What is iWork for iPad?
With on again and off again rumors of Microsoft Office coming to the iPad, it is easy to forget that a quite capable office suite already exists. In fact, for anyone that bought an iPhone or iPad after the release of the iPhone 5S, the iWork suite of apps is free. And that makes them one of the must-have apps to download on your new iPad. Even for those who have owned their iPad a bit longer, the $9.99 price tag for each of these apps isn't too bad when you compare the price of Microsoft Office, which exceeds $100.
The best part about the iWork suite is the interoperability with your laptop or desktop. If you have a Mac, you can load up desktop versions of the apps and share work between the Mac and the iPad. But even if you don't own a Mac, Apple has a web-enabled version of the office suite at iCloud.com, so you can still work on your desktop and edit on your iPad (or vice versa).
How to Share Pages, Numbers and Keynote Documents to the iPad
The iWork Suite of iPad Apps:
Pages is Apple's answer to Microsoft Word, and for most users, it is a quite capable word processor. Pages supports headers, footers, embedded tables, pictures and graphics, including interactive graphs. There is a wide range of formatting options, and you can even track changes to the document. However, it won't be able to do some of the more complicated functions of a word processor like Microsoft Word, such as embedding a spreadsheet into the document. And while the Mac version of Pages can do a mail merge, the iPad version doesn't have that capacity.
But let's face it, most people don't use those advanced features. Even in a business setting, most users don't use those features. If you want to write a letter, a resume, a proposal or even a book, Pages for iPad can handle it. Pages also comes with a wide range of templates that cover everything from school posters to postcards to newsletters to term papers.
How to Add a Photo in Pages for iPadMore »
As a spreadsheet, Numbers is perfectly capable for home use and will satisfy many small business needs. It comes with over 25 templates ranging from personal finance to business to education, and it is quite capable of displaying information in pie charts and graphs. It also has access to over 250 formulas. Numbers has the ability to import spreadsheets from other sources like Microsoft Excel, but you may run into some problems getting all of your formulas in place. If a function or formula doesn't exist in Pages, you are likely to just get your data when you import.
It's easy to dismiss Numbers as a way to balance your checkbook or keep track of a home budget, but it can work well in a business setting as well. The charts and graphs combined with the formatting features can create beautiful proposals and add to a business report. And like the rest of the iWork suite for iPad, a major benefit is being able to work in the cloud, pulling up and editing documents that you created and saved on your desktop PC.More »
Keynote is definitely the bright spot of the iWork suite of apps. The iPad version won't exactly be confused with Powerpoint or the desktop version of Keynote, but of all the iWork apps, it comes the closest, and even for hardcore business users, many will find it does everything they need in a presentation app. The latest update to Keynote really brought the feature set up and aligned the templates with the desktop version, so sharing presentations between your iPad and desktop is easier than ever. However, one area it does have an issue with is fonts, with the iPad supporting a limited number of fonts.
In one aspect, Keynote for the iPad actually exceeds desktop versions. There's no doubt that the iPad is made for presenting. Using Apple TV and AirPlay, it is easy to get the picture on the big screen, and because there are no wires, the presenter is free to move around. The iPad Mini can really make a great controller because it is so easy to walk and use.More »
The best part about the iWork suite is the interoperability with your laptop or desktop. If you have a Mac, you can load up desktop versions of the apps and share work between the Mac and the iPad. But even if you don't own a Mac, Apple has a web-enabled version of the office suite at iCloud.com, so you can still work on your desktop and edit on your iPad (or vice versa).
How to Share Pages, Numbers and Keynote Documents to the iPad
The iWork Suite of iPad Apps:
Pages
Pages is Apple's answer to Microsoft Word, and for most users, it is a quite capable word processor. Pages supports headers, footers, embedded tables, pictures and graphics, including interactive graphs. There is a wide range of formatting options, and you can even track changes to the document. However, it won't be able to do some of the more complicated functions of a word processor like Microsoft Word, such as embedding a spreadsheet into the document. And while the Mac version of Pages can do a mail merge, the iPad version doesn't have that capacity.
But let's face it, most people don't use those advanced features. Even in a business setting, most users don't use those features. If you want to write a letter, a resume, a proposal or even a book, Pages for iPad can handle it. Pages also comes with a wide range of templates that cover everything from school posters to postcards to newsletters to term papers.
How to Add a Photo in Pages for iPadMore »
Numbers
As a spreadsheet, Numbers is perfectly capable for home use and will satisfy many small business needs. It comes with over 25 templates ranging from personal finance to business to education, and it is quite capable of displaying information in pie charts and graphs. It also has access to over 250 formulas. Numbers has the ability to import spreadsheets from other sources like Microsoft Excel, but you may run into some problems getting all of your formulas in place. If a function or formula doesn't exist in Pages, you are likely to just get your data when you import.
It's easy to dismiss Numbers as a way to balance your checkbook or keep track of a home budget, but it can work well in a business setting as well. The charts and graphs combined with the formatting features can create beautiful proposals and add to a business report. And like the rest of the iWork suite for iPad, a major benefit is being able to work in the cloud, pulling up and editing documents that you created and saved on your desktop PC.More »
Keynote
Keynote is definitely the bright spot of the iWork suite of apps. The iPad version won't exactly be confused with Powerpoint or the desktop version of Keynote, but of all the iWork apps, it comes the closest, and even for hardcore business users, many will find it does everything they need in a presentation app. The latest update to Keynote really brought the feature set up and aligned the templates with the desktop version, so sharing presentations between your iPad and desktop is easier than ever. However, one area it does have an issue with is fonts, with the iPad supporting a limited number of fonts.
In one aspect, Keynote for the iPad actually exceeds desktop versions. There's no doubt that the iPad is made for presenting. Using Apple TV and AirPlay, it is easy to get the picture on the big screen, and because there are no wires, the presenter is free to move around. The iPad Mini can really make a great controller because it is so easy to walk and use.More »
