Numbers introduces the concept of intelligent tables on a flexible canvas, a new approach that makes it easy to organize information, create calculations, analyze results and make spreadsheets look as great as they work. Pages ’08 now features distinct modes for streamlined word processing and flexible page layout, a new contextual format bar and change tracking, and Keynote ’08 now includes text effects, transitions and themes that help users easily compose spectacular presentations, and Smart Builds with easy-to-set-up A-to-B animations that make impressive animations easy for anyone to create.
“Pages and Keynote make it incredibly easy, and even fun, for anyone to create stylish documents and presentations very quickly,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO, in the press release. “Numbers rounds out the iWork suite, which is far more intuitive and easy to use than anything else out there.”
Numbers ’08 is a new approach to spreadsheets that allows people to organize their information, interact with their data and calculations and make their spreadsheets easy to understand and print. With multiple intelligent tables on a flexible graphics canvas, users can rearrange information, resize and add columns — all without breaking their spreadsheet.
Each table is a full-blown spreadsheet with automatic header and footer rows, easy sorting and filtering, and automatic cell naming so creating, reading and maintaining formulas is easy. Common functions can be dragged to any cell, and a total of 150 functions are available spanning a wide range of calculations, including numeric, date and time, financial and statistical. Interactive checkboxes and sliders let users change cell values easily to explore different scenarios and see their results instantly. Users can create 2D and 3D charts that are automatically updated as data changes, then complement them with rich graphics, photos and text labels. Interactive printing makes it easy to fit a document on a single page or rearrange and resize tables and objects across multiple pages.
Pages ’08 now has two distinct modes: streamlined word processing that makes it easy to create documents in seconds; and flexible page layout, which gives users complete control over the position of objects on the page. Pages includes 140 Apple-designed templates that let users easily create letters, reports, newsletters and brochures. A new contextual format bar gives users the exact set of tools they need at their fingertips whether they’re editing text, creating a table or adjusting an image. Change tracking lets users collaborate with others on a document by displaying each person’s edits in different colors, then accept or reject each proposed change.
Keynote ’08, Apple’s industry-leading application for creating cinema- quality presentations, introduces new Smart Builds to make it easy for anyone to create spectacular animations by simply dropping graphics onto a slide. More advanced users can control every aspect of their animations with new A-to-B animations to define movement, rotation, scaling and opacity. Keynote’s new Instant Alpha feature makes it easy to remove unwanted backgrounds from photos and graphics without needing a graphics department. Users can record their presentations along with a voice-over, then deliver them to audiences in person or over the Internet via podcasting or YouTube. The new Keynote also includes a collection of new text effects, transitions and themes.
iWork ’08 can import Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel and AppleWorks word processing, presentation and spreadsheet files, and can export documents in Microsoft Office file formats or PDFs for easy sharing.
iWork ’08 is now available through the Apple Store, Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers for a suggested retail price of US$79. A 30-day iWork ’08 trial will be available on new hardware and with copies of iLife ’08 sold at retail. After 30 days, the trial becomes an iWork ’08 player. iWork ’08 requires Mac OS X version 10.4.10 or later, a Macintosh computer with a 500 MHz or faster PowerPC G4, PowerPC G5 or Intel processor, 512MB of RAM (1GB recommended), 32MB of video RAM, QuickTime 7.2 or later and 1GB of available disk space. iLife ’08 is recommended.
More info about iWork ’08 here.
Finally Numbers. Bye Excel for my needs there is now Numbers and I will be 100% Apple Guy.
Numbers? Great!
Now give us “Project”
No more MSFT!
Windows, Entourage, Word, Excel…..like detoxifying.
Instant alpha is SAWEEEET! I have wanted some way to do this without resorting to Photoshop for a LONG time. Thank you Apple!
The animation abilities are going to be sweet, too. I really thought they would add an animation program to the iLife suite, given Leopard’s features.
MW = “court” ironic; just got a subpoena yesterday to testify in a child abuse case this Thursday. MDN you did it again!
This will be “hugh”.
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This is the biggest news of the day for me. Numbers and Keynote look terrific, and Pages, which Steve actually glossed over it seems like, has added serious functionality–not everything one could ask for, but enough–such that I can now replace Word.
If you need MS Project just use OmniPlan. I use it at work every day and convert it to MS Project files for the poor blokes that don’t have macs at my office =)
MS Project? Nah…I think that for most users Merlin is pretty good, I just bought and also imports/exports to MS Projects..and the interface..oh my..so Mac..or should I say Cocoa ?
Pretty flash, but not the Improv 08 I was hoping for. This is better for most small business though.
BTSO–This will be “hugh”. One more shackle of Microsoft dependence shattered.
Yeah! Huge too. (Who’s Hugh?)
I want my AppleWorks 7.0 dangnabbit!!
If only the store would open. I’ve got my credit card at the ready.
I have to use this MDN Magic Word: gone!
M$ Office is gone from our company as soon as I get to order the new iMacs for everyone with the iWork. So SWEET! Merlin did you say? I have to check that too.
Here we still need something to talk to our Exchange Server (we use MS Entourage, but don’t have quite all the functionality of Outlook working yet). And some of our users do work with Access for their databases. Otherwise, depending on its compatibility with Office, this might server 90% of our people.
Compatibility is key. A relative once sent me a Powerpoint slideshow called “A Place Called Earth”, with photos and background music. I never could get it to work even on Office for Mac 2004. If Keynote can handle that properly, we’ll have a winner.
Why all the hoorah?…. most of you can’t even spell or tote!.. Steve why bother?
@ The Other Steve
Try FastTrack Schedule from AEC Software. I can remember running this on a Mac SE before there was any such thing as Project, so its Mac credentials are impeccible. In fact, as far as I’m concerned Project is just another MS ripoff of what was originally a Mac program. I guess to survive FastTrack has gone cross platform and has some capability to exchange files with Project. It will do the same job and you won’t be sending your $$$ to Redmond. Good luck.
That would be the end of MS Office for Mac.
I was over at the Apple Store shortly after the presentation. “No, late tonight or tomorrow.” Really now! They are refusing hot plastic, these days. Was going for iLife ’08 and iWork ’08 Family Packs, too.
Pages has two modes … my wife will love one and I the other.
Numbers … seems like a little iWeb crept in, there – nice!
iWeb … grown up a bit in 18 months. Or … we can hope.
The rest are less spectacular, but still significant.
What’s that thing MS tried to copyright for Vista? The Wow starts …?
DLMeyer – the Voice of G.L.Horton’s Stage Page Pod-Cast – now featuring a reading from Partners.
I just ordered my iWork ’08 today. Expected delivery: 9-14 August. I can’t wait. Like most folks here, this is the final straw of being M$-free.
Wow, that takes me back…
Numbers looks a LOT like the old Claris program Resolve, based on the revolutionary WingZ spreadsheet.
<i>Plus c’est la meme chose, plus ça change</ai>…
AJ: Me too. I’ve got a bunch of old AppleWorks spreadsheets to import and I will report here on how well that works. I’ll also try importing and exporting Excel files.
MW: placed. As in placed my order, I kid you not! This is eery and scary.
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Paul Zune’s Bone Machine:
iWork 08 seems to add a lot of AppleWorks-style functionality, plus the image manipulation far exceeds AppleWorks. It is a sufficient replacement for me with the exception of database and the draw modes (presentation was useless, paint was best done with a paint object in a draw screen).
The tables in Pages 06 are terrible, so I hope they’ve been improved.
Still missing from iWork that was in AW: thesaurus, equation editor, editable button bar, mail merge (with DB) & clippings.
“Now give us ‘Project'”
How about MacProject?
Why all the hoorah?…. most of you can’t even spell or tote!.. Steve why bother?
Have you seen the spelling and grammar other forums lately? It’s like that everywhere – nothing new here. The same can be said for arithmetic (I assume you were using “tote” to mean “to add up or total”).
Those problems are not emblematic of users of a particular computer brand, that’s just the way many people communicate online.
Any upgrade pricing for those of us who bought iWork previously?