“Numbers is Apple’s easy-to-use spreadsheet program, offered as a home-grown alternative to Microsoft Excel,” Cliff Joseph writes for Macworld UK. “It’s ideal for users looking to create and edit spreadsheets without the cost or know-how required to use the more complex and expensive Excel.”
“It’s not quite right to pitch Numbers as a low-end version of Excel, as there’s a clear difference in focus between the two programs. Numbers concentrates more on the graphical presentation of spreadsheet data, providing excellent tools for quickly creating graphs and charts, and even for working with photos and other graphics,” Joseph writes. “Numbers has never really attempted to match the endless range of maths functions and analytical tools that have always been Excel’s great strength in the business world. ”
“From rather crude beginnings, the collaborative features in Numbers and other iWork apps now work quite effectively. Of course, collaboration remains another area where the business-oriented Excel is hard to beat,” Joseph writes. “However, the iOS version of Excel requires a subscription to Microsoft Office 365, so having free versions of Numbers available on the Mac, iOS and iCloud is a useful and inexpensive option for people who don’t need the full power of Excel.”
Much more in the full review here.
MacDailyNews Take: Numbers is now the only spreadsheet application we use. It’s rock-solid reliable and more intuitive and less bloated than Excel. Sharing between Macs, iPhones, and iPads is a breeze.