Apple issues fourth beta of iWork apps for iOS 5 & iCloud
Apple on Saturday issued a fourth beta of its iWork applications for iOS, allowing developers to test Pages, Numbers and Keynote with iCloud and iOS 5.
It's yet another update issued ahead of the impending launch of iCloud, following closely on the heels of the ninth beta of iTunes 10.5 Apple supplied to developers on Friday. The new iWork applications feature support for the new Documents and Data service that will be included with iCloud.
With the updated iWork suite, once a user takes an action like creating a document in Pages, that document is multiplied via iCloud and instantly available on an iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or the iWork Web application, accessible remotely from any browser.
Users will no longer need to manually save a document locally or to remote storage like iDisk. Files saved via iCloud-aware applications won't count toward the free storage available in the service, just as Photo Stream, applications and iBooks won't count against the free 5GB of storage offered with iCloud.
It's yet another update issued ahead of the impending launch of iCloud, following closely on the heels of the ninth beta of iTunes 10.5 Apple supplied to developers on Friday. The new iWork applications feature support for the new Documents and Data service that will be included with iCloud.
With the updated iWork suite, once a user takes an action like creating a document in Pages, that document is multiplied via iCloud and instantly available on an iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or the iWork Web application, accessible remotely from any browser.
Users will no longer need to manually save a document locally or to remote storage like iDisk. Files saved via iCloud-aware applications won't count toward the free storage available in the service, just as Photo Stream, applications and iBooks won't count against the free 5GB of storage offered with iCloud.
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Apple on Saturday issued a fourth beta of its iWork applications for iOS ...
Question for anyone using the betas ...
Has Apple actually done anything new to the apps themselves yet, or are these betas simply all about the cloud syncing and that's it?
I'd love to see some UI improvements and the inclusion of the features from the desktop product that are still missing in the mobile one. At the moment you can't really move a document between the desktop version of Pages and the iOS version of Pages without significant changes in the document depending on where you open it.
For instance the mobile version doesn't support hyphenation so moving a document between the versions means that the page layout and all the pagination changes. The mobile version of Pages also adds a list of about fifteen styles to every document you open regardless of the styles contained in the original, so if you ever open a document on the mobile version, it has these fifteen default styles attached to it and the styles you were using are shuffled down to the bottom of the style list. Once you copy it back to the desktop version, they remain until you delete them out, but only as long as you don't open it in the mobile version again at which point they will be added again.
I'm not sure what the point of the integration is if this kind of incompatibility is still the case. I would be interested in a report from anyone who actually uses Pages a lot on mobile devices and has access to the betas.
Among the features I'm looking forward to is synching of Keynote files. As keynote on the ipad improves, it becomes a viable candidate for presentations. Effortless synching is a major plus. A final step, which is close to realization, is wireless connection between an ipad a projector or other video display. This may be doable via iOS 5 and appleTV.
.... A final step, which is close to realization, is wireless connection between an ipad a projector or other video display. This may be doable via iOS 5 and appleTV.
This is doable now via AppleTV.
It doesn't really help in classroom or business situations however, as you won't find AppleTV's outside of a living room and you have to be on the same network as the AppleTV/monitor combo.
So ... possible already, but kind of unwieldy as a solution for anything unless you are giving a keynote in the living room to your spouse or kids.
This is doable now via AppleTV.
It doesn't really help in classroom or business situations however, as you won't find AppleTV's outside of a living room and you have to be on the same network as the AppleTV/monitor combo.
So ... possible already, but kind of unwieldy as a solution for anything unless you are giving a keynote in the living room to your spouse or kids.
Family meeting!!!! Let me pull up my deck.
Family meeting!!!! Let me pull up my deck.
Just think of the allowance, chore completions, school performance... calculations and graphics you could prepare with Numbers.
Then paste these into a KeyNote preso with all the effects... "Marlowe, your allowance earned this week is..." ...Effect of a text field dropping onto the screen... "...ZERO!..."
"Boom!"
This is doable now via AppleTV.
It doesn't really help in classroom or business situations however, as you won't find AppleTV's outside of a living room and you have to be on the same network as the AppleTV/monitor combo.
So ... possible already, but kind of unwieldy as a solution for anything unless you are giving a keynote in the living room to your spouse or kids.
Not true. As our $4000 NEC ceiling-mounted DLP's fail, they're being replaced with an AppleTV connected to a 40-50" flat panel. Customers and partners with Windows laptops are able to present from a loaner Mac Mini or iPad.
It's not only a cheaper solution, it's also much sharper.
Not true. As our $4000 NEC ceiling-mounted DLP's fail, they're being replaced with an AppleTV connected to a 40-50" flat panel. Customers and partners with Windows laptops are able to present from a loaner Mac Mini or iPad.
It's not only a cheaper solution, it's also much sharper.
That's because Mac stuff is always cheaper and better!
Files saved via iCloud-aware applications won't count toward the free storage available in the service, just as Photo Stream, applications and iBooks won't count against the free 5GB of storage offered with iCloud.
Really? Then what will count towards the 5 GB free?
I thought files from iCloud apps specifically were what counts toward the limit.
After all, my Denon receever at home ALREADY does have airplay built in. Sweet !!!!!
Really? Then what will count towards the 5 GB free?
I thought files from iCloud apps specifically were what counts toward the limit.
Backups and Email. This is interesting though. I assumed that iCloud docs would count against this. I wonder if it is only iWork documents don't count though...