Apple updates iWork apps with macOS Ventura & iPadOS 16 features

AppleInsider · October 25, 2022 4:18PM

Pages, Numbers, and Keynote have been updated to work with Apple's new macOS, iOS, and iPadOS releases, along with new functions in all of them.

Alongside the new updates to video editing apps Final Cut Pro and iMovie, Apple has now released its whole iWork suite to take advantage of features in macOS Ventura, iOS 16, and iPadOS 16.

New features for all apps

All three iWork apps, across both the Mac and iPhone/iPad, have certain new features in common:

A new activity window shows collaboration details

You can now be notified when a collaborator joins or makes changes

Share documents in Messages, and see updates in the conversation

Send a Message or start a FaceTime call from within a document

Work across multiple documents with Stage Manager

Remove the background from images

The Mac versions also all allow you to manage collaboration from within the File menu.

New for Pages

Pages 12.2 for iPad takes advantage of the new customizable toolbar in iPadOS 16. Users can get to favorite tools faster, and also insert images quicker.

For both iPad and Pages for Mac, there's also a new Blank Layout template, as opposed to the familiar Blank Document. it's intended to make it easier to "start documents that let you freely arrange text and graphics."

New for Numbers

In Numbers 12.2 for iPad -- and also Numbers for Mac -- the most significant addition is a series of new functions:

BITAND

BITOR

BITXOR

BITLSHIFT

BITRSHIFT

ISOWEEKNUM

CONCAT

TEXTJOIN

SWITCH

There's also an improved auto-complete feature, which now shows "suggestions based on the contents of other cells in the same column."

New for Keynote

Keynote 12.2 for iPad has added the ability to style charts "with additional controls for colors, lines, and number formats." It's also revised the printing and PDF export features to provide more options.

As well as the ability to remove backgrounds from images, Apple's release notes also say that Keynote 12.2 for Mac can "remove or replace the background of live video for a dramatic effect."

The new versions of the iWork apps require macOS Ventura, iOS 16, and iPadOS 16.

Read on AppleInsider

bloggerblog · October 25, 2022 4:54PM

If Apple wants iWork to be taken seriously and be a viable alternative to Office and Docks; they need to first rebrand it, solve for the enterprise market, adopt an enterprise friendly mental model, and include a robust email client. Right now it just screams amateur with an unpredictable roadmap.

DAalseth · October 25, 2022 5:16PM

bloggerblog said:

If Apple wants iWork to be taken seriously and be a viable alternative to Office and Docks; they need to first rebrand it, solve for the enterprise market, adopt an enterprise friendly mental model, and include a robust email client. Right now it just screams amateur with an unpredictable roadmap.

{sigh} As much as I use and like Pages, I have to agree, It’s a good Word Processor, it does everything I need, but it still feels a bit unfinished, not really up to the level of a Word. I say that as someone that HATES Office and the Ribbon.

dewme · October 25, 2022 7:20PM

I'm a Microsoft 365 subscriber but I still use Pages and Number for certain things that I find easier to do and less cumbersome in Apple's apps. As far as Apple trying to knock Microsoft out of the corporate space is concerned, it's never going to happen. Microsoft is way too entrenched. Paying for Microsoft's tools has been factored into the cost of doing business for decades, just like a tax. No corporate IT person in a medium-large company is ever going to get a recognition award for saving their company money by switching everyone over to Apple's iWork tools.

That said, I personally really like Apple's iWork products. Apple has managed to pack a ton of functionality behind very user friendly facades. I do not find Numbers lacking for anything that I do with workbooks/spreadsheets. The differences between the tools are quite subtle, but the capabilities are still there in iWork for all but the most sophisticated and demanding users. However, people who are entrenched users of Microsoft's tools don't want to devote a single brain cell to relearning something that's different in Numbers than it is in Excel, or Pages vs Word, even if the Numbers/Pages functionality or ease of use is better. The race for office productivity tool dominance has been won by Microsoft. However, there are still some consolation races that the other vendors can try to win and pick up some lower tier prize money.

I am rather intrigued with some of the new functions that have been added to Numbers because they are so far away from what what anyone other than an engineer or analyst would need. But spreadsheets like Numbers and Excel have always been incredibly powerful analytical tools hiding behind the most general purpose, flexible, and conformable UI model ever conceived by any software designer. I can see where these new functions can be used for data reduction, logic analysis, and algorithm development and verification, much like Excel can be used for modeling many aspects of signal processing algorithm, e.g., FFTs.

macdutchuser · October 25, 2022 7:27PM

I am fluent with MS Office and my employer pays for a corporate license. Therefore, my decision to use Apple’s software instead of MS’s has nothing to do with cost. Keynote is simply vastly superior to PowerPoint. I recognize that Excel is faster and offers more functionality than Numbers but for me, Apple’s spreadsheet software layout flexibility is way more important when looking at the data. I don’t use much word processors these days but I also prefer Pages mainly because how text selection works in Word.

Overall I am very happy with Keynote, Numbers and Pages and graceful to Apple for not having to use MS Office on my Mac.

tht · October 25, 2022 7:36PM

macdutchuser said:

I am fluent with MS Office and my employer pays for a corporate license. Therefore, my decision to use Apple’s software instead of MS’s has nothing to do with cost. Keynote is simply vastly superior to PowerPoint. I recognize that Excel is faster and offers more functionality than Numbers but for me, Apple’s spreadsheet software layout flexibility is way more important when looking at the data. I don’t use much word processors these days but I also prefer Pages mainly because how text selection works in Word.

Overall I am very happy with Keynote, Numbers and Pages and graceful to Apple for not having to use MS Office on my Mac.

Same boat as you. Keynote is my presentation app of choice. It feels lighter and more accurate than Powerpoint. I only use Office apps when other people send those files to me. Use Excel to quickly check data though.

waveparticle · October 25, 2022 7:42PM

How do I use any of these programs to draw a family tree instead of using commercial genealogy program?

tht · October 25, 2022 7:49PM

waveparticle said:

How do I use any of these programs to draw a family tree instead of using commercial genealogy program?

I would recommend Keynote. Insert a text box for each person, and connect that with angled connection lines. Export to pdf or jpeg or whatever you prefer.

Keynote is basically a page layout program. All of the iWork apps are good at page layout.

waveparticle · October 25, 2022 7:58PM

tht said:

waveparticle said:

How do I use any of these programs to draw a family tree instead of using commercial genealogy program?

I would recommend Keynote. Insert a text box for each person, and connect that with angled connection lines. Export to pdf or jpeg or whatever you prefer.

Keynote is basically a page layout program. All of the iWork apps are good at page layout.

Can Numbers do it?

tht · October 25, 2022 8:51PM

waveparticle said:

tht said:

waveparticle said:

How do I use any of these programs to draw a family tree instead of using commercial genealogy program?

I would recommend Keynote. Insert a text box for each person, and connect that with angled connection lines. Export to pdf or jpeg or whatever you prefer.

Keynote is basically a page layout program. All of the iWork apps are good at page layout.

Can Numbers do it?

I think so, but I wouldn't use it.

In Numbers, you probably create a bunch of 1 cell tables and connect them with connection lines. Same process as Keynote. The crazy way is to merge cells and draw cell borders, or overlay lines. You have to be Tufte-esque OCD personality to do it that way. With Keynote, you have pixel precision control, alignment guides, the connection lines move with the box, etc. The only advantage with Numbers is that it has more of an infinite canvas, which a dedicated family tree program would have.

waveparticle · October 25, 2022 9:22PM

tht said:

waveparticle said:

tht said:

waveparticle said:

How do I use any of these programs to draw a family tree instead of using commercial genealogy program?

I would recommend Keynote. Insert a text box for each person, and connect that with angled connection lines. Export to pdf or jpeg or whatever you prefer.

Keynote is basically a page layout program. All of the iWork apps are good at page layout.

Can Numbers do it?

I think so, but I wouldn't use it.

In Numbers, you probably create a bunch of 1 cell tables and connect them with connection lines. Same process as Keynote. The crazy way is to merge cells and draw cell borders, or overlay lines. You have to be Tufte-esque OCD personality to do it that way. With Keynote, you have pixel precision control, alignment guides, the connection lines move with the box, etc. The only advantage with Numbers is that it has more of an infinite canvas, which a dedicated family tree program would have.

Is there a way to draw lines between cells using some format?

dewme · October 25, 2022 9:22PM

tht said:

waveparticle said:

tht said:

waveparticle said:

How do I use any of these programs to draw a family tree instead of using commercial genealogy program?

I would recommend Keynote. Insert a text box for each person, and connect that with angled connection lines. Export to pdf or jpeg or whatever you prefer.

Keynote is basically a page layout program. All of the iWork apps are good at page layout.

Can Numbers do it?

I think so, but I wouldn't use it.

In Numbers, you probably create a bunch of 1 cell tables and connect them with connection lines. Same process as Keynote. The crazy way is to merge cells and draw cell borders, or overlay lines. You have to be Tufte-esque OCD personality to do it that way. With Keynote, you have pixel precision control, alignment guides, the connection lines move with the box, etc. The only advantage with Numbers is that it has more of an infinite canvas, which a dedicated family tree program would have.

I’d take a look at diagrams.net too. (https://www.diagrams.net/) It’s a legitimate drawing program which means that objects have connection points so you can move stuff around and everything stays connected. It’s free and runs on the web for iPad or iPhone or you can download it and run it on your Mac. You can keep all your files local either way.

tht · October 25, 2022 9:35PM

waveparticle said:

tht said:

waveparticle said:

tht said:

waveparticle said:

How do I use any of these programs to draw a family tree instead of using commercial genealogy program?

I would recommend Keynote. Insert a text box for each person, and connect that with angled connection lines. Export to pdf or jpeg or whatever you prefer.

Keynote is basically a page layout program. All of the iWork apps are good at page layout.

Can Numbers do it?

I think so, but I wouldn't use it.

In Numbers, you probably create a bunch of 1 cell tables and connect them with connection lines. Same process as Keynote. The crazy way is to merge cells and draw cell borders, or overlay lines. You have to be Tufte-esque OCD personality to do it that way. With Keynote, you have pixel precision control, alignment guides, the connection lines move with the box, etc. The only advantage with Numbers is that it has more of an infinite canvas, which a dedicated family tree program would have.

Is there a way to draw lines between cells using some format?

If you insert a line in Numbers, it can go on top of the table. If you have the alignment guides on, it will align to the cell borders. The issue is if you change the size of the table, not add rows or columns, but change the size of the table, the line doesn't go with it, and it becomes misaligned.

You can insert all the same shapes and objects and connect them with lines in Numbers as you do with Keynote. So insert text boxes, connect them with connection lines. The connection lines are important because they will continue to connect your text boxes when you move the text boxes. All the same pixel precision placement controls are there.

Another option is OmniGraffle. I think it has layers even. Not free.

waveparticle · October 25, 2022 9:39PM

tht said:

waveparticle said:

tht said:

waveparticle said:

tht said:

waveparticle said:

How do I use any of these programs to draw a family tree instead of using commercial genealogy program?

I would recommend Keynote. Insert a text box for each person, and connect that with angled connection lines. Export to pdf or jpeg or whatever you prefer.

Keynote is basically a page layout program. All of the iWork apps are good at page layout.

Can Numbers do it?

I think so, but I wouldn't use it.

In Numbers, you probably create a bunch of 1 cell tables and connect them with connection lines. Same process as Keynote. The crazy way is to merge cells and draw cell borders, or overlay lines. You have to be Tufte-esque OCD personality to do it that way. With Keynote, you have pixel precision control, alignment guides, the connection lines move with the box, etc. The only advantage with Numbers is that it has more of an infinite canvas, which a dedicated family tree program would have.

Is there a way to draw lines between cells using some format?

If you insert a line in Numbers, it can go on top of the table. If you have the alignment guides on, it will align to the cell borders. The issue is if you change the size of the table, not add rows or columns, but change the size of the table, the line doesn't go with it, and it becomes misaligned.

You can insert all the same shapes and objects and connect them with lines in Numbers as you do with Keynote. So insert text boxes, connect them with connection lines. The connection lines are important because they will continue to connect your text boxes when you move the text boxes. All the same pixel precision placement controls are there.

Another option is OmniGraffle. I think it has layers even. Not free.

Can I create text boxes in Keynote then connect lines between boxes. Then when I move the boxes around the lines will keep connected?

tht · October 25, 2022 9:53PM

waveparticle said:

tht said:

waveparticle said:

tht said:

waveparticle said:

tht said:

waveparticle said:

How do I use any of these programs to draw a family tree instead of using commercial genealogy program?

I would recommend Keynote. Insert a text box for each person, and connect that with angled connection lines. Export to pdf or jpeg or whatever you prefer.

Keynote is basically a page layout program. All of the iWork apps are good at page layout.

Can Numbers do it?

I think so, but I wouldn't use it.

In Numbers, you probably create a bunch of 1 cell tables and connect them with connection lines. Same process as Keynote. The crazy way is to merge cells and draw cell borders, or overlay lines. You have to be Tufte-esque OCD personality to do it that way. With Keynote, you have pixel precision control, alignment guides, the connection lines move with the box, etc. The only advantage with Numbers is that it has more of an infinite canvas, which a dedicated family tree program would have.

Is there a way to draw lines between cells using some format?

If you insert a line in Numbers, it can go on top of the table. If you have the alignment guides on, it will align to the cell borders. The issue is if you change the size of the table, not add rows or columns, but change the size of the table, the line doesn't go with it, and it becomes misaligned.

You can insert all the same shapes and objects and connect them with lines in Numbers as you do with Keynote. So insert text boxes, connect them with connection lines. The connection lines are important because they will continue to connect your text boxes when you move the text boxes. All the same pixel precision placement controls are there.

Another option is OmniGraffle. I think it has layers even. Not free.

Can I create text boxes in Keynote then connect lines between boxes. Then when I move the boxes around the lines will keep connected?

Yes. The same with Numbers and Pages. Insert => Line => Connection Line of your choice. They generally connect to the geometric center of the object they are being connected to. Move the object around and the connection line will maintain its connection in accordance to the Connection Line type.

iWork apps all use the core page layout, table and text code. Like, you can insert a table into a Keynote page, and you can do spreadsheet things in the table, like math and stuff. Not all the features and functions have made it to iPadOS yet though.

waveparticle · October 25, 2022 10:05PM

tht said:

waveparticle said:

tht said:

waveparticle said:

tht said:

waveparticle said:

tht said:

waveparticle said:

How do I use any of these programs to draw a family tree instead of using commercial genealogy program?

I would recommend Keynote. Insert a text box for each person, and connect that with angled connection lines. Export to pdf or jpeg or whatever you prefer.

Keynote is basically a page layout program. All of the iWork apps are good at page layout.

Can Numbers do it?

I think so, but I wouldn't use it.

In Numbers, you probably create a bunch of 1 cell tables and connect them with connection lines. Same process as Keynote. The crazy way is to merge cells and draw cell borders, or overlay lines. You have to be Tufte-esque OCD personality to do it that way. With Keynote, you have pixel precision control, alignment guides, the connection lines move with the box, etc. The only advantage with Numbers is that it has more of an infinite canvas, which a dedicated family tree program would have.

Is there a way to draw lines between cells using some format?

If you insert a line in Numbers, it can go on top of the table. If you have the alignment guides on, it will align to the cell borders. The issue is if you change the size of the table, not add rows or columns, but change the size of the table, the line doesn't go with it, and it becomes misaligned.

You can insert all the same shapes and objects and connect them with lines in Numbers as you do with Keynote. So insert text boxes, connect them with connection lines. The connection lines are important because they will continue to connect your text boxes when you move the text boxes. All the same pixel precision placement controls are there.

Another option is OmniGraffle. I think it has layers even. Not free.

Can I create text boxes in Keynote then connect lines between boxes. Then when I move the boxes around the lines will keep connected?

Yes. The same with Numbers and Pages. Insert => Line => Connection Line of your choice. They generally connect to the geometric center of the object they are being connected to. Move the object around and the connection line will maintain its connection in accordance to the Connection Line type.

iWork apps all use the core page layout, table and text code. Like, you can insert a table into a Keynote page, and you can do spreadsheet things in the table, like math and stuff. Not all the features and functions have made it to iPadOS yet though.

I will try it out. Thanks.

fastasleep · October 26, 2022 1:01AM

waveparticle said:

tht said:

waveparticle said:

tht said:

waveparticle said:

tht said:

waveparticle said:

tht said:

waveparticle said:

How do I use any of these programs to draw a family tree instead of using commercial genealogy program?

I would recommend Keynote. Insert a text box for each person, and connect that with angled connection lines. Export to pdf or jpeg or whatever you prefer.

Keynote is basically a page layout program. All of the iWork apps are good at page layout.

Can Numbers do it?

I think so, but I wouldn't use it.

In Numbers, you probably create a bunch of 1 cell tables and connect them with connection lines. Same process as Keynote. The crazy way is to merge cells and draw cell borders, or overlay lines. You have to be Tufte-esque OCD personality to do it that way. With Keynote, you have pixel precision control, alignment guides, the connection lines move with the box, etc. The only advantage with Numbers is that it has more of an infinite canvas, which a dedicated family tree program would have.

Is there a way to draw lines between cells using some format?

If you insert a line in Numbers, it can go on top of the table. If you have the alignment guides on, it will align to the cell borders. The issue is if you change the size of the table, not add rows or columns, but change the size of the table, the line doesn't go with it, and it becomes misaligned.

You can insert all the same shapes and objects and connect them with lines in Numbers as you do with Keynote. So insert text boxes, connect them with connection lines. The connection lines are important because they will continue to connect your text boxes when you move the text boxes. All the same pixel precision placement controls are there.

Another option is OmniGraffle. I think it has layers even. Not free.

Can I create text boxes in Keynote then connect lines between boxes. Then when I move the boxes around the lines will keep connected?

Yes. The same with Numbers and Pages. Insert => Line => Connection Line of your choice. They generally connect to the geometric center of the object they are being connected to. Move the object around and the connection line will maintain its connection in accordance to the Connection Line type.

iWork apps all use the core page layout, table and text code. Like, you can insert a table into a Keynote page, and you can do spreadsheet things in the table, like math and stuff. Not all the features and functions have made it to iPadOS yet though.

I will try it out. Thanks.

Don't do any of this. None of iWork is built for this kind of diagramming, and you'll be pulling your hair out trying to make them do what you want. There are solutions built for doing this task that are going to be far easier to work with:

Online:
https://www.canva.com/graphs/family-trees/ (Canva also has a Mac app)
https://creately.com/lp/family-tree-creator-online/
https://www.lucidchart.com/pages/examples/family-tree-generator

Or there are apps in the Mac App Store specifically built for this purpose.
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/macfamilytree-10/id1567970985?mt=12

williamlondon · October 26, 2022 10:12PM

JP234 said:

As a graphic arts professional and a businessman, I had to use the Adobe and Microsoft software. As a retired graphic arts hobbyist, I still use them. I don't upgrade any unless I have to, though. I've never used any of the Apple iWork components, and probably won't any time soon.

You could have just said, "me me me me me me me me" and it would have said nothing different than your nothing of value comment.

ezdub · October 27, 2022 4:34PM

tht said:
You have to be Tufte-esque OCD personality to do it that way.

LOL I came here just to say thanks, I loved reading this. @tht ;
All of your comments are on point imo, (I almost forgot OmniGraffle exists).

tht said:
iWork apps all use the core page layout, table and text code. Like, you can insert a table into a Keynote page, and you can do spreadsheet things in the table, like math and stuff

I was basically aware of this but hadn't used all of iWork enough to make this as relatable & retainable for myself. Thanks.

Anyone notice the new iWork updates flattened the window chrome more? I feel the design is walking closer towards MS Office without getting too close.
Annoying there is no formula bar in Numbers, can't edit text in the "Text" status bar thing at the bottom. This makes working with larger amounts of cell text very difficult.

spheric · October 27, 2022 5:39PM

waveparticle said:

tht said:

waveparticle said:

How do I use any of these programs to draw a family tree instead of using commercial genealogy program?

I would recommend Keynote. Insert a text box for each person, and connect that with angled connection lines. Export to pdf or jpeg or whatever you prefer.

Keynote is basically a page layout program. All of the iWork apps are good at page layout.

Can Numbers do it?

Yes! It's as capable as Pages or Keynote.

tht · October 27, 2022 6:51PM

ezdub said:

tht said:
You have to be Tufte-esque OCD personality to do it that way.
LOL I came here just to say thanks, I loved reading this. @tht ;
All of your comments are on point imo, (I almost forgot OmniGraffle exists).

Hehe, I heard from Tufte himself say that MS Excel is good tool for making presentations or visualizing data. He seemed enamored with sparklines at the time. I have also seen people use Excel make Ghant style charts, like use a highly dense Excel grid and use each cell as if it was a pixel grid they were coloring, use tabs as a place to put images, etc. Excel as basically a file cabinet + calculator. You can use Numbers like this, but it just isn't built to deal with large sets of numbers.

Anyways, if you take Tufte to heart, your are creating charts ex nihilo out of whatever tool you are using. Templates rarely communicate what the data means.

ezdub said:
tht said:
iWork apps all use the core page layout, table and text code. Like, you can insert a table into a Keynote page, and you can do spreadsheet things in the table, like math and stuff
I was basically aware of this but hadn't used all of iWork enough to make this as relatable & retainable for myself. Thanks.

Anyone notice the new iWork updates flattened the window chrome more? I feel the design is walking closer towards MS Office without getting too close. Annoying there is no formula bar in Numbers, can't edit text in the "Text" status bar thing at the bottom. This makes working with larger amounts of cell text very difficult.

Yeah a lot of the more modern macOS apps are a little flatter just like macOS is getting a little flatter.

Numbers is not designed to be an Excel replacement imo. It's basically a page layout tool with spreadsheet tables as its primary interface. It's fine for small sets of data. Loading a 100,000 row set of data? Not it's thing. Processing of data with lots of equations and stuff, not its thing. Making charts, not really its thing beyond the simplistic stuff. Maybe recent versions can handle larger data sets now though, I have not tried. Plotting with it is a bit of chore.

Keynote is a straight up good if not a better replacement for Powerpoint. Pages? Don't use it enough to form an opinion.

Apple updates iWork apps with macOS Ventura & iPadOS 16 features

New features for all apps

New for Pages

New for Numbers

New for Keynote

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