iPhone sales are estimated to reach 10 millions soon

[JSR]

if SoftMaker releases beta iPhone and iPad version in April, that would still make sense.

Assume SoftMaker Office for iPhone and iPad is 20$ which is decent price compared to iWorks ($30). If you can sell to 30 million subscribers, you can easily make 30 mio x 20$ = 600 mio$ revenue for the first year. Then make maintenance subscription for 10$/year. Now you have 300 mio$ cash cow!

I don't know. I think they've left it too late.

I love Softmaker Office and I promote how wonderful it is every time the subject of office apps comes up but, having seen iWork already suitably optimised for the touchscreen experience, I have to say that if it was $20 for Softmaker or $30 for iWork on the iPad, I'd still be leaning towards iWork.

I can't see how Softmaker could possibly have a product that is comparable to iWork by April, even if they were working on it now. All it would be is a straight port which, while it would fulfill its functions, it'd be a league away from what iWork can be seen doing *today*.

I truly hope that Softmaker are able to pull a cat out of the bag but, honestly, I don't think it's likely. For a year they've made no indication that they're even remotely interested in the iPhone/iPod Touch platform. If it had already been available and established in the AppStore, then they would at least steal a march. But comparing Softmaker as it is today with iWork on the iPad and, I'm afraid to say, Softmaker would not win that battle.

[erika]

SoftMaker seems to have technical talent to develop software, so they can do it even for iPhone. But their marketing and management team does not have the vision since they ignored the iPhone trend and developed for Windows CE or Pocket PC. I call this wasting resources and time. I also call this missing the gold train.

[erika]

Look at Apple's latest balance sheet and see the growth of iPhone sales. Also iPad sales are growing incredibly surpassing PC and Netbook sales.

If you had developed for iPhone, it would also work for iPad since they have the same OS. IMHO, this would be much better and profitable for your company instead of developing for Windows CE or Pocket PC.

[JSR]

So, that's 50 million iPhones sold, 35 million iPod Touches sold, the iPad sold 1 million in four weeks, and the International launch of the iPad has begun. And the iPhone 4G is due to be announced in the very near future.

It's not inconceivable to see 100 million devices running the iPhone OS very soon. Yet still no Softmaker for the iPhone OS platform?

There's much talk of Android-based tablets in the latter half of the year (and, having just got an Android smartphone, I think it holds much promise) but I guess Softmaker won't support that platform either as it seems that their eyes are on the past, not the future.

It's sad to see all these boats being missed.

[habermas]

iWork suite for iPad projected to earn Apple $40M a year: http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-sa ... pad-2010-5

Where's SoftMaker?

[Philip-J]

Hello,

we forwarded your idea for improvement to our developers.

[erika]

I really wonder how much money you are making out of developing for Windows Mobile.

iPad and iPhone sales are booming day by day. It is sad to see you just watching the train leaving the station for the last 2 years.

[sven-l]

Erika,

we plan an Android version of SoftMaker Office in the future (we have no time frame for this project yet). The advantage will be that Android is Open source and Apple cannot force us to sell our software only via the Apple app store.

[erika]

I dont know that but the iPad sales will reach 9 million this year, and total number of iPhones sold will exceed 80 million. That's my point.

I saw even indivuals themselves are making small fortune out of such applications sold inside AppStore.

[janet555]

If you were to ask me - which you probably aren't - why not make mobile software for the best portable pda in existence

this will really be great

[erika]

1.7 million iPhone4 were sold in just the first day of launch. fyi

[Wyatt]

Erika,

we plan an Android version of SoftMaker Office in the future (we have no time frame for this project yet). The advantage will be that Android is Open source and Apple cannot force us to sell our software only via the Apple app store.

I can't believe I've watched this company fall from it's former greatness. Although, I'm glad that you are finally embracing another platform I can't believe you actually think that being able to sell your software outside of the Android Market Place is and advantage. Anyway as I have read all ther requests to embrace iOS which is now encompasses the iPhone, iPod touch & iPad I can truly say you have missed out on a gigantic user base. I do hope you come aroung as it's not to late but some how I doubt it.

[ari-free]

I can't believe I've watched this company fall from it's former greatness. Although, I'm glad that you are finally embracing another platform I can't believe you actually think that being able to sell your software outside of the Android Market Place is and advantage.

Of course there is a major advantage. They could make a deal with OEM's to get Softmaker pre-installed on Android phones. There is no way they could make a deal with Apple since it would compete with iWork.

[JSR]

I was going to get an Android tablet but, instead, I got a refurb iPad because of the price drop in the run-up to the iPad 2 release. In fact, 3 of us here got iPads. We can't be the only ones who did this, because the £289 model kept disappearing from Apple's website as soon as they listed them. Sales of iPad 2 have been high, just like everything else that runs the iOS. Then there are all the new owners who are buying the second hand iPads that iPad 2 owners are selling.

As for competing with iWork, I have Pages and Numbers but they leave a bit to be desired when it comes to format support - particularly Numbers. Softmaker Office would sell millions overnight if it was available on this platform.

Not supporting this platform may also impact other platform sales. For example, I exported one of my pmd files to xls so that I could load it onto Numbers, and everything was messed up - requiring a lot of work to reformat it correctly to accommodate the limitations of Numbers. If this is what I need to do every time just to take my spreadsheets on the road, then I may as well just keep everything on my iPad and not run Softmaker at all. That means that the chances of me buying Softmaker in the future are falling.

Not supporting this platform would seem to make no sense whatsoever.

[shinyplastic]

10 million is way way past, recent figures March 2011, 187 million iOS devices!! (108 million for iPhone, 19 million for iPad, and 60 million for iPod touch http://www.tipb.com/2011/04/19/apple-so ... s-devices/)

I was a great fan of SoftMaker 2006 / 2008 on the PPC, and dream of a day I could have such a wonderful package on my iPad and iPhone ... The iPad is such a fantastic device, I now realise how limited I was on my old WinMo phone!!