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TUAW Tip: hiding Keynote presentations
If you give many presentations on the Mac, chances are you're using Apple's Keynote presentation software. One cool feature in Keynote is the ability to demo something on your Mac without giving away your next slide or notes. When you're in the middle of a presentation, just hit the "h" key on your keyboard. This will hide the entire Keynote application and show your desktop. When you press the h key, the Keynote icon in the dock will change and include a play button. When you want to resume your presentation, just click the Keynote icon in the dock.
Keynote, Pages and Numbers updates available
Apple keeps the updates coming with new versions of Keynote (version 4.0.1), Pages (version 3.0.1) and Numbers (1.0.1). The description of each is typically cryptic. According to Apple... The Keynote update primarily addresses issues with builds and performance. The Pages update primarily addresses issues with change tracking and performance. The Numbers update primarily addresses issues with tables and performance. Sound good? If you've purchased iWork '08, launch software update.
Analysis: iWork and Office for Mac
David Weiss is an employee at Microsoft's MacBU, and while he has makes it clear that he doesn't speak for Microsoft or the MacBU, his recent post about iWork '08 is interesting from a couple of directions. He starts with a little self-congratulatory back-patting for Microsoft's embracing an "open" XML file format and talks a little bit about the challenges involved with "starting from scratch" in writing an office application. Most telling, however, is his conclusion. He writes that the "core value of Office on the Mac" is simple: compatibility. What's interesting about this is about what he doesn't say. He doesn't say that the "core value" of Office is getting your work done efficiently, or producing nice documents, spreadsheets or presentations. Basically what we need the MacBU for is to keep us compatible with Windows. And as I've started to play with iWork '08 I think he's more or less correct. Office for Mac is just about compatibility with Windows, not about giving Mac users the best user experience in document creation. And with Office for Mac dropping support for Windows-compatible macros, it increasingly looks like the MacBU isn't even doing that particularly well.At this point, and assuming they make their January ship date, we're not going to see an Intel native Office for Mac until two full years after the first Intel Macs were released (two and a half years since the transition was announced). With Numbers, Apple has taken a decisive step. While it's not going to replace Excel for big-time number crunchers, it's absolutely good enough for casual users like myself. Keynote was already well ahead of PowerPoint in terms of beautiful presentations and the new Pages is a significant improvement as well, particularly for straight word-processing. Considering all this, it's getting hard to see what purpose there is in having Office unless you have to deal with cross-platform issues on a constant basis (especially since iWork '08 is already more compatible with Windows Office 2007 formats than Office for Mac 2004 is). I don't think Microsoft Office is going to die anytime soon; it's too entrenched in business for that to happen. But with iWork moving ahead the way it is, I don't really see any reason for non-business Mac users to fork over hundreds of dollars to Microsoft for a sub-standard user experience. I had initially assumed I'd automatically upgrade to Office for Mac 2008 whenever it ships; now I'm quite doubtful. These look like dark days for the MacBU to me. What do you think?
Walt Mossberg tackles Apple's iWork '08
The Moss-man has gotten into a down-and-dirty review of Apple's latest version of its Office-battling software suite iWork '08 (which includes Pages, Keynote, and the new spreadsheet program Numbers) and delivers a one-two punch to the new package. Apparently, Cupertino's entry just can't match up to Office's triple power play of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, though Walt says that iWork '08 is an elegant and sophisticated solution for users looking for something with a little less power -- which should come as no surprise to most. Mossberg's not all doom and gloom though, happily noting that Pages has reined in its desktop publishing aspect and become more of a dedicated word processor, Numbers is a "refreshing innovation," that's more "approachable" than its competitor, and Keynote actually bests PowerPoint in ease of use. In the end, however, Mossy says all the flair and high design doesn't make up for the succulent and unbridled power in Office -- but you knew that already, right?[Via Techmeme]
iLife/iWork tutorial little touch
This isn't earth-shattering, nor is it breaking news but sometimes you just have to step back and enjoy the little things in life. I was watching a few of the iLife '08 and iWork '08 tutorials (posted about here and here) to get a feel for some of the new features. I clicked on a movie, watched it, and then clicked on another. Pretty straightforward, but then I noticed a little check mark had appeared next to the tutorials I had already watched.Nice touch, Apple web ninjas!
Keynote '08 Picture Frames hack
Brian sent us (thanks!) what is probably the very first Keynote '08 hack. He found that there's a new stroke option in the program called Picture Frames, which are various types of framing graphics to put around a slide. The standard choice screen lets you choose from 12, but Brian opened up the Keynote files, and found that there were actually 72-- apparently Apple included Frames for its own Themes, but didn't allow the user to use them separately.Fortunately, all it takes to show the extra frames is their names in an xml (actually a .plist) file inside the Keynote .app folder, so Brian cracked it open, and added all the names. Turns out, also, that no matter how much you stretch it, the Picture Frames choose can only show 50 at a time, so Brian even created a customized .plist file that shows his 50 favorites-- all you have to do is download it from him, put it inside your Keynote .app file, restart Keynote, and you've got access to almost all the Picture Frames that Apple does.It's pretty clear why Apple didn't want people playing around with custom frames too much (opening a Keynote file with a custom frame requires that you have it installed, apparently, so sending a Keynote file to your friend without the custom frame could lead to trouble), but who knows why they didn't at least give you the option of using all the frames everyone has. Thanks to Brian's superfast hack, now you can.Update: Just to make it clear, it's fine to use these hidden frames, since everyone has them installed. The problem with sharing frames comes when you send someone a slide with a frame you created-- they don't have that frame installed, and so they won't see it.
iWork '08 tutorials
We've already told you about the iLife '08 tutorials that are available, but now it is iWork's time to shine. That's right, Apple has created a bunch of tutorials for their newly refreshed, and beefed up, productivity suite. This is your chance to learn how to use that 30 day demo to the fullest.[via Daring Fireball]
Pages '08 opens Word 2007 documents
We reported that Office 2008 for the Mac has been delayed until January 2008, which means you'll have to use the beta file converter before you can open Word 2007 for Windows documents on your Mac (Office 2007 introduced a new file format called Office Open XML which Office 2004 for the Mac doesn't support. The converter dumbs down the file so Office for the Mac can open it).Sure, you could do that, or you could use the first word processor for the Mac that supports that file format natively: Pages '08. That's right, Apple's little word processor that could can open Word 2007 documents (and earlier). It doesn't just open them either, Apple says that styles, tables, and other parts of the document are intact as well.That sound you just heard? The MacBU screaming in frustration.
iWork '08 30 day demo available
Are you chomping at the bit for iWork '08? Chomp no more (I mean, that can't be good for your teeth)! Apple has just made available a free 30 day trial for download. Take Pages, Keynote, and Numbers for a spin before you plunk down your hard earned cash for it. Now, if only Apple would do the same for iLife '08.Thanks, Robert.
iWork '08
Today's been a real active refresh day. Not only did we get iLife '08, but iWork '08 debuted as well. iWork '08 contains Keynote, the presentation app, and Pages, the word processing program that also lets you perform basic layout tasks. The big news, though, is the new spreadsheet app, Numbers. Numbers offers a light version of non-microsoftish-Excel, much as Keynote and Pages do for Powerpoint and Word. Good news for everyone who was saddened at the Office '08 delayed release.
Eagle-eyed event goers spot possible new iWork icon
[Update: Looks like assumptions were right! Steve did indeed debut a new member to the iWork family, Numbers, and Erica has the details in a new iWork '08 post.]Our hat is tipped to MySkitch user Steve for spotting what appears to be a new iWork icon in Steve Jobs' dock during today's Apple press event. Could this be some sort of iSpreadsheet? Possibly a Quicken-killer? We'll just have to wait and see, as Steve is still singing the praises of the new iLife and .Mac.
Rumor: New iMac on August 7
It's no real secret that an iMac update is most likely in the works, but ThinkSecret says they've narrowed down an actual date for the announcement: August 7th. As soon as two and a half weeks from now, we could be seeing a brand new iMac on the Apple Store.The rumors, as you may have heard, say the new iMac will sport a brushed metal enclosure, to match up to the MacBook Pros and Mac Pros out there, and other sources say the new iMac will include a matching keyboard. ThinkSecret also speculates that iLife may be released earlier than its expected October date (originally, the suite was tracking a release right alongside Leopard). But apparently those rumors are less solid than the iMac release-- iLife and iWork are both supposed to take advantage of new techs in Leopard, so it would be a bad idea to release them early just for the sake of releasing.As always, don't forget to take that standard grain of salt with all of these rumors. But if you are thinking about picking up an iMac, looks like it might behoove you to wait a week or two just in case.Thanks, Corinne!
TUAW Predictions Roundup for WWDC '07
It's that time of season again, oh dear TUAW readers: the time just before a major Apple event when we TUAW bloggers look deep into our crystal balls to make both wild and sensible predictions as to what WWDC 07 might bring us next week. This time around we have a fairly rich selection of rumored products (like iMac updates) and updates we all thought we would see at Macworld 07 (iLife 07 anyone?). Without further ado, and without any of that silly 'insider knowledge' tainting the perspective of our crystal balls, here are the predictions of some of our TUAW bloggers (in no particular order) for what WWDC 07 might bring us next week.
Apple profiles iWork@work for small businesses
While iWork isn't exactly at the top of everyone's wishlist of Apple software, it still offers a fairly strong set of Apple-esque tools for creating gorgeous presentations and documents. Since the company already has a fairly thorough iWork product page aimed at the general audience, it seems only natural (if a bit long-time coming) that Apple focus on the business customer with a new set of iWork@work Profiles. Through case studies that delve into the daily duties of a photographer, a historian and an architect, Apple highlights how iWork (and iLife, of course) helps them all get the job done. Naturally, these profiles are filled with quite a bit of Apple fluff, but I think it's interesting to read some of the finer details and features that iWork offers people who are actually running businesses with it. Yes there are plenty of complaints against iWork - it's missing a spreadsheet, it doesn't do this, it messes with that - but these profiles are a nice read if you're willing to set all that stuff aside for a moment and investigate what Apple's productivity suite has to offer.
Pages Templates 1.0
Despite its baby-app shortcomings, I'm finally beginning to warm up to Pages. It's a very Apple-esque word processor (surprise surprise) with all the power I need without having to deal with the behemoth that is Microsoft Word. That said, I've been finding Pages a bit short on templates lately, and the iWorkCommunity Template Exchange is coming up just isn't doing it for me. Thankfully, I just caught Jumsoft's Pages Templates 1.0, a collection of 20 snazzy lookin' new templates for books, brochures, business cards, invitations, resumes, sales posters, portfolios, catalogs, menus, and even business reports and invoices. Even better, nearly every template offers multiple pages with alternate layouts from the screenshots you see at Jumsoft's site. Since these are mere templates, it appears Jumsoft doesn't offer any kind of downloadable demo for obvious reasons (I should also note that these templates only work with iWork/Pages '06, not '05). Fortunately, they do include multiple screenshots on the templates that offer more than one layout, so you can at least get a good look at everything the $39 price will get you.[via MacMinute]
ThinkSecret: Leopard in June
Ah, those crazy kids at ThinkSecret and their "sources." Today they're suggesting that Apple's Leopard operating system will be made available in June, as well as new versions of iLife and iWork. In an attempt to compete with Vista, iLife may be a "free" upgrade for customers who buy Leopard.Also, it looks like the next version of iLife will be called "Leopard Edition," and not "iLife 07." Of course, all sorts of release dates have been suggested for Leopard, so who knows. We just know that we want it!
Apple's Leopard set for June launch -- WWDC?
While we're all waiting to see what Apple and EMI have in store for us later today, feast on this: the latest Leopard rumor. Dubbed an "exclusive" by Think Secret, they cite the usual "reliable sources" calling for a Leopard release in June, "most likely at or around its Worldwide Developers Conference" scheduled for 11 June -- the purported iPhone launch date. Recall that during WWDC 2006, Jobs' called for a spring release and technically, Apple has until June 21st before spring has sprung. TS's proclamation also aligns with Gartenberg's own confirmation of a spring release as noted last week. TS is also reinforcing the commonly held notion that Leopard will be a "more significant release than anyone expected" as there is "much more to come" in the final release than Apple has been willing to share in the developer builds. They also claim that Apple will be launching their long overdue iLife and iWork updates with "extensive Leopard-dependent features" at the same time. So does this all point to Multitouch support or a Beryl-like 3D interface? Who knows. One thing is clear, June is shaping up to be a pinnacle month for Apple and the faithful.
AppleInsider: WWDC to take place June 11th - 15th
Take this with a grain of sodium chloride, but AI is reporting that "people familiar with conference planning" have tipped them off to the dates of this year's World Wide Developers Conference. These "people" call June 10th - 15th for WWDC 2007, nearly two full months before last year's knocked-back WWDC, which took place on August 7th, 2006 (delayed, presumably, to make way for the release of the Mac Pro). Even though many folks, including students such as myself, typically consider June to fall under the Summer category, these dates are still technically Spring, which is fueling speculation that Leopard could possibly land on June 10th - the first day of WWDC where Steve Jobs has traditionally done the keynote thing.AI also speculates that iLife and iWork updates could also depend heavily on Leopard technologies, which means we might not see even these software packages until WWDC also. However, they did respond with a coy "stay tuned!" when asked about these updates in their recent Q1 2007 financial results that we liveblogged, so... uh, stay tuned!
Hints of the Next Version of Keynote?
Many people noticed some unusual Keynote presentation effects in Job's recent keynote at MacWorld (e.g. the small text exploding above). Now Brian Peat over at KeynoteUser.com has gone through the keynote with a fine-toothed comb, identifying a bunch of new stuff, like path animations and lots of explosions that cannot be done with Keynote 3 (editorial note: explosions = good). Since it stands to reason that Jobs might just have access to some pre-release version of Keynote, it's a pretty safe guess that this is a preview of what's in store for Keynote 4. It's an interesting read and will probably have heavy Keynote users salivating for iWork '07.[Via MacRumors.com]
Rumors: Speculating about .mac and iLife
TUAW readers have been writing in and commenting on posts with their speculations about the missing-in-action .Mac and iLife/iWork announcements. Here's a quick summary of our favorite theories. Loyal reader Andrew suggests that any iLife announcements may be due to Leopard-only compatibility. Why announce iLife/iWork if they won't work on the current system? During September's Showtime, Jobs suggested that Leopard would ship mid-year. We also know that the public Dashcode Developer Beta page says that the beta release will cease to function on July 15, 2007 and that the Amazon product page has a ship date of August 14. So you'd expect a formal ship date announcement sometime over the next couple of months, possibly with an announcement of iLife/iWork '07. Another Andrew, also a loyal reader but a different person, points out that the current .Mac special ran between October 17, 2006, and January 22, 2007. "Last year, Apple announced a Special Event shortly after Macworld that took place in early February," he writes. "Maybe we'll see something like this again this year with .Mac?" So what are your theories about the MIA products? Let us know in the comments.Update: The Amazon page also states: "Scheduled to ship in spring 2007".
