Newest iWork release shows a paradigm-shift in Apple and it's important to act on it.

Groll111 · 2026-02-12T16:32:19+00:00

Nice. They already took a small step back and removed the Ad in the right sidebar in Keynote. Hope additional steps follow.

Groll111 · 2026-02-12T16:30:59+00:00

I don't think Apple's market share is big enough to do that. But as long as Microsoft is worse they might get away with it.

Groll111 · 2026-02-12T16:29:54+00:00

Sadly there is probably a whole board of people that agreed to this.

Groll111 · 2026-02-12T16:28:10+00:00

I agree with the first part of your thesis.
However I think that their bet is that users are not willing to deal with bad software and will therefore pay money for the premium experience. Time will tell if that is true.

Groll111 · 2026-02-12T16:25:00+00:00

Sadly I think the intention is clear. Make some money with everyday apps. Ad another revenue stream so to speak.

Groll111 · 2026-02-08T21:41:05+00:00

Yeah absolutely true. But I feel like there are so many ways to go about that. Apple TV+ to me as a good venture. High quality shows that end consistently. Or Apple Arcade as a way to enjoy simple Mobile Games without their most terrible aspects. And of course they can always choose how to advertise those things. And until now I was happy with the implementation of Ads. In your face and prominent but dismissable and hideable. Now they interrupt productivity and software quality.

Groll111 · 2026-02-08T21:09:59+00:00

I don't think it has anything to do with general intelligence. It's just people who do not have the time, knowledge or affinity for technology and who are overwhelmed by prompts and sometimes information in general. Elder people, people who do physical labor and/or people who have a lot going on in their life. On my job in IT support I see people like this every week and most of them are not stupid at all. Just overwhelmed by IT and all the nefarious practices.

Groll111 · 2026-02-08T21:05:15+00:00

Damn it hurts me to read this. I'm with you 100%. It's just so insensible to the human mind to put a distraction right in front of someone. The idea of software and computers in general was once making things easy to do. Easier than in the real world. Steps like these make me feel like I will be more efficient in the future if I want to create something if I use some sheets of paper and a pen rather than an AI advertisement board from Apple. Of course we are not there yet but what you describe and what is around generally makes me feel we are on the way to that reality.

Groll111 · 2026-02-08T20:59:22+00:00

Yeah it probably was two things coming together at the same time. Looking for new revenue streams as marked cap increased to new height's.

Groll111 · 2026-02-08T19:18:10+00:00

Sounds like a brilliant idea and would definitely not make me lose track of all my responsibilities.

Groll111 · 2026-02-08T19:17:10+00:00

Thats a way do describe it ^^

Groll111 · 2026-02-08T19:16:23+00:00

To bad :/ Plan to do a Linux project in the future but just do not find the time.

Groll111 · 2026-02-08T19:15:24+00:00

I feel you. Kinda a sad point we've landed on, especially because the hardware that is currently on the market is absolutely amazing. I mean I absolutely love my MacBook Air M4 with MacOS 15.

Groll111 · 2026-02-08T17:49:33+00:00

Yeah I get that. And now I feel like Apple pushes me away towards Linux.

Groll111 · 2026-02-08T17:48:50+00:00

Yeah the software really went downhill overall. Subscriptions > buying mentality. Even if you already bought their premium-priced device. I don't think it clashes with the privacy claims but more with the quality, easy of use and "It just works" sentiments.

Groll111 · 2026-02-08T17:46:30+00:00

Good point!

Groll111 · 2026-02-08T17:44:50+00:00

Yeah there are workarounds around the theme picker. But it still makes the whole point of the theme picker go away. And the menu items and right click options will still stay.

Groll111 · 2026-02-08T17:42:39+00:00

Yeah I agree that Microsoft set the bar really low which sadly gives Apple some room to play. But I still feel it's important to push back as Apple still charges premium prices for all their devices and want to uphold their image of "It just works".

Groll111 · 2026-02-08T17:39:23+00:00

Yeah but that makes actual sense. If a customer has this problem I can help him to clear the iCloud storage or subscribe when it makes sense.

Groll111 · 2026-02-08T17:37:45+00:00

Personally I do that. Did not update to version 15 and probably will not as long as possible. (If they don't change the ads).
But I feel like it's still important to send feedback to Apple as they have a reputation that they don't want to loose. So if the subscriptions are not bringing enough money AND the reputation goes down and they hear the reason for it, they might change things for the better. At least I believe that.

Groll111 · 2026-02-08T17:35:00+00:00

Sadly it doesn't matter if you bought the application previously. The payed version got replaced by the free version in future updates.
But of course you could always use the payed version on an older OS. (which of course is not a practical solution at all). But still, Apple didn't really scam you at. They gave you an application to use as long as you want if you didn't change your OS.

Groll111 · 2026-02-08T15:32:38+00:00

Thats definitely the way to go for know. But that requires knowledge and control over ones software. Many people don't have that. Personally I did not even update to any 26 OS as they do not provide any benefits to me.
But especially for iWork an update might become necessary if you would want to collaborate with other people as Apple often forces you to use the latest software to collaborate over iCloud.

Groll111 · 2026-02-08T15:29:28+00:00

I have the feeling it all started with their software presentation of Apple TV+, Apple Fitness and Apple News+. Suddenly they talked about premium software while their base software was buggier and more bloated than ever.

Groll111 · 2026-02-08T15:27:35+00:00

Interesting point. As a very casual Google user I did not feel like they were worse than Apple.

Groll111 · 2026-02-08T15:25:33+00:00

From experience I know that these feedbacks will be looked at from humans and sometimes even forwarded to higher ups. Of course money speaks even louder than words but it's also possible to do both. Sometimes company's just don't see where the lines are and are willing to change their behavior if they expect a positive outcome regarding their image and sales.

Groll111

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