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From:Apple , Apple Computer ,
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User Rating: Amazon Sales Rank:#2066 |
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2 of 36 customers found the following review helpful:
 Great program if Microsoft can develop an imitation, 2005-05-05
Keynote and Pages, the two applications included in iWork, were flawless under the Panther operating system. The Keynote app has always suffered from its inability to share with PC users. Oh yeah, I know I can convert a Keynote file to Powerpoint, .swf, QuickTime, or PDF, but the problem is that, especially when converting to PowerPoint, Keynote loses all its buttery-rich goodness. It's a PowerPoint problem, I realize, but without a Keynote viewer, there's no way around it. Thus, Mac folks must rely on Microsoft for slide presentations if they don't want to lug around their Mac laptop.
Also, installing Tiger will mess up the purchased Keynote templates you have saved. Even reinstalling them won't help.
My humble advice is to wait a couple of years until Apple fixes the bugs in Tiger, then MAYBE think about using a Mac. Until then, I'm switching back from a Mac to a PC.
15 of 16 customers found the following review helpful:
 Big time winner!, 2005-04-11
iWork comes with two programs, Pages (a word processor) and Keynote (Apple's version of PowerPoint). Both of these programs are very simple to use and very effective. Without a doubt, there are better programs available, but their cost several hundred dollars more and for the average user don't provided more bank for the buck.
When I first turned on Pages I thought "How cheesey!" But as I got to using it I found my first impression was totally wrong. It's simple appearance is very deceptive. This is a word processing program that can do everything that is needed for ordinary personal documents and beyond. You have to be willing to explore the program to discover its gems, but once you learn were things are you will find it a very fast and easy to use. The real value of the program is its desk top publishing. The 40 some templates let you create profession grade newsletters, journals, resumes, invitations, marketing brochures, and many other kinds of documents. This is worth the price of the software alone. It seamlessly works with your iPhoto, iTunes and iMovies. This is one powerful piece of software. With it you can produce commercial grade color brochures or newsletters at an entry level price.
Keynote makes wonderful multimedia presentations, and like Pages is seamlessly integrated with iPhoto, iTunes and iMovies. If you are using graphics or want to import photos into your presentation, Keynote is significantly easier, quicker, and simpler to use that PowerPoint. You can't miss with this program. You can even save you presentation as a PowerPoint, Quicktime, or PDF file or post it on the internet for all to see with the easy of a single click.
I have used both Microsoft Word and PowerPoint and keep them on my hard drive but rarely use them. As my skill with Pages and Keynote has grown I have found them to be more than sufficient in producing quality documents from personal letters, teaching handouts, to professional grade overhead presentations.
For the cost, iWorks cannot be beat! And you will not be disappointed.
iWork `05 System Requirements
- Macintosh computer with a 500 mhz or faster Power PC G3, G4 or G5 (G4 for PowerBook); G4 or G5 recommended
- 128 MB of physical RAM (512MB recommended)
- 8 MB of video memory (32MB recommended)
- Mac OS X v10.3.6 or later
- QuickTime 6.5 or later
8 of 17 customers found the following review helpful:
Pages is a disappointment, 2005-03-31
I had high hopes for Pages, Apple's new Word Processing Application, but these hopes were shattered once I tried to design a newsletter with it.
I find the interface unintuitive, unlike most Apple software, and the templates are not easily customizable. What's more, the application continues to mysteriously "erase" work that I have done, even after I have saved it.
Apple, I know you can do better than this...
13 of 16 customers found the following review helpful:
Pages Review, 2005-03-21
This latest offering from Apple is titled iWork for a reason, as it contains two amazingly powerful programs developed to get some serious work done.
These programs are Keynote V2, and Pages. Most of you are by now aware that Keynote is Apple's answer to Microsoft's Powerpoint program. This new "Pages" program is their initial challenge to the other Microsoft program "Word".
Since this is the inaugural version of Pages, I am heading into totally new country.
So what is it?? Well in a nutshell, Pages is a program designed to produce publications like resumes, brochures, flyers, announcements, etc. When you first open Pages, you are presented with a separate menu that prompts the user to open a choice of templates for the specific project that they are looking for.
So, for starters, I chose on three panel folding brochure. The brochure template pops up, and contained areas of type, and numerous photos, plus the back page that was laid out for return, clients address labels, and postage area.
Now, I will admit that at first glance, this layout program is not an advanced, over the top, layout program that will make you immediately toss out your Quark, and InDesign programs. It does not aspire to fill that niche as such, and so please do not confuse Pages with a full featured design program.
But having said that, I do not mean to denigrate this fine program either. Simplistic programs are meant to be simple.. that is their bailiwick.
Trust me when I tell you that Bill and Jill's B & B are not going to go out, and buy InDesign to attempt to design their own tri fold brochure. It is not going to happen. First of all, price is always a limiting factor. Pages(along with Keynote) is only around $79.00, while Indesign or Quark can run upwards of $700.00, and believe me, mom and pop outfits are never going to pay $700.00 for a program that they will never be able to understand.
So, enter "Pages". Gee, I open up the program, click on a template, and I am already off and running. Sure, I have to make decisions as to type style, fonts, photos, and overall appearance, but the templates provide an easy place to start.
Now having said all of this, I realize that there is a huge chasm between the professional designer, and the amateur. This will always be the case, and even if you can afford the very best software available, that does not automatically guarantee results.
So, in summary I will say that I am certain that Pages is a program that was not designed for the advance user. But that is also it's blessing, and possibly its best feature.
Have you ever heard the saying "Keep it simple, stupid"? Well simple can be a very good thing, and in the case of this new piece of software from Apple, it is a real treat.
All of the controls were straight forward, and fairly intuitive. The preset templates provide some great starting points, and the ability to export your files into most of the important formats like HTML, Acrobat, Word, and RTF is also a great feature.
11 of 15 customers found the following review helpful:
 Pages: Rough edges, orphaned AppleWorks files, 2005-03-18
I'm frankly disappointed in Pages. (I have no reason to use Keynote.) As a pure word processor it is actually inferior to AppleWorks, and it is less "intuitive." Assuming that Pages is intended to replace AppleWorks, it is foolish that Apple chose not to give Pages the ability to open AppleWorks files prior to the current version. Even Microsoft Word will open AppleWorks version 5 files, but not Pages. Pages will also not open Word files that are not recent. Apple's policy of orphaning all but the most recent word processing docs seems unwise to me. At the very least AppleWorks should be included with all new Macs (which it isn't), and with iWorks. A smart company doesn't just shove new product into user's hands, it supports continuity of work product, to the extent possible. If you are happy with Word or AppleWorks, there is no compelling reason to convert to Pages. The app is part word processor, part page layout, part web designer, and it excels at none of those.
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