over the years). * Lastly, Numbers would have to add features to entice users to upgrade. Pivot tables may be hard to implement, but surely locking and freezing cells would be fairly trivial to add. Just my two cents, it could go either way. Thanks again for participating. - Michael Sue,

Thanks for the comment.

Here’s my thinking:
* I suspect that Numbers will catch up to Excel in functionality at some point in the future (this could take 5 or more years). My reasoning is that Numbers currently meets the needs of 70 – 80% of all Mac spreadsheet users. This means that only 20 – 30% of users will be potential buyers of the next version of Office. I think that means the next version of Office for the Mac, could be the last version of Office for the Mac. If so, Apple will have to improve Numbers, or risk losing power users to other platforms.
* From my reading on other boards, I get a real feeling that a lot of users are desperate to get anything made by Microsoft off their systems (too much bad blood over the years).
* Lastly, Numbers would have to add features to entice users to upgrade. Pivot tables may be hard to implement, but surely locking and freezing cells would be fairly trivial to add.

Just my two cents, it could go either way. Thanks again for participating.

- Michael

]]> By: Sue Ashby http://www.numberstemplates.com/2007/09/23/is-numbers-right-for-you/comment-page-1/#comment-97 Sue Ashby Mon, 24 Sep 2007 05:05:09 +0000 http://www.numberstemplates.com/2007/09/23/is-numbers-right-for-you/#comment-97 I'm not so sure that iWork was targeted at business users who, as we all know, are hogtied to MS Office. Pages and Keynote in particular are great for many business users but Numbers requires an even more flexible approach to get the best out of it. Business users seem to expect Excel Plus not beaut version 1 software that is made for lateral thinkers. No doubt the memory requirements will be fixed with the other bugs but it will never be Excel plus. It's spreadsheet software for the rest of us. :) Just my 2 cents worth Ashka. I’m not so sure that iWork was targeted at business users who, as we all know, are hogtied to MS Office.
Pages and Keynote in particular are great for many business users but Numbers requires an even more flexible approach to get the best out of it.

Business users seem to expect Excel Plus not beaut version 1 software that is made for lateral thinkers. No doubt the memory requirements will be fixed with the other bugs but it will never be Excel plus. It’s spreadsheet software for the rest of us. :)
Just my 2 cents worth
Ashka.

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