iWorks

Simple, easy-to-use office suite

iWork 09 is Apple's competitor to Microsoft Office. It includes word processing, spreadsheet, and slide presentation applications in one collection of integrated tools. iWork 09 is compatible with Office in that files from one can be opened and updated with the other, but there's a difference in complexity between the two products. iWork 09 is much simpler system to than Office, which may be an advantage for some and a drawback for others.

All the component parts of iWork 09 have been designed to be simple to use (or at least simpler than Office). There are a number … Read more

How being an Apple fanboy can threaten your cat

I feel sure that the number of corporate hours lost to workers sitting and watching YouTube videos has a severe effect on GDP.

I would, therefore, like to contribute to that.

Here is a video, which Cult of Mac saw on Reddit, that shows the unexpected consequences of becoming a little too committed to Apple's software.… Read more

Can iWork on the iPad really compare to a Mac?

Apple offers versions of its iWork suite (Pages, Keynote, Numbers) for both the Mac OS and iOS platforms, and given that the new school year is right around the corner, students might be weighing the options for creating and managing projects using either iPads or Macs.

While having been a fan of Apple's iWork suite in OS X since its debut and enjoy having the apps available for other platforms, I have been somewhat skeptical of using the iPad or iPhone to write a full report, a formatted resume, or managing calculations in a spreadsheet. Being a touch-only device, I've considered the iPad in large part as a viewing tool where you can look up information and browse through it, rather than buckling down and creating intricate and detailed content, especially with regard to office-related tasks. While Apple's touch-based input panels in iOS have made entering strings of text relatively easy, and along with gestures it provides a unique approach to drawing and arranging objects in applications, the question does arise as to whether this approach is adequate for more-detailed work such as word processing, presentations, and spreadsheets.… Read more

Updates to iWork, iMovie, and iPhoto follow Mountain Lion release

Whenever Apple releases a new version of its OS X operating system, it soon follows with updates to some of its popular programs for OS X. Today's release of OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion (see here for CNET's full review) is no different, and Apple has made several updates available for its iWork productivity suite, its iPhoto consumer picture manager, and its iMovie home video editor.

The updates are available through Mountain Lion's Mac App Store, which Apple has unified for managing updates to both Mac App Store purchases and also other system updates in the … Read more

iWork.com users have one month before Apple shuts it down

In the wake of the closure of MobileMe, Apple is again reminding people that it is pulling the plug on iWork.com at the end of the month as it transitions users to its iCloud service for online syncing and storage.

"As of July 31, 2012, you will no longer be able to access your documents on the iWork.com site or view them on the Web," the iWork.com site says. "We recommend that you sign in to iWork.com before July 31, 2012, and download all your documents to your computer. For detailed instructions on … Read more

Apple reminds iWork.com users of impending closure

If you have Apple's iWork productivity suite and have used Apple's iWork.com collaborations, Apple has sent out another notice to remind users that this service will be canceled on July 31. The service, which was always in a beta release status, was an attempt to provide an online storage and collaborative environment for iWork programs, similar to Microsoft's SkyDrive and SharePoint options for its Office suite.

Apple's decision to shutter iWork.com comes after its transition of its MobileMe service to iCloud, which provides an online syncing and storage option that is system-wide and usable … Read more

Pages brings Apple word processing to iOS

Pages for iOS may not be as sophisticated as other desktop word-processing apps, but it packs plenty of punch when you just want a way to produce nice-looking documents on the go. After only a few minutes playing around with the controls, we were able to create documents with stylized text, imported images, tables, and graphs, and make formatting changes on-the-fly, all using the touch-screen keyboard. The program comes with 16 Apple-designed templates to start from, including standard letters, letters with photos, resume layouts, project reports, and many more. With Apple's keyboard dock connected, Pages performed much like a … Read more

New Apple app roundup for iOS

This was a big week for Apple with the announcement of the new iPad, and though I got to play with it a little bit at the event Wednesday, I really can't wait to put it through its paces when it's finally released March 16.

With that said, the new iPad wasn't the only thing released on Wednesday; Apple also announced the availability of several updates to iOS apps, including the new iPhoto for iOS.

This week's collection of iOS apps is a little different than usual. Instead of a themed collection, I'm going to list the Apple apps released this week so you can have them all in one place. Click the name of the link to head to our download page, or click the link at the end of each one to read our hands-on articles about each of the apps.… Read more

Apple to discontinue iWork.com in July

With the progressive push to gain a footing in cloud-based services, Apple has tried a number of approaches in the past decade, starting with iTools and migrating to .Mac with a personal online disk and Web sites, which then evolved to MobileMe. In this timeframe Apple's MobileMe services were rather lackluster and did not get much public attention, so Apple began exploring other options, including options for enhancing its popular iWork programs with Web-based services.

The Web-based services for iWork (aptly named "iWork.com"), were integrated into Apple's iWork programs to allow easy sharing of document … Read more

iWork apps receive a couple of new feature enhancements

At the Apple event in San Francisco yesterday, the new iPad was not the only announcement. Several new software updates were also unveiled, including updates to all three of Apple's iOS iWork apps.

Whether you use the word processing power of Pages, the spreadsheet capabilities of Numbers, or the presentation features in Keynote, all have a couple of new features worthy of note.

Pages, the word processing app that lets you take your written work with you, got a few new features. Along with Retina Display compatibility for the new iPad, you'll now be able to use the … Read more