Scobleizer - Latest Comments in Microsoft should get “Numbers”

Re: Microsoft should get “Numbers”

Chris — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 03:02:35 -0000

I love the ease of use with numbers and the UI, but until they add some of the more powerful features of Excel, namely pivot tables, I will not be buying iWork '08

Re: Microsoft should get “Numbers”

Jeremy Herbel — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 14:08:39 -0000

"No macros. No pivot tables."

That alone makes Numbers not even looking at. For anyone harping on Excel people for being so hard on Number without even using it, we don't have to use it to see the flaws. Making a spreadsheet app without pivot tables means it doesn't even warrant comparison to Excel.

Oh, and to people saying this is v1.0, and it will improve, the features left out shouldn't be something that make it in the later revision, they are standard enough that they should be in the first release.

Re: Microsoft should get “Numbers”

Raboon — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 21:48:20 -0000

It makes me laugh that you Excel fanbois start criticising Numbers before you even get your hands on it.

I bought it yesterday and it's a much better foundation than Excel. You have way more control over layout and it's far more logical in use. Remember it is at version 1 and Excel is at version 1000 or whatever.

Wait till it gets to version 2 and there is scriptability. Then forget excel as it will look like a dinosaur with obesity compared to Numbers by then.

People who use Apple software get enthusiastic about it because it does what it is supposed to. you just wouldn't get that would you.

Re: Microsoft should get “Numbers”

redfish — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 20:25:25 -0000

hey, Sal, have you even used a Zune, I mean held it in your hand and used it? Just wondering.

Re: Microsoft should get “Numbers”

luca — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 16:13:18 -0000

That's one of the reasons why I bought iWorks '08 today instead of waiting for Office '08, delayed to January.

Office 2004 is unusable on my MacBook, too unstable and far from being really easy to use. Numbers makes the difference because you can't say "iWork is cool but no spreadsheet there" any more.

Re: Microsoft should get “Numbers”

Some Guy — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 11:16:16 -0000

Oops, I was mistaken. Turns out that I can indeed rename rows and columns, it just wasn't obvious to me how to do so.

The real danger to Microsoft's Office franchise isn't Numbers, though. When Apple ships iWork on Windows, the app that will sell the bulk of the licenses will be Keynote.

Re: Microsoft should get “Numbers”

Some Guy — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 11:16:16 -0000

Oops, I was mistaken. Turns out that I can indeed rename rows and columns, it just wasn't obvious to me how to do so.

The real danger to Microsoft's Office franchise isn't Numbers, though. When Apple ships iWork on Windows, the app that will sell the bulk of the licenses will be Keynote.

Re: Microsoft should get “Numbers”

Some Guy — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 11:06:59 -0000

Number is an excellent start, but it still suffers from several conventional spreadsheet limitations. The first of these is that you still refer to cells by letter and number, instead of being able to rename columns and rows as you can in Quantrix, or could in Lotus Improv.

Nevertheless, I'm greatly relieved that I'll never have to buy another MS Office license.

Re: Microsoft should get “Numbers”

jbella — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 10:24:18 -0000

@24 Yes, he praised Numbers for a feature that excel already had, but that is just 1 thing. He didn't know that Excel already had that feature because Excel has way too many features already.

You guys have to get a little perspective here. Numbers is not aimed at the heavy duty business user. It's aimed at people like me who use spreadsheets a couple of times a month and for simple things. Same goes for Pages.. it's a great program because it doesn't have all the features that Word does.. it has the features I need. The whole package costs $79. Think of it as the MS Works package for the Mac. Which makes a lot of sense because 90% of us don't need to full MS Office package but we end up paying hundreds of dollars for it so we can use Word and occasionally Excel.

Re: Microsoft should get “Numbers”

TanNg — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 08:27:25 -0000

In this case, Scoble is clear fanboy, he praised Number for features that Excel already had for at least 5 years.

Re: Microsoft should get “Numbers”

Perry — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 07:57:53 -0000

I'm all for better UI and user experience. Yes Apple, usually does a great job with that.

Douglas: If the point is to look at the UI and user experience, well then it was certainly lost. Looking at the 5 points only the fifth one talks about that. If that is the only thing then that is what the post should be about.

The reason I'm calling him a fanboy is because Scoble used to be able to see through a lot of the marketing gimmicks, and be able to call things out for what they are.

Oh well, I will now have to make a mental note that Scoble is slightly Apple biased.

Re: Microsoft should get “Numbers”

GeoffT — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 03:27:50 -0000

Having looked at all the demos on Apple's website I am impressed with the flexibility and usability of Numbers. I won't need Excel at home now and I might try using my Mac at home for spreadsheets for work (Win Office 2003). I love the outline down the side with all the components on a page named. Keeping each table separate also stops your sheets and calculations getting complicated. Finally though it looks easy to print something that looks good. Excel is terrible at this.

Re: Microsoft should get “Numbers”

Sal — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 02:57:55 -0000

"Besides I’d take features over a slightly better UI any day."

I take it you own a Zune then, right? Fortunately, most people want a better experience with their technology, not more features.

Re: Microsoft should get “Numbers”

LayZ — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 01:56:00 -0000

@16 Well, it may get some interest from Mac owners given the price vs the price of Office. But it's unlikely to make any penetration beyond that. Office likely has nothing to worry about, particularly in the business space.

Re: Microsoft should get “Numbers”

germ — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 00:20:51 -0000

Excel is just a terrible POS. Try opening an excel file with hundreds of images in it. You will die under the "Converting Metafile..." deluge, which cannot be stopped.

Applescripting Excel is horrible as well.

And just try setting table borders in Excel.

Not to mention: Try plotting data that have empty rows between them: Excel does NOT connect the points!!!!!

The much touted Pivot table of Excel is a total kludge (and yes, I know how to use it. It is unusable in many cases).

And don't get me started on how HORRIBLE, TERRIBLY WRONG Excel default plots are.

M$ Office is an abomination.

Re: Microsoft should get “Numbers”

Ted Wood — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 00:01:28 -0000

I agree with Scoble, as well. This is my first time to this site, and many of the comments have attacked him, completely ignoring the realities of why Apple stands apart from the rest of the industry. They haven't just made a spreadsheet program to compete with Excel, they've made something that average people will find useful and fun to use. How many of you have _fun_ using Excel? Apple has added class to a business app. That's worth something.

Re: Microsoft should get “Numbers”

Douglas Cootey — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 23:48:54 -0000

I am reading the comments here and shaking my head. This being Numbers 1.0 you folks are mostly correct. Feature for feature Excel has much over Numbers. But you don't understand Apple's strength. It's never been in feature. It's always been in the user experience. Sometimes they add features to create the user experience. Sometimes they just bump them up for a product refresh like the current iMac announced today, but they always focus on the experience being better than their competitors.

I also believe you are missing Robert's point. He is advising MS to check out the way Numbers works and to learn something from it. How does that make him a fan boy?

Douglas
http://TheSplinteredMind.blogspot.com

Re: Microsoft should get “Numbers”

TanNg — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 21:03:59 -0000

Scoble - you became Apple fanboy.

Re: Microsoft should get “Numbers”

Master William — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 20:59:10 -0000

Hmm, if you guys actually check out the Numbers demos or download it, it does things quite differently to Excel. I know what Scoble is saying. Its more like Quantrix in concept.

Re: Microsoft should get “Numbers”

vainentree — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 20:53:58 -0000

>>I am so sick of Excel. Way too much features and complexity for most users. That is why Numbers will be a big app in the Mac world.

Waiting for the iWork Trial download to finish so I can try out Numbers for myself!<>Perry: just take a look at the UI. It’s nicer to use than Microsoft’s UI. And I’m not explaining the feature well enough. I’ll do a video and get back to you.<<
With this app being less complex, it sounds like Apple might be making a dumbed-down version of Excel. Besides I'd take features over a slightly better UI any day.

Cheers,

Ivan
http://thenerdcan.wordpress.com/

Re: Microsoft should get “Numbers”

Robert Scoble — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 19:47:01 -0000

Perry: just take a look at the UI. It's nicer to use than Microsoft's UI. And I'm not explaining the feature well enough. I'll do a video and get back to you.

Re: Microsoft should get “Numbers”

Perry — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 18:49:05 -0000

uh oh...Scoble is turning into one of them Apple/Steve Jobs fanboi!

Just because you like the iPhone, doesn't mean that ever Apple product is great.

Seriously though, before telling the world that Micrsoft should have a look at this, why not a real reason.

Re: Microsoft should get “Numbers”

LayZ — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 18:39:58 -0000

"And has a nice little auto sum feature. Underneath it writes “=sum(monthlyreport:employee)” instead of the more obtuse (D2:F22)."

I'm guessing not a big spreadsheet user, huh? The DOS version of Lotus 1-2-3 had this capability.

And I'm pretty sure every version of Excel has had this capability.

Never used Excel while you were at MS? Never checked the Office web site for the plethora of templates they always had?

Re: Microsoft should get “Numbers”

Boris Popov — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 18:26:40 -0000

If you want to know what true killer spreadsheet collaboration is you should really check out http://dabbledb.com and give these guys a call.

Re: Microsoft should get “Numbers”

Chris Gonyea — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 18:22:31 -0000

I am so sick of Excel. Way too much features and complexity for most users. That is why Numbers will be a big app in the Mac world.

Waiting for the iWork Trial download to finish so I can try out Numbers for myself!