The Mac has long been known for its intuitive interface and emphasis on the user’s experience, making it the darling of the graphic design world. Apple is now eyeing the briefcase-toting worker bees and is making a serious case for their own office software. Toting up the benefits of its seamless integration with Apple’s Mac OS X, among other advantages, iWork ’09 handily snags the TopTenREVIEWS Gold Award for Mac office software. The incredibly smooth and clean user experience and the powerful ability of the three programs that make up iWork '09 make it one of the best Mac office software packages available.
iWork ’09 comes loaded with features that make creating and maintaining a professional image a snap for the freelance entrepreneur as well as the small businessman. It has three different programs, covering the basics for all office software: Pages is a word processing and desktop publishing program. Numbers is the spreadsheet program and Keynote is for creating presentations. With 254 templates (180 in Pages, 30 in Numbers and 44 in Keynote), you will have excellent guidance on how to prepare professional documents for every occasion. Professional image is essential for everyone from students up to business executives. Apple's iWork '09 is a great asset to anyone who owns a Mac.
This office software is packed with student-friendly bonuses such as the extensive templates in a variety of styles for all three software tools that will help your scholar create polished reports and presentations that are sure to impress his or her teachers. All the programs come with the standard complement of tools such as a spell checker, text formatting, formulas, adding graphics, graphs, charts and tables among others. All three programs also feature compatibility with Microsoft Office formats (i.e. Word, Excel and PowerPoint), which is critical due to the prevalence of Mac to PC communication and vice versa.
iWork ’09 doesn’t come with email or instant message programs because those functions, Mail and iChat, are built into Apple’s OS X and come preinstalled on all Mac computers. Office software for PCs usually features email and instant messaging programs. This eliminates any need to install new software, which can always be a hassle. Apple really knows how to make things simple and does a great job of it with every Mac. The fact that email and instant messaging programs are already installed on your computer means that you pay less for the iWork '09 office software.
Not only is this Mac office software easy-to-use, it really packs a punch. The spreadsheet software, Numbers, has many tools that make organizing and finding data a breeze. With 250 functions, you won't have any problem getting Numbers to function the way you want it to. Numbers can do just about anything that Excel can, and in some cases more, making a great addition to this office software.
iWork '09's component pieces Pages, Numbers and Keynote, all have drag-and-drop functionality to add images, audio or video from iPhoto, iTunes and iMovie using the Inspector and Media palettes. What can be simpler than dragging a photo or song to the document you want it to be in? Again, Apple aims to make things uncomplicated and easy for the user. The integration of iPhoto, iTunes and iMovie with iWork '09 allows you to easily control and manipulate everything to your liking.
We did find that saving a Pages document as a Word file and then opening it in Word messed up the text formatting and we lost graphics in the transfer. One possible cause for this is if you use a font which is native to Macs only. If you use one of these fonts and try to open the document on a PC, you may run into some problems. One option to avoid this problem is to choose a font that both PCs and Macs can use. Another option to work around the issue is to save the Pages doc as a PDF, however that means that whomever you send the PDF to won’t be able to manipulate the document at all.
This is a troubling concern if you’re trying to send word processing documents to someone who needs to add or change something within the document. If you don’t have a need for that type of collaborative capability, iWork ’09 office software is a great option.
iWork ’09 office software is seamlessly integrated with Apple’s Mail, iChat, Address Book, iPhoto, iTunes and iMovie. For a really cool, put-together display, Keynote presentations can be controlled with an iPhone or iPod touch via a WiFi network. Such integration is awe-inspiring and awakened in us the wonder of a small child seeing a ferris wheel, or eating cotton candy for the first time. Simple and beautiful is the orchestra Apple has created with iWork '09.
iWork ’09 is true to Apple’s tradition of superior user experience from opening the box the first time to installing and using the office software. Its seamless integration with the OS X features make creating a mail merge, adding graphics, audio and/or video to documents literally a one-click procedure or even a simple drag-and-drop. It really doesn't get any easier than this.
Everything about iWork '09 is intuitive, well-thought-out and deceptively simple. Underneath the natural controls is a complex program that Apple has successfully reigned in. Essentially, Apple harnesses amazing power and potential and places it at your fingertips in this office software. Apple really gives you a superior user experience with this Mac office software.
One of the things that makes iWork '09 office software so easy to use is the clean and smooth graphical interface. There is very little clutter and that makes it easy to find what you need, when you need it. Have you ever been frustrated with a program because there are simply too many menus and options, making it difficult to find what you are looking for? iWork '09 is just as capable as any other Mac office software, if not more so, yet it presents all that ability and power in a clean and neat manner.
Apple offers the most comprehensive online and in-program help and support for Mac office software. Their site is overflowing with tutorials, videos, user forums and PDF documents about iWork ’09 office software. If you happen to live in close proximity to an Apple retail store, you can also take advantage of their Genius Bar. With this kind of support, you don't need to worry about anything that might go wrong if you purchase the product. Apple can help you get through any problems you may encounter, whether they are software or hardware problems, or even just a simple mistake on your own part. Whatever the issue, Apple is committed to helping resolve it.
The real beauty of iWork ’09 is that it just works. Apple’s hallmark intuitive interface and extensive help and support make their feature-rich products a pleasure to use. If you’re an all-Mac (or mostly Mac) business or a personal Mac user/student, iWork ’09 is the Mac office software for you. It will provide you with all of the power you will need to make your work look professional and well-polished. The different programs Pages, Numbers and Keynote give you the ability to tackle just about any assignment regardless if it's for school or work. If you need the more ubiquitous presence and collaborative options of Microsoft, you’d be well-advised to choose Microsoft Office for Mac.
