Apple adds sharing features, interface tweaks to iWork.com beta
Apple this week quietly announced a handful of enhancements to its fledgeling iWork.com beta service, including the availability of new sharing features and improvements to the online service's user interface tailored for the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch.
Share documents on websites and social networks
More specifically, Apple said users can now create a public link that will allow them to shares documents with large groups or on websites and social networks. As such, there's no longer a need to set a password or send an invitation. Anyone with the public link can view documents shared in this manner, but cannot add comments or notes.
Improved Shared Documents page
Meanwhile, Apple also said that user can now download documents shared on iWork.com without leaving the Shared Documents page. This same page also lets users track the number of views their publicly shared documents receive.
Refined user interface
Finally, Apple said it has redesigned iWork.com's Sign In and Shared Documents page for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch, to make it easier for users to access their documents while on the go.
"The new interface and improved scrolling help you find your shared documents faster," the company said. "Visit www.iwork.com from your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch to view your shared documents."
To take advantage of iWork.com and these new features, Apple noted that users should be using the latest version of iWork on their Mac. It's also requesting that users provide it with feedback on the latest round of changes.
About iWork.com
Released as a public beta on January 6, 2009 at the Macworld Conference & Expo, iWork.com provides a web interface for viewing, downloading, and commenting on uploaded documents from Apple's Mac-based iWork productivity suite.
The service supports uploading of Pages '09 documents, Keynote '09 presentations, and Numbers '09 spreadsheets. Users can download documents in both Microsoft Office and PDF formats, in addition to their native iWork formats.
The user who uploads the document determines which of the aforementioned formats are available as download options. However, in contrast to cloud-based office applications such as Google Docs, iWork.com does not offer editing. The service is currently free as a beta but will morph into a subscription-based offering once it's finalized.
Last year, AppleInsider published an extensive look at iWork.com.
Share documents on websites and social networks
More specifically, Apple said users can now create a public link that will allow them to shares documents with large groups or on websites and social networks. As such, there's no longer a need to set a password or send an invitation. Anyone with the public link can view documents shared in this manner, but cannot add comments or notes.
Improved Shared Documents page
Meanwhile, Apple also said that user can now download documents shared on iWork.com without leaving the Shared Documents page. This same page also lets users track the number of views their publicly shared documents receive.
Refined user interface
Finally, Apple said it has redesigned iWork.com's Sign In and Shared Documents page for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch, to make it easier for users to access their documents while on the go.
"The new interface and improved scrolling help you find your shared documents faster," the company said. "Visit www.iwork.com from your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch to view your shared documents."
To take advantage of iWork.com and these new features, Apple noted that users should be using the latest version of iWork on their Mac. It's also requesting that users provide it with feedback on the latest round of changes.
About iWork.com
Released as a public beta on January 6, 2009 at the Macworld Conference & Expo, iWork.com provides a web interface for viewing, downloading, and commenting on uploaded documents from Apple's Mac-based iWork productivity suite.
The service supports uploading of Pages '09 documents, Keynote '09 presentations, and Numbers '09 spreadsheets. Users can download documents in both Microsoft Office and PDF formats, in addition to their native iWork formats.
The user who uploads the document determines which of the aforementioned formats are available as download options. However, in contrast to cloud-based office applications such as Google Docs, iWork.com does not offer editing. The service is currently free as a beta but will morph into a subscription-based offering once it's finalized.
Last year, AppleInsider published an extensive look at iWork.com.
Comments
Apple this week quietly announced a handful of enhancements to its fledgeling iWork.com beta service, including the availability of new sharing features and improvements to the online service's user interface tailored for the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch.
Share documents on websites and social networks
More specifically, Apple said users can now create a public link that will allow them to shares documents with large groups or on websites and social networks. As such, there's no longer a need to set a password or send an invitation. Anyone with the public link can view documents shared in this manner, but cannot add comments or notes.
Improved Shared Documents page
Meanwhile, Apple also said that user can now download documents shared on iWork.com without leaving the Shared Documents page. This same page also lets users track the number of views their publicly shared documents receive.
Refined user interface
Finally, Apple said it has redesigned iWork.com's Sign In and Shared Documents page for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch to make it easier for users to access their documents while on the go.
"The new interface and improved scrolling help you find your shared documents faster," the company said. "Visit www.iwork.com from your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch to view your shared documents."
To take advantage of iWork.com and these new features, Apple noted that users should be using the latest version of iWork on their Mac. It's also requesting that users provide it with feedback on the latest round of changes.
About iWork.com
Released as a public beta on January 6, 2009 at the Macworld Conference & Expo, iWork.com provides a web interface for viewing, downloading, and commenting on uploaded documents from Apple's Mac-based iWork productivity suite.
The service supports uploading of Pages '09 documents, Keynote '09 presentations, and Numbers '09 spreadsheets. Users can download documents in both Microsoft Office and PDF formats, in addition to their native iWork formats.
The user who uploads the document determines which of the aforementioned formats are available as download options. However, in contrast to cloud-based office applications such as Google Docs, iWork.com does not offer editing. The service is currently free as a beta but will morph into a subscription-based offering once it's finalized.
Last year, AppleInsider published an extensive look at iWork.com.
[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]
Ha! How can the haters deny that the iPad is a serious business machine?
Ha! How can the haters deny that the iPad is a serious business machine?
I fully agree with you! Microsoft shoud develop Office for ipad quickly!!
Hopefully, Apple is edging cautiously toward a release that will finally close this gap with Google.com's offerings.
Until then, pass.
IMHO, absent collaborative features, iWork.com is still more an impressive curiosity than a useful Web-application.
Hopefully, Apple is edging cautiously toward a release that will finally close this gap with Google.com's offerings.
Until then, pass.
But Google is the most Evil! Google is trying to KILL Apple! But Apple will kill Google instead.
But Google is the most Evil! Google is trying to KILL Apple! But Apple will kill Google instead.
i don't think so if apple won't embrace some 'free' aspects of cloud. they also should avoid the MS problem of disjoint projects that cause confusion (i.e. all the products and names regarding cloud that ms have and seem to overlap...).
let people have a free @iwork.com email address and some tiny storage space (do away with 'mobileme' name) and let people that by mac hardware/products have more space/percs.
the majority of people aren't going to pay for something that google provides for 'free'
Of course the iPad is a serious machine. Apple and developers are ready to make this thing *the* next computing platform, no fail.
I've always liked iWork.com. Nice to see the integration here.
Of course the iPad is a serious machine. Apple and developers are ready to make this thing *the* next computing platform, no fail.
One question for those of you who have used iWork.com. Can you play Keynote presentations from the webpage?
One question for those of you who have used iWork.com. Can you play Keynote presentations from the webpage?
Never tried. I've only ever uploaded documents there for review, corrections, etc.
I fully agree with you! Microsoft shoud develop Office for ipad quickly!!
I completely agree. If Microsoft put a full version of Office (Word, Excel, PPT, Outlook etc) out for the iPad I would take it very seriously, and give it serious use as my full time home device.
I'll still use a desktop for work, but MS office on the iPad would been enough to suit almost all my needs at home.
Please Redmond ... we know that people will soon be able develop WPS7 apps fast now, and we know you can do the same under the iPad SDK. Perhaps make one for both platforms and you'll have a lot of us as very happy paying customers.
One question for those of you who have used iWork.com. Can you play Keynote presentations from the webpage?
Not really. You can certainly display the presentation, but it's in edit mode rather than presentation mode. I would also love to see that, as there's a serious problem with displaying keynote presentations unless you actually have a Mac at your presentation. Displaying a full-featured (or even mostly-full-featured) presentation via a browser would be a great cross-platform solution to that problem, but it's not presently in iWork.com.
I shouldn't be required to purchase the iWork suite if I have already paid for Mobile Me.
-Edit files with tracking of changes
-Ability to present Keynote
-Print files to local printers
-Save files to local networks
-Note taking functionality (OneNote)
IMHO, absent collaborative features, iWork.com is still more an impressive curiosity than a useful Web-application.
Unfortunately I have to agree. I recently did some freelance work for a client who had some fairly strict workplace constraints, for security reasons. I wanted to use a Numbers spreadsheet published to iWork to keep track of my times on and off the clock, but I discovered that iWork documents aren't actually editable. They can be viewed and downloaded, but not edited.
I then tried using a Google spreadsheet ?*but it was just way too much of a pain to fight with. I ended up keeping a Gmail window open all the time, and just emailing myself my notes for the day so I could transcribe them into a timesheet that evening at home.
In retrospect, it would've been easier to just do it all on paper.
-Note taking functionality (OneNote)
Apple should buy Evernote and integrate it into iWork and MobileMe, that would be amazing.
Not really. You can certainly display the presentation, but it's in edit mode rather than presentation mode. I would also love to see that, as there's a serious problem with displaying keynote presentations unless you actually have a Mac at your presentation. Displaying a full-featured (or even mostly-full-featured) presentation via a browser would be a great cross-platform solution to that problem, but it's not presently in iWork.com.
It is not in edit mode. It is in comment/note mode. You can if the author allows you to, download a copy in varying applications, including PowerPoint.
Unfortunately I have to agree. I recently did some freelance work for a client who had some fairly strict workplace constraints, for security reasons. I wanted to use a Numbers spreadsheet published to iWork to keep track of my times on and off the clock, but I discovered that iWork documents aren't actually editable. They can be viewed and downloaded, but not edited.
I then tried using a Google spreadsheet ?*but it was just way too much of a pain to fight with. I ended up keeping a Gmail window open all the time, and just emailing myself my notes for the day so I could transcribe them into a timesheet that evening at home.
In retrospect, it would've been easier to just do it all on paper.
Virtually every decent place I've worked for is exactly the same. None of them would ever touch Numbers or iWork. Not with a ten-foot pole would I use them for work, no matter how collobarative they get in future.
Consider yourself lucky with the Gmail access as Google is a word I dare not utter inside the workplace.
Of course the iPad is a serious machine. Apple and developers are ready to make this thing *the* next computing platform, no fail.
If thats the case they better plan on updating that 17.00 single core processor. Thats one serious machine.