iWork '09
Apple's suite of productivity tools is called iWork and is made up of three applications:
A few of my favorite things about each application.
Pages
- A layout mode for creating an object-oriented layout. Great for arranging shapes, pictures, and text boxes around the screen.
- Full-screen mode: take out the distractions, and use the entire screen to write.
- Object wrap: easy controls for manipulating graphics on the page, especially when you want text to automagically move around it.
- Headers and Footers: Always available on screen and easily changed without switching modes.
Numbers
- Just highlight values to get auto-calculated sum, average, min/max and count
- Styles (spreadsheets don't have to be boring)
- Sort by each column
- Multiple tables per sheet
- Great-looking charts
Keynote
- Presenter display
- Guides help arrange graphics/media on the slide
- Graphic inspector - shadows, reflections, etc.
- Record Presentation - Export as Quicktime
- Hide slides feature
There are some common features between these three apps which is the real killer feature: learn the feature once, and you've learned two more times! These apps are consistently designed and organized, making switching between them a breeze.
- The Inspectors - there are some unique options in each application, but these are consistent between apps.
- Toolbar - Be sure to go to View -> Customize Toolbar.
- Colors and Fonts - just like the inspector, these "inspectors" are shared between applications
- You can now upload these versions to Google Apps to import them into Docs.
- Export Functions - in each app are export options for other file formats (PDF, Excel, etc.)
