Apple updates iWork suite for OS X and iOS with new features, bug fixes [u]

Coming on the heels of an updated iWork for iCloud, Apple on Thursday released refreshed Keynote versions for both OS X and iOS, adding new features like password-protected file sharing and productivity enhancements.

Update: It appears that Apple has removed the standalone Keynote Remote app from the iOS App Store as the latest Keynote for iOS makes its functionality redundant.

Keynote

Updates to Keynote for OS X and iOS come with new transitions, enhanced presenter display option and password-protected sharing via iCloud.

In addition, the iOS app comes with a built-in remote feature likely to take the place of Apple's standalone Keynote Remote.

Both updates now allow users to create charts with date, time and duration values, while custom number formats in charts are now preserved when importing presentations from Keynote '09 and PowerPoint.

Finally, the new Keynote updates improve compatibility with Microsoft PowerPoint 2013 and include bug fixes and stability improvements.

For those who do not already own Keynote, the apps are priced at $19.99 for OS X and $9.99 for iOS.

Pages

Pages for iOS version 2.1 brings the same password-based sharing capabilities as Keynote, allowing users to securely collaborate on documents via iCloud. For easy file handling, a shared documents can be viewed as a list on iWork for iCloud beta.

The most substantial of Apple's updates, Pages for iOS also features a new character count tool, exporting password-protected documents to the DOCX format and automatic list creation using new special characters. Improvements are also applied to support of bidirectional text, ePub export and compatibility with Microsoft Word 2013 documents.

On the OS X side, Pages adds a vertical ruler, customizable alignment guides, keyboard shortcuts and the ability to delete section directly from the page navigator. Improvements were also made to inserting and pasting objects in addition to those mentioned with the above iOS version.

Pages is $19.99 for OS X and $9.99 for iOS

Numbers

Finally, Numbers for iOS version 2.1 offers the same password-protected document sharing, while adding a new feature that allows view and editing of spreadsheets in landscape orientation. This is a welcome enhancement especially for iPhone users with cramped screen real estate.

Other additions include improved compatibility with Microsoft Excel 2013 spreadsheets, preservation of custom number formats in charts imported from Numbers '09 and Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and various bug fixes.

Numbers for Mac includes the same enhancements minus the screen orientation feature.

Numbers for OS X can be purchased for $19.99, while the iOS version is priced at $9.99.

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32 Comments

gbdoc

said about 10 years ago

Boo, hiss, KN 6 is simply a downgrade from KN 5, and this update hasn't changed that. Apple's risking losing a lot of people to PP. So far, I'm not quite there, but if KN 7 follows this latest path, I'm gone.

moxom

said about 10 years ago

I look forward to downloading these updates and trying them out.

sporlo

said about 10 years ago

Notifications for versions 2.0.1 got pushed to my phone. This has happened a lot in the past, where an old version will appear in the App Store, but only later does it correct itself and allow you to install the new versions.

mdriftmeyer

said about 10 years ago

Glad the see the new icons aren't 2D.

macky the macky

said about 10 years ago

I appears that Apple is pushing these out and keeping the Cloud, Mac and iOS versions compatible this time around. I would enjoy knowing if the current state of the iOS version is as feature rich as it once was?

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