14 DAY TRIAL // Apple has released a trio of updates for the applications comprising the company's iWork productivity suite. All three releases address compatibility issues. Keynote, in particular, improves compatibility with Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007 and Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2008.
Talking about the latest version of Keynote, Apple reveals that “this update addresses compatibility issues with Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007 and Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2008 as well as general compatibility issues,” whereas Pages and Numbers updates address “general compatibility issues,” period.
Keynote ’09, Apple's presentation-focused application within the iWork suite, introduces a new feature called Magic Move. The function allows users to apply a simple transition to automatically animate the position, but also scale, rotate, and set the opacity of any image, graphic, or text that is repeated on consecutive slides. 3D charts now include cylinder shapes, beveled-edge pie charts, new textures, and four new 3D build effects. A Remote keynote app is also included, allowing users to view and control slides with an iPhone or iPod touch.
Pages ’09 adds Full Screen view, for better focus on documents, but also to see the menus, format bar, and page navigator only when they're needed. Outline Mode includes templates that help them build the framework for their document, while MathType 6 support and EndNote X2 integration also come with Pages '09.
The new version of Numbers makes formula writing a whole lot easier, using an enhanced function browser (which includes built-in help for over 250 functions), and visual placeholders with tool tips that explain each variable in a formula.
To download and install the new versions of Keynote, Pages and Numbers, Mac users have two methods: 1- use the build-in Software Update mechanism: Apple menu -> Software Update -> tick the boxes for Keynote, Pages and Numbers and hit Install; 2- use the links below to download the updates individually, and perform the update manually.