Apple removes free trials of iWork, Aperture, refers users to Mac App Store

The trial versions of Pages, Numbers and Keynote '09 can no longer be downloaded from Apple as of Monday, and the same goes for Aperture 3. Their removal was first noted on Monday by MacStories.

Users browsing Apple's website are asked to view the software on the Mac App Store. However, there is no free trial of any of the four applications available on the Mac App Store.

"The trial version of iWork is no longer supported," Apple's website now reads. "But you can easily purchase Keynote, Pages, and Numbers from the Mac App Store to start creating beautiful presentations, documents, and spreadsheets today."

The notice for those searching for the Aperture 3 free trial states: "If you currently have a copy of the Aperture 3 Trial installed on your Mac, you must delete it from your Applications folder before downloading Aperture 3 from the Mac App Store."

Each of the applications found in the iWork suite — Pages, Keynote and Numbers — can be downloaded from the Mac App Store for $19.99 each. Aperture 3 is also available for $79.99.

Apple's new move away from free trials of its paid software comes as the company has discontinued essentially all of its boxed retail software. The company's transition away from physical media has been spurred by the success of devices like the iPad and MacBook Air, which have minimal inputs and lack spinning disc drives.