Apple are pushing into Education with their new event. Will they improve pages now?

[whitedragon101]

Apple are pushing into Education with their new event and have remembered that iWork exists.

Do you think this means they will improve pages and numbers now to compete with word and excel?

 

[akash.nu]

I think pages and numbers already do the things as good as Microsoft products that students generally use for educational purposes.

 

[960design]

Apple are pushing into Education with their new event and have remembered that iWork exists.

Do you think this means they will improve pages and numbers now to compete with word and excel?

As you guessed... Pages and Numbers were improved.

What specifically do you use within Word or Excel that is missing within Pages and Numbers on a daily basis?
I've been running Pages, Keynote and Numbers in a Windows environment for the last 10 years now with very little issues.

 

[maflynn]

I think pages and numbers already do the things as good as Microsoft products that students generally use for educational purposes.

No, not even close. I have kids, and the tools that they use are so much better then Pages.

 

[mrex]

I think pages and numbers already do the things as good as Microsoft products that students generally use for educational purposes.

no they dont.

 

[ericwn]

No, not even close. I have kids, and the tools that they use are so much better then Pages.

Would you mind elaborating more on this - what product do they use and where are the limitations for them when using the iWork stuff?

 

[maflynn]

Would you mind elaborating more on this - what product do they use and where are the limitations for them when using the iWork stuff?

They use google docs/google classroom. The word processor is simply more powerful,and easier to manage then Pages, Also with the Google classroom all of their work is organized by subject, i.e., science class, georgraphy. They can work on their homework on computers, iPads, Chomebooks and its managed easily, whether they're home or in school. Google offers a more feature rich experience imo.

 

[AlliFlowers]

They use google docs/google classroom. The word processor is simply more powerful,and easier to manage then Pages, Also with the Google classroom all of their work is organized by subject, i.e., science class, georgraphy. They can work on their homework on computers, iPads, Chomebooks and its managed easily, whether they're home or in school. Google offers a more feature rich experience imo.

We are a combination Google/Microsoft system. Microsoft forms don't come anywhere close to Google's, and Google doesn't offer anything remotely like OneNote. iWorks is lagging behind both.

 

[whitedragon101]

As you guessed... Pages and Numbers were improved.

What specifically do you use within Word or Excel that is missing within Pages and Numbers on a daily basis?
I've been running Pages, Keynote and Numbers in a Windows environment for the last 10 years now with very little issues.

Essential Features Missing

Only A4 size documents
Top of the list and mind boggling is pages for iPad only has one international standard paper size A4. Not even A3 let alone A2 or A1.
Microsoft word for iPad has a barely passable A3, A4, A5.
Amazingly even the desktop version of pages tops out at A3, so you can't make or edit an A2 or A1 document anywhere.

Line/Arrow Connectors don't snap or connect
You can't join two objects with a line to make diagrams or flow charts. This is my real need to be honest. This seems to be the same across Mac and iPad versions of pages. Drop in 2 shapes, drop in a connector and drag it to the shape and...... nothing.

Just basic stuff. A normal range of paper sizes (At least A5 to A2) and connectors that actually connect.


Bonus stuff the competitors offer

Handwriting or Drawing Object Recognition
Nebo and Microsoft word have recognition for handwriting and/or objects. Nebo is infinitely superior here.
Draw an object with the pen it appears as a sharp editable object. Write some text and boom it appears as typed text.
It would be cool if Apple just bought Nebo and integrated the technology. Its by far the best there is.
Although Microsoft are giving it ago although with far more hit and miss results.

 

[Brammy]

What specifically do you use within Word or Excel that is missing within Pages and Numbers on a daily basis?
I've been running Pages, Keynote and Numbers in a Windows environment for the last 10 years now with very little issues.

This is specific to iPads.
Table of Contents, ability to have one landscape page in an otherwise portrait paper. Word isn’t bad on iPad for school, but lacks the ability to edit styles (which iOS pages has) and Tables of Contents. It does have the ability to have differently-oriented pages in a document.

The lack of a References tab doesn’t bother me since I use EasyBib’s web page anyway.

 

[960design]

Essential Features Missing

Only A4 size documents
Top of the list and mind boggling is pages for iPad only has one international standard paper size A4. Not even A3 let alone A2 or A1.
Microsoft word for iPad has a barely passable A3, A4, A5.
Amazingly even the desktop version of pages tops out at A3, so you can't make or edit an A2 or A1 document anywhere.

Never noticed that. I only use US Letter size as I print very little.
I agree, that is annoying.

<sarcasm>I like the fix.</sarcasm>
Open up in Pages on your Mac and reformat document.

ine/Arrow Connectors don't snap or connect

You can't join two objects with a line to make diagrams or flow charts. This is my real need to be honest. This seems to be the same across Mac and iPad versions of pages. Drop in 2 shapes, drop in a connector and drag it to the shape and...... nothing.

This was recently added. Last version, I believe.
https://support.apple.com/kb/PH23497?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

 

[whitedragon101]

Never noticed that. I only use US Letter size as I print very little.
I agree, that is annoying.

<sarcasm>I like the fix.</sarcasm>
Open up in Pages on your Mac and reformat document.



This was recently added. Last version, I believe.
https://support.apple.com/kb/PH23497?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

Thanks for the link. Some surprisingly advanced vector art stuff there. I was scrolling down in hope of snapping connectors, but Unfortunately it doesn’t list anything about connectors.

 

[960design]

Thanks for the link. Some surprisingly advanced vector art stuff there. I was scrolling down in hope of snapping connectors, but Unfortunately it doesn’t list anything about connectors.

Unite shapes. I may have misunderstood you. You can unite two objects into a single object fairly easily.