iWork posts

iWork for iPad was updated yesterday with many changes, one of those being that the mobile app suite now includes integration with the MobileMe iDisk.

What does that mean for iPad users who use Pages, Numbers, and Keynote? You can save your documents to the iDisk and then open them either from the iPad or any other internet-attached Mac or Windows machine. The details were posted on MobileMe News, the blog of the MobileMe team.

Windows users can point a browser to me.com/idisk and upload existing Microsoft Office documents. Once the documents are in the cloud, they can be opened from the iPad for viewing or editing. Once work has been completed on the documents, they can be saved back to the iDisk as iWork, Microsoft Office, or PDF files.

It would be nice if iWork for iPad also supported Dropbox or Box.net, but for the time being, it's good to see that Apple has added support for their own cloud storage solution.

[via TiPB]

A couple of nice iWork for iPad updates are out on the store today bringing a boatload of new features.

Numbers, now at version 1.2, introduces improved exports, object grouping and ungrouping, and better hyperlinks, among other new features. Pages, also updated to version 1.2, provides WebDAV and MobileMe iDisk support, txt file compatibility, and many performance enhancements. The third member of the iWork family, Keynote, has added new animations, the ability to group and animate objects, and export to PowerPoint.

Pages, Numbers, and Keynote cost $9.99 each on App Store. Updates are free.

Thanks, Ben

It's hard to believe, but TUAW TV Live has been appearing on your screens just about every Wednesday for 10 months now. I want to thank all of you who have joined in every week for an hour of discovery and discussion; you've made it a pleasure to produce the show.

This week, I'll be talking about a variety of topics: what would be good to see in iWork and iLife updates, iPad and iPhone apps (both good and bad), more iPad and iPhone cases, a demo of how to quickly make an e-book that will work in iBooks, and additional topics as well. And we'll even have some fun giveaways on today's show.

To watch and participate in today's show, just come back to TUAW at about 5 PM EDT (2 PM PDT), and I'll have full instructions on how to view the livestream and use the chat.

A new update to iWork is providing some fixes to bugs (primarily with tables) in Keynote, Pages, and Numbers, but also provides a new export option that makes Pages documents compatible with iBooks.

The iWork 9.0.4 update is recommended for anyone using iWork 9.0 - 9.0.3. The fixes for Keynote include patching an issue that occurred when printing handouts with rule lines, resolving a problem with the slide switcher, and also fixes an issue when automatically resizing some images when changing the size of a slide.

Pages received the fix for tables, as well as the ePub export option. Numbers was impacted the least, with only the table fix being applied to the app.

The update is available via Software Update or can be downloaded from the Apple Support Downloads page. It's about 71.2 MB in size via Software Update. There's also a MacBook Pro EFI Firmware Update for mid-2010 15-inch and 17-inch models.

Thanks to Michael K. for the tip!

It seems that Apple is working to bring the iWork apps to the iPhone. Now available for the iPad, Keynote, Pages and Numbers were among the top sellers for many weeks after their release, making some users eager for iPhone editions.

While browsing the Canadian online Apple Store, Engadget noticed that, if you select an unlocked iPhone, you see a blurb about "iWork for iPhone." Not to mention the "Open in Keynote" prompt that appeared in Mail.

9to5 Mac ups the ante with alleged screenshots of a beta of Pages for the iPhone. Citing a "tipster," 9to5 reports that the apps will be universal and work across devices. Make sense to us, though I don't know if I'd be willing to scale down to that small screen after using Pages, etc. on an iPad.

Looking for more good news on the iPhone 4 front? Our eagle-eyed tipster iJcaP points out something that MacRumors also noted: on the iPhone 4 features page for Mail, a screenshot at the bottom lets a fairly large cat out of the bag. The picture shows an option to open a Keynote file... in Keynote. That, of course, implies a version of the iWork suite for the iPhone -- currently only available for the iPad.

Screenshot mixup, or true vision of the future? Sure would be another nice thing to have for the iOS 4 launch and iPhone 4 availability, dontcha think?

Update: The screenshot has been tweaked -- see the 2nd half of this post. It now says "Open in 'iBooks'" which is a trifle odd considering the email still refers to a presentation. Seems like this is not Apple's day for keeping things under wraps.

Dearest Aunt TUAW,

Is there a way to transfer files from apps like Keynote and Pages to a computer that does not have iTunes installed?

Yours truly,

Nephew Jack


Read on for Auntie's answer.

The folks at Business Insider (BI) are reporting that Apple's iWork apps for iPad -- Pages, Keynote and Numbers -- have likely generated US$3 million in revenue since the iPad was launched in the US. If the trend continues, the apps could bring in $40 million per year.

Where did BI get their numbers? Some broad assumptions, honestly. Discussions with developers who consistently have apps in the top ten suggested that top paid iPad apps will sell about 7,500 copies on a Saturday or Sunday, and about 2,500 on a weekday. At $10/each, that works out to approximately $825,000 per week. Admittedly, it's "a very rough estimate." The iWork apps have been among the top 10 paid apps since the iPad's release in the US.

An estimate, yes, but it does illustrate an important point: users want "serious" work apps for the iPad. Sure, the initial user base was largely fans who already enjoy the iWork apps, but that fact that those apps are still among the top ten suggest that customers other than the fanboys are buying.

Not bad for three productivity apps on a platform that "won't mean business."

[Via AppleInsider]

My new iPad hasn't left my side since launch day. I love it -- the wonderful iBook reader, the incredible speed and fluidity of the web browser and the rich colors and sharpness of the display. I've also been wowed by the quality of many of the third party apps in the App store. For example, both the to-do list Things and the Bloomberg News applications demonstrate the potential of the iPad to introduce exciting new ways of interacting with a computer.

With that said, there's definitely still some lemons in the iPad App Store. But, with iPad apps being a brand-new enterprise, it's reasonable to expect that third party developers who only recently got their hands on their own iPad just some need time to learn how best to utilize the iPad's form factor.

One app that I (along with a growing contingent online) am incredibly disappointed with is produced by the one company who shouldn't need more time to learn the device -- Apple, Inc. I'm referring to Keynote, Apple's presentation application. Keynote for the iPad was billed as a full-featured presentation package, offering the same features and full compatibility with the wonderful desktop version. As a Keynote addict, I was incredibly excited to see how this program would be redefined by a giant touch screen.

After using the app since launch day, I'm sad to report that Apple has made some big mistakes with the iPad version of Keynote. I've noticed what many concerned and angry commenters on Apple's support forums have also noticed: the iPad corrupts and changes many Keynote presentations imported from a Mac, lacks support for custom fonts, and overall is a stripped down version of its desktop relative. I was frustrated to experience these problems because I had been so excited for the iPad's Keynote potential.

My company is fanatical about the Mac version of Keynote and we converted from Windows to Mac just because Keynote blows Powerpoint out of the water. We had planned to buy iPads for our staff because Keynote looked so darned enticing. We'd use our iPads to present, edit, and even as impromptu presenting devices by playing presentations right on the screen. Unfortunately, until Apple addresses the problems listed below, we're holding off on additional iPad purchases. Keynote for iPad 1.0 is virtually unusable for all but the most basic of user.

Despite their office productivity leanings, the iWork suite of apps (Pages, Keynote and Numbers) also serve as good image editors. With each app, you can crop and mask an image, as well as create alpha channels.

While a handful of useful paid-for screen capture apps are available for Mac OS X -- and many with very useful advanced features -- the one-two combination of the Screenshot Plus Dashboard widget and iWork can serve as an adequate pseudo screen capturing app.

While you can use Command-Shift-3 (or 4) as well as Control-Command-Shift-3 (or 4) to accomplish similar tasks, Screen Capture Plus also includes niceties, such as timed screen grabs and image file type options that, in addition to its straightforward functions, don't require much fiddling with.

Apple has updated the iWork.com beta with improved iPhone and iPod touch support as well as 1-click sharing of documents publicly.

Previously, iWork.com let you share Keynote '09, Pages '09, or Numbers '09 documents via a browser with invited members of a team. Now, you can create a public link that allows anyone to see your files, no invitation necessary. It couldn't be easier to set up: With the document open, select "Public" and then "Show public URL." From there you just copy and paste. You can also track the number of views your publicly shared documents receive.

The other addition is improved iPhone and iPod touch support. The login interface is much improved as well as the list of documents. I've got a number of large Keynote slide shows up there, and not all of them fit on my iPhone's screen, but they were easy to flick through.

It's a nice update to a service we haven't heard much about lately. To share a document via iWork.com, select "Share via iWork.com" from the share menu of a Keynote '09, Pages '09, or Numbers '09 document.

One of the adjustments those new to the Mac need to make is to familiarize themselves with the Command key. Although I switch hit and use Windows at work and a Mac when I'm not working, I've always preferred it over Control. Its proximity next to the space bar allows me to use my thumb, as opposed to my pinky finger with the Control key, for keyboard shortcuts. I find it particularly faster for copying and pasting.

The clover-looking key (it's actually an infinite loop), which had always been accompanied by an Apple logo until recently, sometimes behaves in ways similar to the Control key in the Windows world. At other times, however, it doesn't. Whether you're a recent Mac switcher or a seasoned Mac user, here are some shortcuts using the Command key to help you speed your way through tasks.

T3 is reporting that Mike Tedesco, Microsoft's Senior Product Manager for WindowsBU, stated that a version of Microsoft Office for the iPad is "something that we're looking at." Tedesco stressed that he couldn't make any official announcement today, but from the sounds of things, Microsoft is at least considering a version of Office for Apple's newest creation.

The iPad already has the ability to run a productivity suite -- Apple has created iPad-specific versions of its own iWork programs, Pages, Numbers, and Keynote for $9.99 each -- but as T3 notes, bringing Office over to the iPad would go a long way toward establishing it as a legitimate productivity device. Whether those Office apps would be bundled together, offered individually, or cost as much as or more than iWork is, of course, impossible to say at this point. We'll keep you updated as we learn more about Microsoft's intentions.

[Via MacRumors]

Over at TechRepublic's 10 Things blog, Debra Littlejohn Shinder has posted an article called "10 reasons why I'll be passing on the iPad." Some of her reasoning is sound, but quite a few of her points are easy to refute. It's worth looking at her post and the points it tries to make, because it's indicative of a widespread misunderstanding of not only the iPad's capabilities, but also its intended consumer base.

1. There's no physical keyboard

Debra's correct that the iPad has no physical keyboard. But what she fails to account for is that not only will Apple sell a keyboard dock for the iPad, the device can also be paired with any existing Bluetooth keyboard. Apple's reasoning for not including a physical keyboard on the iPad is even more compelling than for the iPhone, because unlike the iPhone, you at least have the option of pairing the iPad with a physical keyboard. In order to put a physical keyboard on the device itself, there'd be two options: keep the iPad the same size and sacrifice a third of the screen's real estate, or increase the iPad's size beyond what some (including Debra) already consider unwieldy in order to include a keyboard.

In landscape orientation, the iPad's virtual keyboard is nearly the size of a conventional keyboard, too, so while touch typing is going to be a challenge, it's a fair bet that typing on the iPad will be much faster and easier than the high end of 30 - 35 WPM thumb typing many people (myself included) achieve on the iPhone's far smaller keyboard. The lack of a physical keyboard on the iPhone hasn't measurably affected its sales; the iPad isn't likely to suffer many lost sales from this, either.

(Note: a few people have asked for a source on the Bluetooth keyboard issue, particularly my assertion that you can use any BT keyboard and not just Apple's wireless models. During her hands-on with the iPad following the device's announcement, Jacqui Cheng at Ars Technica verified that "You can use any bluetooth keyboard you want, instead of Apple's keyboard dock. You could use the case/stand with your existing bluetooth keyboard. You cannot use a bluetooth mouse, however.")


Check out the other nine points by clicking the Read More link below.

Welcome back to Ask TUAW, our weekly troubleshooting Q&A column. This week we've got questions about MacBook power adapters, Windows 7 in Boot Camp and virtualization in general, resetting the Mac Setup Assistant, the next iWork refresh, and more.

As always, your suggestions and questions are welcome. Leave your questions for next week in the comments section at the end of this post. When asking a question, please include which machine you're using and what version of Mac OS X is installed on it (we'll assume you're running Snow Leopard on an Intel Mac if you don't specify), or if it's an iPhone-related question, which iPhone version and OS version you have.