iLife vs. Office
Posted January 13th, 2003 @ 10:00am by Erik J. Barzeski
I previously wrote in Apple Embraces the Open Format Movement on this very site about how the iLife apps all seem to be using a much more "open format" for their documents, allowing other apps to "grab on" and extend on the iLife applications.
Today, I realized that this truth is even conveyed in the icons of the two "suites." While Office maintains a very "closed - we are everything you need" type of icon, with no "grabby points," the iLife logo conveys extensibility. After all, the iLife applications are just one section of a puzzle, and the bigger picture is "using your computer to do cool stuff."
I don't know if Apple intended this, or if Microsoft intended this, but the irony (for lack of a better word) of it all is quite revealing.
Donate Life
Posted 13 Jan 2003 at 12:06pm #
I had not picked on that - good catch.
My understanding is that Keynote is using an XML based file format as well... the size is suppose to be quite a bit bigger than PowerPoint - but at least people can build around it.
Posted 13 Jan 2003 at 12:16pm #
The size difference is to be expected though. You're comparing a ASCII text file (Keynote) with a packed binary file (PowerPoint). I don't see why people keep bringing up this point...
Posted 13 Jan 2003 at 3:14pm #
Aaron,
I do not find it to be a big issue, I was simply commenting on the details I was aware of - as Apple hasn't made a demo of keynote available and I'm currently debating purchasing it (leaning towards a big: yes!)
I think many people are used to dial-up from home and connecting into the office and having to download the latest powerpoint file someone sent around to the whole deptartment.
I work in a company of 2500 people, the headquarters I work at has roughly 300 employees and 80% of them send around most of their data in powerpoint. They even send me web content in powerpoint... Unlike me, most people here don't have broadband at home.
I know I am not going to start getting a boatload of keynote files anytime soon - but I am guessing this is the reasoning for some people? Personall I don't see keynote files being sent around in the first place - except between a small sales/production staff working on a presentation. I would imagine most people will use keynote to do *shock* the presentation and then export it to PDF for delivery as an addition to a white paper or whatever.
Posted 13 Jan 2003 at 5:59pm #
Don't forget that it's also possible to .zip or .tgz or to otherwise compress a Keynote file.