My Slashdot post today, regarding the article A Brief History of ClarisWorks:
ClarisWorks/AppleWorks is still my favorite productivity tool. When I work on files I need to share, I’m forced to use Office, but when it’s just for me, I use AppleWorks every time. The word processor doesn’t have as many bells and whistles as Word, but that’s fine, because all I want to do is write. I don’t need Clippy offering me all sorts of idiotic advice. I know how to write a letter!
The spreadsheet is not as nice as Excel, but it’s adequate for most people’s needs. The database is lame, I’ll admit. But the drawing tools are awesome. And the whole thing is object-oriented and integrated, just like the article says. Want a text box in your draw document? You have the full power of the word processor. Want a spreadsheet in your word processing document? You have the full spreadsheet right there.
It’s a shame that the product seems to be languishing in Version 6. I hope that we see a Version 7 soon. The product still has so much potential.