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Apple updates iWork apps for Mac & iOS with new shape libraries, other enhancements

Apple on Tuesday updated both the Mac and iOS editions of its iWork suite, primarily adding 500 new shapes that can be inserted into any Pages, Numbers, or Keynote document.

Some Pages updates shared across both platforms include the ability to add linked text boxes, reply to comments in threaded conversations, and alter margins, headers, footers, and paper size when collaborating on a file. There are also new auto-correct and text replacement options, and support for exporting documents as fixed-layout ePub files.

The same conversation, auto-correct, and text replacement features have been added to Numbers and Keynote. Changes specific to Numbers include print preview in collaborations, and the use of the previous market day's close for the Insert Stock Quote feature and Stock and Currency functions.

The iOS version of Keynote has a new Light Table view and support for editing presenter notes while examining slides. The Mac app already had a Light Table view, but now supports editing presenter notes.

All of the iWork apps are free downloads for everyone thanks to recent policy changes. Many newer devices should already have the software pre-installed.

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15 Comments

SpamSandwich

said about 6 years ago

Well, alright then!

levansic

said about 6 years ago

I just bumped into the limitation on print preview / page setup / margins and collaboration last week. I couldn't figure out where the menu items had gone. It didn't occur to me that sharing the document would affect basic printing functionality that was available since the birth of the Mac. A web search found other befuddled people, and that this apparently was a thing from at least 2015 when they introduced some of the collaboration stuff.

Glad to see that is now fixed.

command_f

said about 6 years ago

Well this is a turn up for the books! I had given up hope.

I am one of the hold-outs still using the 'old' Pages. There are two big reasons for that and one is the ability to link text boxes so that text flows between them...and it's just been reinstated and, at a quick look, it seems like it works. Well done Apple.

The other reason I'm a hold-out has not, sadly, been addressed. Pages 6.2 continues not to be able to cope with double-page spreads for which, IMHO, two related features are essential. The first is the need for reflected margins on alternate pages, so the binding edge of the page can have a wider margin than the edge you actually turn. The second is the need for a double page (facing page) view, so the designer can understand the two page combination that the reader will see when the 'book' is open. These are arguably only needed for documents that will end up as hard-copy but that remains quite important in many workflows.

Still, I am encouraged by the text box linking and the new shapes are useful too so it remains great news.

Rayz2016

said about 6 years ago

command_f said:

Well this is a turn up for the books! I had given up hope.

I am one of the hold-outs still using the 'old' Pages. There are two big reasons for that and one is the ability to link text boxes so that text flows between them...and it's just been reinstated and, at a quick look, it seems like it works. Well done Apple.

The other reason I'm a hold-out has not, sadly, been addressed. Pages 6.2 continues not to be able to cope with double-page spreads for which, IMHO, two related features are essential. The first is the need for reflected margins on alternate pages, so the binding edge of the page can have a wider margin than the edge you actually turn. The second is the need for a double page (facing page) view, so the designer can understand the two page combination that the reader will see when the 'book' is open. These are arguably only needed for documents that will end up as hard-copy but that remains quite important in many workflows.

Still, I am encouraged by the text box linking and the new shapes are useful too so it remains great news.

+1

Without support for facing pages, you can't use it to write a book.

jbishop1039

said about 6 years ago

I'd like to see them all have the same font libraries. Still can't use something like Myriad Pro on iOS.

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