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Five ways Keynote for the iPad badly misses the mark
My new iPad hasn't left my side since launch day. I love it -- the wonderful iBook reader, the incredible speed and fluidity of the web browser and the rich colors and sharpness of the display. I've also been wowed by the quality of many of the third party apps in the App store. For example, both the to-do list Things and the Bloomberg News applications demonstrate the potential of the iPad to introduce exciting new ways of interacting with a computer. With that said, there's definitely still some lemons in the iPad App Store. But, with iPad apps being a brand-new enterprise, it's reasonable to expect that third party developers who only recently got their hands on their own iPad just some need time to learn how best to utilize the iPad's form factor. One app that I (along with a growing contingent online) am incredibly disappointed with is produced by the one company who shouldn't need more time to learn the device -- Apple, Inc. I'm referring to Keynote, Apple's presentation application. Keynote for the iPad was billed as a full-featured presentation package, offering the same features and full compatibility with the wonderful desktop version. As a Keynote addict, I was incredibly excited to see how this program would be redefined by a giant touch screen. After using the app since launch day, I'm sad to report that Apple has made some big mistakes with the iPad version of Keynote. I've noticed what many concerned and angry commenters on Apple's support forums have also noticed: the iPad corrupts and changes many Keynote presentations imported from a Mac, lacks support for custom fonts, and overall is a stripped down version of its desktop relative. I was frustrated to experience these problems because I had been so excited for the iPad's Keynote potential. My company is fanatical about the Mac version of Keynote and we converted from Windows to Mac just because Keynote blows Powerpoint out of the water. We had planned to buy iPads for our staff because Keynote looked so darned enticing. We'd use our iPads to present, edit, and even as impromptu presenting devices by playing presentations right on the screen. Unfortunately, until Apple addresses the problems listed below, we're holding off on additional iPad purchases. Keynote for iPad 1.0 is virtually unusable for all but the most basic of user.
Entelligence: the iPad as a productivity tool
Entelligence is a column by technology strategist and author Michael Gartenberg, a man whose desire for a delicious cup of coffee and a quality New York bagel is dwarfed only by his passion for tech. In these articles, he'll explore where our industry is and where it's going -- on both micro and macro levels -- with the unique wit and insight only he can provide. When Apple announced the iPad, Steve Jobs positioned it in the space directly between the laptop and phone. That greatly interests me because there are moments in my life where my phone is too small and my laptop too large. While the iPad clearly won't replace my phone anytime soon, my question is: Can it replace my laptop on occasion and serve as a content creation as well as content consumption tool? A few weeks ago, I deliberately left my laptop at home for a week of heavy business travel. Instead, I relied mostly on three phones: an iPhone, a Pre and an HD2. And now I've been using a production iPad for the four activities that were difficult and uncomfortable on my phone. Here's what I learned.
Screenshot Plus and iWork: the poor man's screenshot editing suite
Despite their office productivity leanings, the iWork suite of apps (Pages, Keynote and Numbers) also serve as good image editors. With each app, you can crop and mask an image, as well as create alpha channels. While a handful of useful paid-for screen capture apps are available for Mac OS X -- and many with very useful advanced features -- the one-two combination of the Screenshot Plus Dashboard widget and iWork can serve as an adequate pseudo screen capturing app. While you can use Command-Shift-3 (or 4) as well as Control-Command-Shift-3 (or 4) to accomplish similar tasks, Screen Capture Plus also includes niceties, such as timed screen grabs and image file type options that, in addition to its straightforward functions, don't require much fiddling with.
iWork.com beta improves iPhone/iPod touch support, public sharing
Apple has updated the iWork.com beta with improved iPhone and iPod touch support as well as 1-click sharing of documents publicly. Previously, iWork.com let you share Keynote '09, Pages '09, or Numbers '09 documents via a browser with invited members of a team. Now, you can create a public link that allows anyone to see your files, no invitation necessary. It couldn't be easier to set up: With the document open, select "Public" and then "Show public URL." From there you just copy and paste. You can also track the number of views your publicly shared documents receive. The other addition is improved iPhone and iPod touch support. The login interface is much improved as well as the list of documents. I've got a number of large Keynote slide shows up there, and not all of them fit on my iPhone's screen, but they were easy to flick through. It's a nice update to a service we haven't heard much about lately. To share a document via iWork.com, select "Share via iWork.com" from the share menu of a Keynote '09, Pages '09, or Numbers '09 document. %Gallery-88444%
Mac 101: Going Commando with Command-key shortcuts in Mac OS X
One of the adjustments those new to the Mac need to make is to familiarize themselves with the Command key. Although I switch hit and use Windows at work and a Mac when I'm not working, I've always preferred it over Control. Its proximity next to the space bar allows me to use my thumb, as opposed to my pinky finger with the Control key, for keyboard shortcuts. I find it particularly faster for copying and pasting. The clover-looking key (it's actually an infinite loop), which had always been accompanied by an Apple logo until recently, sometimes behaves in ways similar to the Control key in the Windows world. At other times, however, it doesn't. Whether you're a recent Mac switcher or a seasoned Mac user, here are some shortcuts using the Command key to help you speed your way through tasks.
Microsoft may create Office for iPad
T3 is reporting that Mike Tedesco, Microsoft's Senior Product Manager for WindowsBU, stated that a version of Microsoft Office for the iPad is "something that we're looking at." Tedesco stressed that he couldn't make any official announcement today, but from the sounds of things, Microsoft is at least considering a version of Office for Apple's newest creation. The iPad already has the ability to run a productivity suite -- Apple has created iPad-specific versions of its own iWork programs, Pages, Numbers, and Keynote for $9.99 each -- but as T3 notes, bringing Office over to the iPad would go a long way toward establishing it as a legitimate productivity device. Whether those Office apps would be bundled together, offered individually, or cost as much as or more than iWork is, of course, impossible to say at this point. We'll keep you updated as we learn more about Microsoft's intentions. [Via MacRumors]
10 reasons to pass on the iPad? TUAW fact check
Over at TechRepublic's 10 Things blog, Debra Littlejohn Shinder has posted an article called "10 reasons why I'll be passing on the iPad." Some of her reasoning is sound, but quite a few of her points are easy to refute. It's worth looking at her post and the points it tries to make, because it's indicative of a widespread misunderstanding of not only the iPad's capabilities, but also its intended consumer base. 1. There's no physical keyboard Debra's correct that the iPad has no physical keyboard. But what she fails to account for is that not only will Apple sell a keyboard dock for the iPad, the device can also be paired with any existing Bluetooth keyboard. Apple's reasoning for not including a physical keyboard on the iPad is even more compelling than for the iPhone, because unlike the iPhone, you at least have the option of pairing the iPad with a physical keyboard. In order to put a physical keyboard on the device itself, there'd be two options: keep the iPad the same size and sacrifice a third of the screen's real estate, or increase the iPad's size beyond what some (including Debra) already consider unwieldy in order to include a keyboard. In landscape orientation, the iPad's virtual keyboard is nearly the size of a conventional keyboard, too, so while touch typing is going to be a challenge, it's a fair bet that typing on the iPad will be much faster and easier than the high end of 30 - 35 WPM thumb typing many people (myself included) achieve on the iPhone's far smaller keyboard. The lack of a physical keyboard on the iPhone hasn't measurably affected its sales; the iPad isn't likely to suffer many lost sales from this, either. (Note: a few people have asked for a source on the Bluetooth keyboard issue, particularly my assertion that you can use any BT keyboard and not just Apple's wireless models. During her hands-on with the iPad following the device's announcement, Jacqui Cheng at Ars Technica verified that "You can use any bluetooth keyboard you want, instead of Apple's keyboard dock. You could use the case/stand with your existing bluetooth keyboard. You cannot use a bluetooth mouse, however.") Check out the other nine points by clicking the Read More link below.
Ask TUAW: Power adapters, Windows 7, iWork refresh, and more
Welcome back to Ask TUAW, our weekly troubleshooting Q&A column. This week we've got questions about MacBook power adapters, Windows 7 in Boot Camp and virtualization in general, resetting the Mac Setup Assistant, the next iWork refresh, and more. As always, your suggestions and questions are welcome. Leave your questions for next week in the comments section at the end of this post. When asking a question, please include which machine you're using and what version of Mac OS X is installed on it (we'll assume you're running Snow Leopard on an Intel Mac if you don't specify), or if it's an iPhone-related question, which iPhone version and OS version you have.
Post-keynote TUAW prediction scorecard: How did we do?
Yesterday we pooled our predictions together to try and predict what would happen at the iPad presentation today. How did we all do? Sang Tang: Sang was the closest in terms of the iPad's screen size -- 9.6" prediction vs. 9.7" actual size. However, the iPad has neither wireless HDMI nor a front-facing camera (or, indeed, a camera of any kind). Score: 1/3. Erica Sadun: Erica was off on screen size, but was correct in predicting that the iPad would look and function much like an iPod touch. However, by all appearances the iPad doesn't add any new revolutionary gestures, and without a camera of any kind, any augmented reality applications are going to be very limited in scope. She was correct in saying there'd be no "mind-blowing new tech onboard" and optional nationwide wireless with a monthly fee. Score: 3/5. David Winograd: David was also off on screen size (though just barely), cameras, and new gestures. He was correct in predicting a keyboard dock and an optional data plan, but wrong about iPhone tethering and iPhone OS 4.0. Score: 2/7. More scores and the TUAW total after the break!
Apple announces new version of iWork apps for iPad
iWork wasn't the first thing that came to mind when thinking of the new features the iPad would have, but Steve Jobs thought of it and told Apple's design team to create a version specifically tailored to the iPad's strengths. A new version of iWorks now exists for the iPad, and it includes the same three apps that come with the full, Mac version of iWorks: Pages, Numbers, and Keynote. The interface is engineered directly to the iPad's multitouch screen. Rather than floating palettes, the palettes on the iPad appear to be more of an "on-demand" feature. There's also a specific data-entry keyboard for Numbers, which shows off the flexibility of the multitouch interface. According to reports so far, it looks much more powerful than a typical iPhone app. Pages, Numbers, and Keynote cost $9.99 each. So far there's no information on whether this will be ported to the iPhone/iPod touch.
Apple announces iWork for iPad
Well, it looks like it's not all just fun and games for Apple's new iPad -- the company has also just announced an edition of its iWork software suite for the device. That, of course, includes versions of Pages, Numbers and Keynote that have been "completely reimagined for iPad," which will be available individually for $9.99 apiece, and are each basically what you'd expect from iPad versions of the desktop applications. It's iWork you can touch, if you will. Don't miss our hands-on coverage! %Gallery-84037%
What to do when your Numbers' charts don't paste correctly
The iWork suite of apps (Pages, Numbers and Keynote) play nice with each other -- for the most part. Objects such as shapes, text boxes and tables created in one app can easily be copied and pasted onto another and retain their styles. Even an image with an instant alpha filter applied will retain its transparency when pasted onto another iWork app. However, the iWork apps don't always play nice with each other when it comes to charts. In particular, copying a chart created in Numbers and pasting it onto either a Keynote presentation or Pages document doesn't always bring the chart's legend with it respective to how it looked in Numbers. Sometimes, the legend may be misaligned, and sometimes it may even show up on a completely different page in the document. To address this annoyance, just highlight all of the elements (the entire chart and the legend, or anything else you want retained) of the chart that you'd like to copy. Then click on Numbers "Arrange" menu and select "Group" (or hit Command-Option-G). Now, the legend of your chart retains its alignment when pasted onto either a Keynote presentation or a Pages document. To alter or undo this, just select "Ungroup" (Command-Option-Shift-G) from the same file menu.
iWork a quiet hit with sales up 50% this year
While no one was looking, the Apple iWork suite jumped 50% in sales this year over 2008 levels. The retail sales analysts at the NPD Group say much of the current popularity of the program stem from the sales of Snow Leopard, which bundled the productivity apps for U.S. $169.00 for a single-user version and $229.00 for a family set. AppleInsider quotes Steven Baker, NPD's V.P. of industry analysis, saying "These have been, I think, pretty successful products for them (Apple), generating a lot of pretty decent average selling prices and decent revenue numbers." I really like the iWork apps. My last book was mostly written on Pages, then sent off to the publisher as an RTF formatted file. Keynote is very powerful, and doesn't have the tired old look of PowerPoint. Apple is apparently working on moving a good deal of iWork to the cloud, and Microsoft is taking the same path with Office. [via AppleInsider]
Giving or getting a Mac for the holidays? 10 apps every new Mac user needs
All new Macs come with great bundled software. Between the iLife suite, Safari, iTunes, and TextEdit, plus the ability to access and use cloud applications for free, almost all of the most basic modern computing needs get met for most users. That said, having used four different Macs over the past seven years, there are several applications that don't come with OS X that I find myself immediately loading onto a new Mac. Most of these are big-name apps that you've probably already heard of, but it's still pretty amazing how much extra functionality you can eke out of a Mac with only ten additional programs, and all of them (save the last one) are free. Whether you're buying a new Mac for a relative this holiday season or getting a new one for yourself, these are ten applications you should download as soon as that shiny new machine loads the desktop for the first time.
Pasting with style in Apple's iWork suite
In Apple's iWork suite, the "Paste and Match Style" or "Paste Style" options, as implied in their names, allow you to paste the style from one element onto another; or to paste an element into a document and to match the style of the document that it's getting pasted to. In many ways, they're the iWork equivalent of "format painter" found in Microsoft Office. And, in many ways, they're much better.
iWork secret life as ZIP file revealed, includes PDF preview
Former TUAW colleague David Chartier over at Finer Things in Mac has noted something interesting about the innocuous iWork '09 file format. What he found may surprise you. An iWork '09 file created from Pages, Numbers, or Keynote actually lives a secret life as a ZIP archive. This trick isn't a new one; the most common example of archive trickery by Apple is probably the iPod/iPhone software bundle which uses ZIP as a container format. Previous iWork versions actually created folder-like bundle files by default, which made them tricky to upload to cloud storage or email to collaborators. In the case of the new iWork files, changing the file extension to .zip and expanding the archive reveals the as-expected XML document and plist files (for the document and its formatting) as well as a little PDF surprise -- a preview version of the file. What this means for you is that you can send an iWork file to a friend or co-worker and regardless of their operating system choice or installed software base, they can "view" your document by unzipping it and opening the PDF. On Windows, you would simply change the extension to .zip and open with your favorite un-archiving utility. Given the kludgy-ness of this process, it doesn't surprise me that Apple isn't promoting it. However, it would be interesting to see the folks in Cupertino release an iWork viewer for the Windows users in our lives (other than the extant iwork.com sharing service). [Via Download Squad]
Working with Keynote builds
In Keynote (and also in PowerPoint), a build refers to the appearance and/or disappearance of elements (such as text, bullets, images, audio and movies) within a given slide. Working with builds is relatively straightforward. You select the item(s) that you want to create a build for and then choose the order to activate or deactivate each element. These controls are accessible via the Build Inspector pane, which you can get to by clicking on Inspector button or with the Command-Option-i keyboard shortcut. By default, builds are activated by a click with your mouse, or via the spacebar or right-arrow key on your keyboard. There may be times when you want to add some creativity and more Steve-ness to your builds, and automated builds provide you this functionality. In this picture, I have three elements that I want to "build in," or have appear, on the screen. I want "Who?" to show up first, "What?" to show up second, and "I don't know" to show up third Using the Keynote defaults, these elements would show up in the order that I click: "Who?" after the first click, "What?" after the second click, and "I don't know" after the third click. But let's say I wanted "What?" and "I don't know" to automatically appear in sequence after I click on "Who?" To do this, I just need to change the "Start Build" options of both elements. For the "What?" build, instead of choosing "On Click," I'm going to choose the "Automatically after Build 1." And for the "I don't know" build, I'm going to choose "Automatically after Build 2." Now, "What" and "I don't know" will automatically build in after "Who?" is clicked. One neat thing about automatic builds is that they can apply to "actions" as well. So if, in this baseball example, we want the elements to move to different bases after a build, we would apply the same "Automatically after..." logic to them. Got more Keynote tips (or want more)? Let us know in the comments.
iWork.com receives an update
iWork.com, Apple's service for sharing documents from iWork '09 to the Internet, which our own Dave Caolo posted about it's shortcomings just last week, received an update a few days ago along with iWork '09. It added a few new features and improvments to the service, which is still in beta. They include: Automatic email notification. Now the iWork.com beta lets you stay up to date whenever viewers add new comments or notes to your posted documents. You can choose to be notified immediately, hourly, or daily. Enhanced security. Automatic 128-bit SSL encryption now safeguards communication between you and your viewers via iWork.com. You can also password-protect documents you share on iWork.com-so even if someone has a link to your document, they won't be able to view it without the password you supply. Refined user interface. The redesigned Shared Documents page includes thumbnail previews so you can more easily identify your shared iWork files. You can also organize your shared documents by date, name, size, or comments received. And you can now access all your shared documents by signing in at www.iwork.com. You should be able to use these new improvements once you've updated to the latest version of iWork '09, if you haven't already done so.Also, Apple has set up a new iWork.com news page, where you can get updates on iWork and the iWork.com service. Hopefully, these improvements will further advance the iWork.com service.
How to create Keynote themes
Out of the box, Apple's Keynote is a gem. The app is intuitive and, like many Apple products, strikes a nice and delicate balance between ease-of-use for novice users and functionality for more advanced power users. While Keynote offers a nice set of built-in themes, there may be times when you want a more customized look -- be it a different resolution, font, background or element or graphic. To begin, choose an existing theme. Here, I'm choosing to use the default "White" Keynote theme. Then, you'll want to modify the master slides, which is accessible by pulling down the divider adjacent to the "Slides" viewer, or by clicking "View" and selecting "Show Master Slides."
What's happening with iWork.com?
Last January, Apple released iWork.com at Macworld Expo. For the unfamiliar, it's a collaborative site that allows a team to share and review any iWork document. I've used it with Keynote and found it quite handy. Invited participants can comment on a document, download it in multiple formats and upload revisions. There's even some integration with Google Docs. It was almost a year ago that Apple released the beta of iWork.com, and little has been mentioned since. It definitely needs work. It's slow with large documents which is a turn off for many users. Still, I think it has potential and hope it doesn't go the way of AppleWorks. Perhaps that new data center they're building in North Carolina (schedule to open sometime in 2010) will throw a little horsepower to this project. Have you used iWork.com or is there another neglected Apple app that needs some attention? Sound off below.
