Some Power Users Are Unhappy With Lost Features in the New iWork

[pepechin]

iWork '09 is NOT deleted when you update - in other words, you get to keep both versions (old and new). So what's the problem exactly?

Maybe, the problem is that is stupid to launch a new version of an app that is way worse than the old one?

And, you know?, I'm sure that, in not too much time, old versions are going to have compatibility problems with new system versions.

So, I rather pay for a real upgrade than a crap DOWNgrade for free

 

[Schizoid]

I'm slightly annoyed so far as well.
I haven't looked hard in the new pages (should I have too?), but where is the character spacing option?

cmd-option [ and ]

...although you can't set it as a value I don't think, as you could in old Pages

 

[TrashCanBin]

iWork '09 is NOT deleted when you update - in other words, you get to keep both versions (old and new). So what's the problem exactly?

Not a problem while they work with current OS X version. Not a problem if Apple plans on adding all lost features back VERY SOON (not throw it in a closet again like iWork 2009).

I don't know from my perspective years have gone by and Pages an awesome app it was (version before last) has gone BEAN in zero seconds flat. Am i worried?

 

[fa8362]

iWork on desktop still has a looooooong way to go before it reaches MS Office standards


I'm surprised iWork for iOS hardly updated anything but add a new coat of paint



I will patiently wait for a real version of MS Office for iOS

MS Office sucks and has always sucked.

 

[LV426]

No footnotes in new Pages?????!!!!!!

I didn't had time to note this before I erase the new iWork from my HD
So, it's worse than I suppose

Not sure why this is being said. I can certainly add footnotes in new Pages.

 

[macthetiger85]

I'm actually upset about the new Numbers. I haven't seen anything in Pages that I couldn't do before that I need to do, but Numbers is a different story. I use iWork software on a daily basis (Not so much keynote anymore). Numbers lost categorizations, there's a bad bug dealing with sorting and I was a fan of the blue fill tables, those are gone. All of my spreadsheets that had that template are now plain white and it's not what I wanted. I spent a lot of time changing the looks of my spreadsheets to customize them and now, just with an update, those changes are gong. I already left Apple a piece of my mind about the update at Feedback.

As far as the bug, I have an example document that shows it and I've shared it here. If you look at it, just don't edit it. I left it up for Apple Feedback.

https://www.icloud.com/iw/#numbers/BAITlYVCGJcdERdyY72BtDcxxSK4Y5_rqFCE/Eaxmple_of_Sorting_Bug

I also don't like how the default for everything is huge. I can change that though.

 

[Ddyracer]

you can open and make txt files in pages. for rtf you can use textedit. its not really too big a deal for me, but i guess maybe annoying for heavy documents users.

 

[CausticPuppy]

Remember that, like Final Cut Pro X, this was a 'from the ground up' rewrite of the software. It is never going to have all the features of the original in the first version. But (and i'm no Apple fanboy believe me) you have to say that Apple did a great job at getting Final Cut Pro X up to speed in a very short time, and I went from a FCPX hater to using it as my primary NLE. I imagine iWork will get its features back eventually. But unlike FCPX, they haven't shut out the previous version of the software for people who still need it. So callllm down everyone, everything will be ok

Damn, I guess Logic Pro X was a fluke.
It was a 'from the ground up' rewrite, but also preserved earlier functionality, added a bunch of new functionality, and became easier/more efficient to use.

We had to wait a very long time for it-- but that's better than releasing a stripped down product sooner. They could have just released the new Garage Band app a year ago and called it "Logic Pro X" but they didn't.

 

[NOV]

I don't know what's going at Apple software development, but they certainly how to kill good software. It came even so far for me to ask back my money for my purchase of Logic Pro X. Which was honored btw.

 

[bilboa]

The inability to export to RTF is kinda big. I wouldn't consider it a power user feature, it is a nice option when working with cross platform applications.

Exactly. Saying these changes only affect power users is letting Apple off too easy. I'm no power user, and only use Pages for personal stuff, and lots of these changes affect me.

 

[Sky Blue]

Classic example is FCX, in each update they add a bit of those Pro missing features.

No, only example is FCX, and that's only because pro users causes a fuss.

 

[TrashCanBin]

Completely agree.

There is NO NEED TO PANIC

This is just bringing OS X and iOS apps in line - updates to follow.

I'm sure Apple will listen to the feedback - they did and gave us the iPad mini with retina

Rewrite doesn't mean they delete the project and start from scratch. Most of the code should be reusable and wouldn't result in such functionality loss.

 

[knewsom]

Uh, OpenOffice FTW.

Apple once again showing that they don't make tools for pros, they make toys for everybody.

*sigh*

 

[IJ Reilly]

I wouldn't consider iWork to to a pro Product. Certainly a consumer product.

They are used for professional purposes by professionals. Therefore, they are pro products.

So much for the need for that comment.

 

[MauerFan07]

It's extremely MEH. I wish they'd make Numbers as powerful as Excel. Excel always lags on my 2012 MacBook. :/

 

[bilboa]

And for all those features that have been removed, it's still more functional and better to use than Office.

Except Excel. All power to the pivot tables.

"Better to use" is subjective, but definitely a lot of people agree, and it's the main selling point of iWork IMO. But "more functional"? No way. Can you name one way that iWork is more functional than Office? By "more functional" I mean something that's either only possible, or much easier to accomplish, in iWork than in Office.

Overall I prefer using iWork, especially Pages and Numbers, to Office, for my personal use, but even prior to this release there were a number of ways in which Pages particularly was frustrating due to being over-simplified. This update goes too far though. No keyboard shortcuts for styles even?!? Sorry to say, but I'll have to switch back to Office after this.

 

[TheGdog]

I don't know what's going at Apple software development, but they certainly how to kill good software. It came even so far for me to ask back my money for my purchase of Logic Pro X. Which was honored btw.

Just curious, What didn't you like? I have used logic Pro for a long time, and I find logic pro X fantastic. At the place I work we have a guy on staff to do music arranging, he also does live loops, track and click. He loves the new logic. So do I. Can't see any issues as of yet.

I haven't had a chance to mess with the new iWork, but it does look really nice and clean. My biggest concern is numbers, I do a lot of spreadsheets. Although most of them are basic math formulas. I don't exactly use 4000 rows of text

 

[IJ Reilly]

Well both the new Pages and Numbers are getting hammered in the costumer reviews section on the App Store. This is not a good start.

Yeah, but those costumers dress funny.

 

[unplugme71]

Hopefully now that there exists some semblance of parity between the iOS, iCloud, and Mac versions, the feature set of all three will begin to expand.

I see this going the same path as FCX.

Break down the application to work across OSX, iOS, and the cloud. Then add features across all three to keep it consistent.

 

[leftywamumonkey]

I downloaded and used the new Pages, but after a day, I went back to iWork 09.
I wish I could create equations like I could in Word though. That's the only reason I use Word. For anything else, I'll just continue using Pages 09.

 

[gatearray]

I'm surprised iWork for iOS hardly updated anything but add a new coat of paint.

Well, one cool new feature in iOS Pages is that you can finally add your own templates now.

So instead of having to duplicate a regularly used format like a letterhead every time, you can select your stored template from the list. This is a very welcome new iOS feature and a long time coming!

 

[RiK]

We have seen the play before - I think this happens because apps might have been rewritten. They start with a clean slate and they will add those missing features again in a future update. Classic example is FCX, in each update they add a bit of those Pro missing features.

They haven't just lost a 'few' features though, there are dozens. They've not only massively regressed the features of the desktop applications to a point they're a shadow of their former version , but they have done so in such a massively user-hostile way.

i.e. if you opened a document that you'd been working on in the previous version of Pages, the new version will strip out elements of your document which are no longer supported, fundamentally screwing up the formatting and structure that was fine before, and before you have a chance to revert or save a copy it will auto-save the file over your original rendering it broken and unable to open in your previous application.

I've got a couple of 200+ page books I made in Pages. I tried opening a copy of one of those. It quite literally ******** it beyond recognition. Everything, formatting, page numbering, sections, styles, tables, image wrap. All ********

To even call this abortion the same app is nothing short of shameful

 

[hkenneth]

I am just a normal user and I am unhappy with the new iWork

 

[unplugme71]

MS Office sucks and has always sucked.

For the majority of MS Office and iWork users, the basics are probably enough. Only 1% of users actually need to go beyond simple text formatting and charts.

 

[IJ Reilly]

Has anyone compiled a list of actual lost features? As opposed to features that are implemented differently.