14 DAY TRIAL // Apple this week updated the iWork productivity suite for iOS customers, adding new abilities like store documents in iCloud, beam documents to a TV screen via AirPlay, or create and edit documents with the new Dictation feature in iOS 5. iBooks, Apple’s e-reading app, is also enhanced with iOS 5 support.
While iBooks 1.3.2 only improves compatibility with the new operating system (adding no new features whatsoever), the iWork suite comprised of Pages, Keynote, and Numbers has been updated with tons of new abilities and enhancements.
For example, Pages users can now automatically store their documents in iCloud and keep them up to date across all their iOS devices.
Users can drag and drop Pages ’09 or Word documents (even plain text documents) to icloud.com from their computer and have them automatically appear on their iPad or iPhone.
You can now use your voice to create and edit Pages documents with dictation. This feature is limited to iPhone 4S owners. It’s also an iOS 5-specific function.
The updated Pages app (version 1.5) also improves compatibility with Microsoft Word and Pages ’09.
Keynote users updating to version 1.5 will not only get most of the aforementioned iCloud features, they will also be able to present wirelessly via Apple TV by means of AirPlay.
“Navigate slides, view presenter notes, and use the laser pointer while presenting from your iOS device,” reads the description.
The updated presentation software also gets new builds and transitions including Anvil, Blinds, Color Panes, Comet, Confetti, Diffuse, and Sparkle, advanced presentation controls (including looped slideshows and autoplay), and slide-to-slide hyperlink support.
Compatibility with Microsoft PowerPoint and Keynote ’09 has been improved as well.
Finally, Numbers 1.5 also adds iCloud support, as well as improved import and export for spreadsheets with hidden rows and columns, better compatibility with Microsoft Excel and Numbers ’09, the ability to Merge Cells to format your tables, and more.