msrdnr

Q: No XIRR function with today's update?

I am amazed that Apple did not extend this simple functionality to Numbers. Without it, Numbers cannot compete with Excel - and I cannot remove Office from my Mac. Very disappointing.

MacBook, Mac OS X (10.7.3)

Posted on Jul 25, 2012 5:43 PM

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Q: No XIRR function with today's update?

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  • by Wayne Contello,

    Wayne Contello Wayne Contello Jul 25, 2012 6:55 PM in response to msrdnr
    Level 6 (19,374 points)
    iWork
    Jul 25, 2012 6:55 PM in response to msrdnr

    This release is most likely for compatibility with 10.8 not to add features like XIRR or any other missing function-- I am not surprised.

  • by Badunit,

    Badunit Badunit Jul 25, 2012 7:09 PM in response to msrdnr
    Level 6 (11,705 points)
    iTunes
    Jul 25, 2012 7:09 PM in response to msrdnr

    iWork hasn't been updated in years, other than to be compatible with new OS's and new hardware.  One day they might actually come out with a new version.  I keep hoping...

  • by msrdnr,

    msrdnr msrdnr Jul 26, 2012 6:09 AM in response to msrdnr
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Apple Music
    Jul 26, 2012 6:09 AM in response to msrdnr

    Apple did add functionality to the iLife products with this release, even after adding functionality to those products very recently. So it's not as if this release was limited to creating compatibility with Mountain Lion across all of Apple's products. Instead, iWorks seems to be singled out as the product line that Apple has chosen not to update. That doesn't make business sense to me given Apple's desire to keeps its users within the Apple ecosystem - by limiting the functionality of iWorks, and Numbers in particular, they're forcing millions of users like me to run Microsoft Office on my Mac. But it is what it is.

  • by Jerrold Green1,

    Jerrold Green1 Jerrold Green1 Jul 26, 2012 7:37 AM in response to msrdnr
    Level 7 (30,001 points)
    Jul 26, 2012 7:37 AM in response to msrdnr

    I think the likelihood that we will ever see those advanced analysis functions in Numbers depends to some degree on how many people ask for it. Not here, but using the Numbers > Feedback tool.

     

    Jerry

  • by msrdnr,

    msrdnr msrdnr Jul 26, 2012 7:53 AM in response to Jerrold Green1
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Apple Music
    Jul 26, 2012 7:53 AM in response to Jerrold Green1

    That really doesn't make sense to me, either. I mean, we know that Excel is the spreadsheet of choice for most users. If you're trying to building a spreadsheet that competes with Excel then it's no mystery which functions to include - you don't need your users to tell you.

     

    Think about it this way. By definition, people who use Numbers today don't need, or don't care about, the XIRR function. Those that need the XIRR function use Excel. If Apple waits for the former group to ask for the XIRR function they'll never get anyone to switch.

  • by Jerrold Green1,

    Jerrold Green1 Jerrold Green1 Jul 26, 2012 8:57 AM in response to msrdnr
    Level 7 (30,001 points)
    Jul 26, 2012 8:57 AM in response to msrdnr

    There is a finite probability that your assumptions about the target audience are off the mark. If you want to use Excel, there's a version for the Mac. If you want something different, there's Numbers.

     

    Jerry

  • by msrdnr,

    msrdnr msrdnr Jul 26, 2012 9:04 AM in response to Jerrold Green1
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Apple Music
    Jul 26, 2012 9:04 AM in response to Jerrold Green1


    That's silly. It's not a question of wanting to use Excel, it's a question of needing to use Excel because Numbers lacks Excel's functionality.

     

    Presumably Apple wants me to use Numbers rather than Excel, to better fold me into the Apple ecosystem. But I can't use Numbers because it lacks a very widely-used functionality that is in Excel. Therein lies the issue.

  • by Jerrold Green1,

    Jerrold Green1 Jerrold Green1 Jul 26, 2012 9:06 AM in response to msrdnr
    Level 7 (30,001 points)
    Jul 26, 2012 9:06 AM in response to msrdnr

    Use the Feedback tool. It's your best option to effect change.

  • by Wayne Contello,

    Wayne Contello Wayne Contello Jul 26, 2012 9:12 AM in response to msrdnr
    Level 6 (19,374 points)
    iWork
    Jul 26, 2012 9:12 AM in response to msrdnr

    Apple is well known for advertising that a solution is to target 80% of the population.  Case in point... I have never needed/wanted to use XIRR and I have been using Numbers since it was originally released.  Like Jerry suggested you can submit a request for the feature.

  • by warrencheswick,

    warrencheswick warrencheswick Jul 26, 2012 1:37 PM in response to msrdnr
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jul 26, 2012 1:37 PM in response to msrdnr

    I agree it's pretty annoying. For my personal use For spreadsheets I edit on my ipad I just work aroudn the limitation by using the IRR function and a new tab with 0's on all non-dates.

     

    But Numbers would be unusable for my office life, but we use PC's at work anyway so doesn;t much matter.

  • by msrdnr,

    msrdnr msrdnr Jul 26, 2012 1:43 PM in response to warrencheswick
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Apple Music
    Jul 26, 2012 1:43 PM in response to warrencheswick

    I could do that, but I'm calculating IRR over 10 or more years so we're talking about thousands of zero entries.

     

    It is just frustrating. The XIRR function would be so easy for Apple to add! Without it you really can't use Numbers for financial analysis.

     

    You can't say Apple is doing anything wrong given the amount of money they make. Improving Numbers probalby wouldn't affect their profitability by a thousandth of a percent.

  • by Barry,

    Barry Barry Jul 26, 2012 4:22 PM in response to msrdnr
    Level 7 (32,633 points)
    iWork
    Jul 26, 2012 4:22 PM in response to msrdnr

    Have you used Provide Numbers Feedback yet?

     

    Considering the number of threads even mentioning XIRR (eight since 2008, including this one, none of which extended beyond a single page), I'd agree with Jerry's 'finite probability' comment.

     

    You may, however, find Badunit's post in this thread useful. It uses the zero entries suggested above, but does provide a means of producing them that the OP found to be a workable solution.

     

    Regards,

    Barry

  • by Badunit,

    Badunit Badunit Jul 26, 2012 5:52 PM in response to Barry
    Level 6 (11,705 points)
    iTunes
    Jul 26, 2012 5:52 PM in response to Barry

    Wow, I'd forgotten about that post.  Reading through it, I think it would be faster to make a blank 3600 row table, put in the formulas, then copy paste them to the rest of the rows. Numbers can be kind of slow adding new rows when it also has to fill in formulas.

  • by msrdnr,

    msrdnr msrdnr Jul 27, 2012 7:56 AM in response to Barry
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Apple Music
    Jul 27, 2012 7:56 AM in response to Barry

    Guys, I realize we all have a lot of respect for Apple or we wouldn't be there, but the attitude that "Everything Apple does and every prodcut Apple makes is perfect in all respects" is irrational and unproductive. As Apple supporters, we should want Numbers and every other Apple product to be better, and not be afraid to gripe when they disappoint us. Steve Jobs was the worlds biggest griper!

     

    You are using the phrase "finite possibility" incorrectly. That phrase is meaningless because the alternative would be "infinite possibilty." You mean to say "There is a non-zero possibility."

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