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Apple today updated its iWork suite of apps, introducing new features for Pages, Numbers, and Keynote on both iOS devices and Mac. These are minor version 12.1 updates, and each app has received a few new features, as outlined below.

iWork-macOS-Trio-Feature.jpg

Keynote

The Keynote apps for Mac, iPhone, and iPad include an option to add subtle movement and visual interest to presentations with dynamic backgrounds that move as you transition from slide to slide.

There are new animated themes that feature dynamic backgrounds, and there is an option to skip or unskip all slides in a collapsed group.

Numbers

Numbers for iPhone, iPad, and Mac got the fewest updates, with Apple improving performance when inserting rows and columns in large tables.

Pages

Pages for iPhone, iPad, and Mac gains a new feature that allows mail merge to be used to create personalized letters, cards, and envelopes for multiple recipients, and it offers new templates for event invitations and certificates. Pages documents can also now be exported as TXT files.

The iWork apps for iOS and Mac are available for free from the App Store and Mac App Store.

Article Link: Apple Updates Pages, Numbers, and Keynote With New Features
 

Danfango

macrumors 65816
Jan 4, 2022
1,294
5,770
London, UK
Those apps are, in my opinion, awful. I can't work with the toolbar being to the right side, and the tables interaction is awful. I hate to say it, but make it look like Docs/Word

I run a business through Numbers and Pages. It's fine. It's just different to Office.

The only thing that shafts me is the lack of engineering units in Numbers. Have to divide a lot of stuff regularly or use constant multipliers.
 

erthquake

macrumors regular
Oct 11, 2011
198
175
Those apps are, in my opinion, awful. I can't work with the toolbar being to the right side, and the tables interaction is awful. I hate to say it, but make it look like Docs/Word
It's more like Adobe apps. I'm bummed it took this long to bring mail merge back. I had kept the old iWork versions installed because I could use mail merge to make numbered tickets and student/staff ID cards.
 

ackmondual

macrumors 68020
Dec 23, 2014
2,382
1,116
U.S.A., Earth
My 9th gen iPad came with these, but I'll doubt I'll ever use them. I still need to look up how to transfer files to and from there with my windows PC (this sort of thing used to be plug and play). Regardless, great to hear Apple's apps are getting regular updates! :)
 

macsound1

macrumors 6502a
May 17, 2007
805
825
SF Bay Area
Office is ubiquitous, as is Google Docs. Who uses Pages?

Don’t get me wrong—I would if I could—no question
Whats amazing about pages vs google docs is its a native app. I can open and save files without downloading and uploading.
Personally, I'm ridding myself, my clients and my family of MS Office as they upgrade their macs to avoid the license fee, showing them there's no drawback.
And for design focused individuals, iWork blows MS Office out of the water. Try and make a PowerPoint slideshow with 100 pictures. In Keynote, you drag photos into the left sidebar and it makes a slide per image. Easy!
 

Scubaman

macrumors member
Nov 1, 2011
70
39
Suggestion for Apple! Stop trying to compete with Office - it’s game over. Redeploy these resources to Apple AirPort Extreme and Airport Express WiFi Routers! These are critical devices - I’m still using mine and they’re 5 years out of date!
 

MauiPa

macrumors 68040
Apr 18, 2018
3,387
5,006
Those apps are, in my opinion, awful. I can't work with the toolbar being to the right side, and the tables interaction is awful. I hate to say it, but make it look like Docs/Word
Na, you are totally wrong, but it is a preference, so go with the one you like. In comparison the iWork interface is simple clean and professional, the MS Office looks like it was made by kindergarten kids with a box of crayons - especially that stupid annoying ribbon interface. And after all these years, only 1 table per sheet in Excel? the Numbers build is far better. I converted over some years ago, and Numbers is soooo much better.

But, if you like Office, go of it. being hard to use wastes so much time, it is not worth it.
 

MauiPa

macrumors 68040
Apr 18, 2018
3,387
5,006
Suggestion for Apple! Stop trying to compete with Office - it’s game over. Redeploy these resources to Apple AirPort Extreme and Airport Express WiFi Routers! These are critical devices - I’m still using mine and they’re 5 years out of date!
they are not trying to compete with office. google open office etc are office competitors. no if you want a simple, clean, professionally designed program that gets the job done - that is iWork. that stupid one honkin table per sheet paradigm in excel is a deal breaker. so stupid to have every row the same height or column the same width - really dumb. MS. I converted years ago, numbers is so much better - never going back

but, it is more preference and familiarity so go with what you like
 

headlessmike

macrumors 65816
May 16, 2017
1,032
2,204
Suggestion for Apple! Stop trying to compete with Office - it’s game over. Redeploy these resources to Apple AirPort Extreme and Airport Express WiFi Routers! These are critical devices - I’m still using mine and they’re 5 years out of date!
Keynote is the best presentation app bar none. Microsoft should consider shelving PowerPoint.
 

Shirasaki

macrumors P6
May 16, 2015
15,101
10,109
oh yeah iWorks, so few people uses them simply cause macOS is expensive to obtain (legitimately). Wonder what would happen if Apple somehow magically decide to port them to another system, which may never happen.

As for numbers, I tried, but it was far from the same Level as Excel. Pages and Keynotes are fine, but converted Word and PowerPoint doesn't always look And function properly. Also, nobody I know bother about using iWorks for works. Either google doc etc, some other fancier tools or just plain old Microsoft office.
 

MauiPa

macrumors 68040
Apr 18, 2018
3,387
5,006
My 9th gen iPad came with these, but I'll doubt I'll ever use them. I still need to look up how to transfer files to and from there with my windows PC (this sort of thing used to be plug and play). Regardless, great to hear Apple's apps are getting regular updates! :)
seriously? open excel docs in numbers, export numbers to excel. nothing could be simpler
 

Danfango

macrumors 65816
Jan 4, 2022
1,294
5,770
London, UK
Keynote is the best presentation app bar none. Microsoft should consider shelving PowerPoint.
To be fair it's also better at being abused into other jobs it wasn't designed for than PowerPoint is too.


Anyway, the two comments I see in order are:

1. How can I get microsoft office for free.
2. Ok I'm not paying monthly. What now?

If they have a Mac it's numbers/pages. If it's Windows I throw LibreOffice at them.

Because actually owning your files and having full offline support that isn't total boiled anus is what tends to not blow up in my face down the line like it does with Google Docs.

I had someone crying once because their Internet was down and they couldn't get to their PhD thesis in Google Docs. Sent them to the local coffee shop 🤦🏻‍♂️. Eventually they learned how to use MacTeX
 
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erikkfi

macrumors 65816
May 19, 2017
1,278
5,200
All I want them to do is roll back the Mac app to the last release before they made it look like an iPad app. What is that toolbar in Numbers? Why are “Shape” and “Media” two of the few default buttons??
 
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