iWork, Apple's productivity suite aimed squarely at Microsoft Office users has been available on iPad since the hardware debuted, and Apple has now made those existing applications universal iOS apps to support iPod Touch and iPhone users. Because this is a universal app update, existing owners of those apps will receive full iOS support at no additional cost, and will simply need to update the app in order to install it on their iPhone.

This is really interesting, not only because it marks the further encroachment into MS Office territory by the more beautiful and affordable iWork suite, but also because this is clearly a response to MS Office integration on WP7 devices. Apple knows that as long as Microsoft can dangle Outlook and Excel support in front of business-class users, they will hold a competitive advantage. Realistically, I can't imagine ever needing to update a spreadsheet so desperately that I needed it on my phone, but, at least psychologically, that need is there for many businesses in America. Hopefully, this new update and extension to small-format mobile devices will allow Apple to gain further traction inside businesses and with professional users as a whole.

Now it's a waiting game until we see MS Office for iOS. The latest update of Office for the Mac has brought Outlook to Mac users, and while it's still chock full of bugs, Microsoft is clearly trying to win back the hearts of some of its lost users to Exchange support and at the very least, an integrated lifestyle using both Windows and OS X.

Apple, by contrast, will *never* ship iWork for Windows.

And by "Killer"... I mean, of course, terrible.

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Assuming Apple advances Game Center (GC) to directly compete with Microsoft's Xbox Live (XBL) system, some interesting apps will develop out of that ecosystem. Here is an idea for an app that is not only a total dick move, but would also probably get rejected in a heartbeat. I'm calling it now, though. Someone's going to try.

First, let us examine what sets GC apart from XBL and why it is not a direct carbon copy. One significant difference is that XBL is highly score focused with online play with friends often being a competitive forum. GC appears to be a more casual environment, with friends scores being listed for "All-Time", "This Week", and "Today". To me, this is designed more to update a user on what his/her friends are playing and bring in a low-pressure, fun-focused level of competitive play in which a user can reach the Daily Leaderboard, without having to worry about beating the All-Time score.

Microsoft has done amazing things with XBL and set the standard for what an online gaming community should feel like. One way they've managed to do that is by setting controls on their developers. All Game Upgrades must be purchased with XBL Points (Apple is set up to compete via In-App Purchase) and developers are restricted concerning Achievement Points. Typically, a feature title has 1,000 XBL Achievement Points to unlock, with DLC usually clocking in at around 250. XBL Arcade games range in point assignment, but most are under 300 total. GC Achievements, by contrast don't even show up in a user's profile, and a user's total score can only be calculated manually by totaling up all the individual achievements earned. Games have a budget of 1,000 GC Points, and no single Achievement can be worth more than 100 points.

However... this will all change as GC evolves, and certainly if they open up an API that allows a developer to create apps that promote a user's score and achievement tracking. I'm expecting this to happen within a year, especially as GC moves back to the Mac in Lion (and hopefully the Apple TV someday soon). With this accesiblity and userbase will come real competetive players.

So, since app publishing is so simple, and GC integration is so easy, I'm sure developers out there will make games for $0.99 (or ad supported) that allow a user to boost their score by 1,000 with some easy (like... click this button, easy) achievements... and the crazy thing is, an app like that would sell like crazy if GC scores were as public as XBL scores are. I know people who will spend weeks working away on a game they don't even enjoy anymore simply to unlock all the achievements, and as we all know, cheating for scores totally counts.

Just like the "Flashlight" apps that quickly become known for doing other secret things like tethering, it would be easy for these "Jackpot" apps to get known and talked about, and I think they'd actually do really well. The missing piece of the puzzle is getting them approved by Apple, so they'd actually have to provide some real value to the user other than just boosting scores. I can't wait for the tantrums.

### [[EDIT]] --- This will also get interesting as games for Windows Phone 7 also can contribute to a user's Xbox Gamerscore. I'm less familiar with app publishing for Microsoft's platform, but I imagine since they're hungry to get apps in, they're pretty lax right now on what constitutes "unique and valuable".