16Jun Apple iWork for Web vs Google Docs vs MS Office
Will Apple release iWork for web and compete with Google Docs and Microsoft Office. With the recent investment in SproutCore, the javascript framework used to develop MobileMe, it would seem inevitable.
Apple has already started laying the groundwork by developing the integration components of mail, contacts, calendar, photos and iDisk. An iWork/Web Pages document could start on the web, be continued on the iPhone and finished on Mac since it would be sitting on the users iDisk as a Pages document. Speculation already abounds about iWork for the iPhone. Why not have complete web to desktop and back integration. Look at www.280slides.com for evidence that it can be done.
Reports are starting to surface about Apple’s move toward rich internet applications. For the non-buzzword compliant folks this means web applications that look and work like desktop applications.
With Microsoft rushing toward an online application presence with Live Mesh, I wonder if they notice Apple just strolling along patiently toward the same goal. Apple doesn’t seem to care about the business market or the impending move of everything to the web, but at the same time they are moving into Google’s and Microsoft’s domain without being noticed.
Keep your eyes open to this one. Next years MacWorld will be exciting.