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Numbers on iPad

darwen

darwen

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Apr 12, 2005
668
13
California, US
Hey Guys,

I was looking forward to downloading the numbers app, but am now thinking twice. I'd like the opinion of a Mac numbers user that has also got it on the iPad.

The major concern seems to be getting it to excel. If I only use numbers on the iPad & Mac, will I have these issues? It can export to excel from the Mac so I'm not sure what the big deal is.

I'd like a more informed review than what I'm finding in the app store. Any advice might help me spend or save the $10.
 
darwen said:
Hey Guys,

I was looking forward to downloading the numbers app, but am now thinking twice. I'd like the opinion of a Mac numbers user that has also got it on the iPad.

The major concern seems to be getting it to excel. If I only use numbers on the iPad & Mac, will I have these issues? It can export to excel from the Mac so I'm not sure what the big deal is.

I'd like a more informed review than what I'm finding in the app store. Any advice might help me spend or save the $10.
Click to expand...

Good question. I'm a current Numbers user on macbook. And, I've successfully transferred existing Excel files from a pc over to Numbers. I'm awaiting my 3g IPad and it was my understanding that using the iPad numbers app would allow me the same transfer abilities. Maybe not?
 
Numbers on the iPad will export to Numbers '09 format, or to PDF. That's all.

A.
 
I use Excel mostly (work) and Numbers on iPad is totally useless for me. Wish I didn't buy it, I just hope it will get better.

The only part semi-useable in the iWork for iPad for me is the KeyNote. I could do presentations of Power-Point files after massaging the files a while.
 
weenie said:
I use Excel mostly (work) and Numbers on iPad is totally useless for me. Wish I didn't buy it, I just hope it will get better.

The only part semi-useable in the iWork for iPad for me is the KeyNote. I could do presentations of Power-Point files after massaging the files a while.
Click to expand...

Why is it useless? Have you used Numbers on a mac computer?

Trying to see if there is a difference between versions and how intensive your Excel usage is to compare.
 
I am a Numbers user on Mac. I switched from excel about 8 months ago. It was a bit difficult, as both programs have different benefits and challenges.

Numbers on the iPad has nearly every feature you can find on the Mac and what is missing isn't important, at least not in my assessment. I have edited two estimates on iPad and drafted one full two hundred line estimate without difficulty. It is not as fast as on a Mac (of course) but I have gotten quite good at it.

You can import excel documents into numbers on the Mac and iPad without issue (there may be some minor header errors). On the Mac you can also export as xls or xlx, but on the iPad you can only export as PDF and .numbers. I find it odd they would exclude excel exports from iPad and assume there was some technical issue which prevented it's inclusion, and believe it will likely be included in some future update.

I highly recommend Numbers on both platforms. It may take a little work to master (even adding some keyboard shortcuts on the Mac that are missing) but the benefits are great. And, honestly, numbers on iPad IS fun in a way, you feel like you are really working with your hands.
 
Sketchr said:
Why is it useless? Have you used Numbers on a mac computer?
Click to expand...
Every Excel file I have tried to import into Numbers have the wrong format, formulas, etc. I gave up trying to massage these large Excel files on iPad to correct those issues, just too much work...

I use Excel exclusively and never used Numbers on a Mac before. The reason I got Numbers for iPad because the specs say that it is capable of importing Excel files.
 
I use excel, openoffice.org, numbers on osx and numbers and docs2go on iPad. Numbers is adequate for what I do most of the time. If I have to share files with a windows user, I stick with ooo on osx and d2g (2x mode) on iPad. If I'm working alone, I turn to numbers, either on osx or on iPad.
 
Been using numbers on the Mac for a while decided to try out the iPad version and am loving it works well have typed a couple of invoices on it.
One feature that would be great is a password lock for the documents as some of my documents are ether private or have sensitive figures on them and at the moment every one that comes into the studio wants to play with the iPad and they test the Mac apps out have had to make sure the numbers app is on a blank page.
Maybe a future feature please apple?
 
weenie said:
I use Excel mostly (work) and Numbers on iPad is totally useless for me.
Click to expand...

I feel like we see far to many of these reviews. I'm not sure it is designed to be used like this. Excel and Numbers have never really played nicely with each other.

Elzlaik said:
honestly, numbers on iPad IS fun in a way, you feel like you are really working with your hands.
Click to expand...

I'm glad to finally hear this. I don't need a powerhouse app on my iPad (I would want a keyboard for that). I'm looking for something to futz around with (and do a bit of mobile data entry on) some charts that I started on a Mac and will eventually send out from a Mac.
 
b00st3d said:
I can't stand that I can't merge cells in numbers for the iPad.
Click to expand...

It's little things like this that I'd be interested in knowing.

Also, how are the formulas in Numbers? iPad/OSX is it still =sum()? For example. In addition, do the formulas get as advanced? Concatenate?
 
darwen said:
...The major concern seems to be getting it to excel. If I only use numbers on the iPad & Mac, will I have these issues? It can export to excel from the Mac so I'm not sure what the big deal is. ...
Click to expand...

Absolutely worth it.

If you have an iPad, and use Numbers on a Mac, it is a no-brainer.

I've had no problems going back and forth with the spreadsheets I've created in iWork '09. The only issue I ran into was with one sheet that used a font that apparently the iPad didn't have, it replaced the font with some basic san serif font.

I had some older sheets in iWork '08 format, that wouldn't open in Numbers for the iPad - I needed to open them in iWork '09 on my Mac, and save them again. A minor annoyance.

At first I found it frustrating to have to sync with iTunes to get my work back and forth. Then I started using iwork.com. The sheets I'm working on live up there, and I can fetch them wirelessly on the iPad, and export back to iworks.com when I'm finished with them. You can also print or share from iworks.com, so it works out great.

Judging from your opening post, I'd say 100% go for it.
 
darwen said:
I feel like we see far to many of these reviews. I'm not sure it is designed to be used like this. Excel and Numbers have never really played nicely with each other.
Click to expand...
I understand. For someone (like me) who haven't used Numbers at all, I never knew about the incompatibility. Sorry if I sounded like I tried to mislead others...

I guess I could have waited or done more research, but iWork for iPad were the very first apps I bought after opening my iPad package. They would be perfect for work when I travel.
 
For anyone interested... I ended up buying it and have already put it to great use! Unfortunatly the first thing I used it for would have probably been better suited for pages, but it defiantly got the job done. It does seem like the ins and outs need to be redesigned a bit. While all the tools were there to move documents, they seemed like work arounds rather than solutions.

Chris Rogers said:
It's little things like this that I'd be interested in knowing.
Click to expand...

The biggest thing I noticed was you can't change font size/font except if you change it universally for the entire document. Also, choosing colors is really a hassle. For both fill and font colors there are many preset options. The presets are your only option though. I like making everything look pretty so this is an issue--but defiantly not a deal breaker. I'll learn to deal with it :)

weenie said:
I understand. For someone (like me) who haven't used Numbers at all, I never knew about the incompatibility. Sorry if I sounded like I tried to mislead others...

I guess I could have waited or done more research, but iWork for iPad were the very first apps I bought after opening my iPad package. They would be perfect for work when I travel.
Click to expand...

I didn't mean to make you feel bad. I just felt it was a tired review. You make an excellent point and I think it is something they should improve. It certainly makes sense if they want to attract more users. Then again, at $10 a copy, this isn't meant to be the same application as excel.
 
Oh dear...

b00st3d said:
I can't stand that I can't merge cells in numbers for the iPad.
Click to expand...

Me too! - This is a complete drop for me. I've just imported my formatted files only to be greeted with the message "some aspects are not supported on ipad"...etc. If i'd known this before I paid for the app I wouldn't have bothered. It took a long time for me to set up my templates to speed up my workflow - Linked spreadsheets etc. This is going backwards for me.
Until this is fixed, Numbers for iPad is useless for me.
 
Does documents to go in it's current version allow file sharing on the ipad as other ipad native apps allow?
 
problems with numbers for ipad

Elzlaik said:
I am a Numbers user on Mac. I switched from excel about 8 months ago. It was a bit difficult, as both programs have different benefits and challenges.

Numbers on the iPad has nearly every feature you can find on the Mac and what is missing isn't important, at least not in my assessment. I have edited two estimates on iPad and drafted one full two hundred line estimate without difficulty. It is not as fast as on a Mac (of course) but I have gotten quite good at it.

You can import excel documents into numbers on the Mac and iPad without issue (there may be some minor header errors). On the Mac you can also export as xls or xlx, but on the iPad you can only export as PDF and .numbers. I find it odd they would exclude excel exports from iPad and assume there was some technical issue which prevented it's inclusion, and believe it will likely be included in some future update.

I highly recommend Numbers on both platforms. It may take a little work to master (even adding some keyboard shortcuts on the Mac that are missing) but the benefits are great. And, honestly, numbers on iPad IS fun in a way, you feel like you are really working with your hands.
Click to expand...

I have numbers on my air and my ipad... I imported my estimate template from my air to the ipad but the cells wont merge and some of the cells that have information in them are getting cut off and I have to go into the menu and undo the wrap text and then left justify them. Once I have fixed the missing text and then duplicate hoping to keep a master copy but each duplicate comes out with the same problems. Any ideas?
 
Don Kosak said:
Absolutely worth it.

If you have an iPad, and use Numbers on a Mac, it is a no-brainer.

I've had no problems going back and forth with the spreadsheets I've created in iWork '09. The only issue I ran into was with one sheet that used a font that apparently the iPad didn't have, it replaced the font with some basic san serif font.

I had some older sheets in iWork '08 format, that wouldn't open in Numbers for the iPad - I needed to open them in iWork '09 on my Mac, and save them again. A minor annoyance.

At first I found it frustrating to have to sync with iTunes to get my work back and forth. Then I started using iwork.com. The sheets I'm working on live up there, and I can fetch them wirelessly on the iPad, and export back to iworks.com when I'm finished with them. You can also print or share from iworks.com, so it works out great.

Judging from your opening post, I'd say 100% go for it.
Click to expand...

I have idisk and while I can retrieve files from there on my ipad I can't send them back after I have altered them. I am told it is because in order to do so you need to be able to drag it back or save it to that location and I haven't not been able to do so. Do you find the same thing. Is iworks.com better or just different than idisk? I only use idisk because I have mobile me an it's included...

have you had problems merging cells in numbers on the ipad?
 
Merging cells in Numbers on the iPad is not, at this stage, supported.

I enjoy using Numbers on my Mac and the iPad version is also fun to use.
Numbers isn't excel thank goodness but the iPad version of Numbers doesn't do everything the Mac version does.
 
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