Modern Claris Works

[VMSZealot]

I was talking to a friend who has just replaced their Pismo (with Tiger) with a new MacBook Air. Talk about a speed rush! He loves it - except for one thing. And it's a big one. He doesn't like Microsoft Office. He doesn't like Apple iWork. What he wants is a properly integrated package that works like a proper Mac application. He wants AppleWorks / ClarisWorks. At a stretch he might accept something like MS Works. But it needs to work properly like a Mac application, and it needs to be usable by a noob (yes, even after using a Mac for thirty years (6200, Pismo, MacBook Air)) he's still a noob. He just uses what he uses and never explores further. So…

Does anyone know of any old-style integrated packages? Could even be source code - I can build it for him. Or is it just something that's died out like SideKick?

 

[robin-fo]

LibreOffice?

 

[Powerbase]

What about Apple's Pages and Numbers applications? They're separate applications but they're pretty foolproof, being native Apple apps.

I can't tell if that's what you meant by iWork. They haven't been called that in some time.

 

[VMSZealot]

Nope - Pages and Numbers aren't liked (personally, I think they're great - but it takes all sorts), but they'll always be iWork to me!

and LibreOffice is a) not very native feeling and b) far too complex. Also, despite all being bundled in one application, it's too much like MS Office.

 

[joshc]

The modern equivalent is Apple Pages, Numbers and Keynote. I still think it would've been nice if they kept developing AppleWorks, it was nice to use. There is no real modern equivalent as far as I know.

 

[Snial]

I was talking to a friend who has just replaced their Pismo (with Tiger) with a new MacBook Air. Talk about a speed rush! He loves it - except for one thing. And it's a big one. He doesn't like Microsoft Office. He doesn't like Apple iWork. What he wants is a properly integrated package that works like a proper Mac application. He wants AppleWorks / ClarisWorks. At a stretch he might accept something like MS Works. But it needs to work properly like a Mac application, and it needs to be usable by a noob (yes, even after using a Mac for thirty years (6200, Pismo, MacBook Air)) he's still a noob. He just uses what he uses and never explores further. So…

Does anyone know of any old-style integrated packages? Could even be source code - I can build it for him. Or is it just something that's died out like SideKick?

Let's get real here: there is no modern package with the kind of simplicity, integration and productivity ClarisWorks offered. CW was so good I'd use it for everything, even for scribbling notes and adding diagrams, apart from writing an academic thesis (I used Nisus Writer). If the source code was released, it's vaguely possible that it could be converted properly to macOS. Maybe some kind of Toolbox abstraction layer (TAL ;-) ).

 

[VMSZealot]

Yeah - that's what I thought. What a pity. Guess he's gonna need to keep that Pismo a while longer if he insists on using old tools!

 

[Powerbase]

Run it in an emulator maybe.

 

[VMSZealot]

Emulators aren't really noob friendly - but yes, that's what I'd do.

 

[robin-fo]

If LibreOffice really is too complex, I‘d strongly suggest to give iWork (or modern Pages, Numbers and Keynote) a second chance. It‘s simple, easy to use, well integrated and still supported.

 

[VMSZealot]

I don't disagree. On the other hand though, it is a pity that there are modern recreations of all manner of games, modern recreations of pixel paint packages, modern trackers - but integrated packages don't get a look in.

 

[Scott Baret]

I’m still waiting for a modern MacDraw/CW draw module…