“Apple’s iWork suite — which includes Pages, Numbers and Keynote — is Apple’s version of the Microsoft Office productivity suite and Google’s Drive,” Anthony Domanico reports for LAPTOP Magazine. “With the launch of OS X 10.9 Mavericks, Apple has completely rebuilt the software with a new UI, a new formatting panel and a consistent file format for cross-platform document parity. Even better, Apple is providing the suite for free to current iWork owners or to anyone who buys a new Mac or iOS device.”
“Overall, we found that Pages let us create good-looking, well-formatted documents with a consistent look across all of our Apple devices. Pages does an excellent job of putting the tools you need front and center so you can quickly and easily crank out your documents,” Domanico reports. “One capability that Numbers still lacks that’s a mainstay in most corporate offices is the ability to create Pivot Tables, which provide Microsoft Excel users a way to create easy reports with big data tables. Though you can essentially replicate this in Numbers, the process is complex and not as intuitive as it is in Excel. Apple has made great strides with Numbers, but it has some catching up to do if it’s going to handle much more than basic spreadsheets and charts.”
“In a way, it seems appropriate that Keynote received only minor updates, as this program has long been the best and most functional iWork app. Though Microsoft PowerPoint has more templates and features, Keynote arguably has better transitions and is more intuitive for newbies. And with the added sharing features brought to the iWork suite, Keynote has just become an even better solution for presentations, cementing its place as the must-have presentation app for Mac users,” Domanico reports. “iWork for iCloud beta opens up the collaborative functionality of iWork by letting anyone with a computer contribute to iWork documents, though this functionality is still a bit rough around the edges, despite recent enhancements… iWork is a compelling content creation platform for Mac owners.”
Read more in the full article here.