iWork Updates For Mac, iOS: The Road Back To ’09

Promises, promises. Apple’s initial iWork ’13 release — Pages 5, Keynote 6, Numbers 3 — delivered collaborative document editing while simultaneously removing a number of popular and powerful features. The company has promised to add most if not all of those features back.

Among other things, the Apple’s November iWork updates brought back toolbar customization across-the-board.

This second iWork update represents Apple’s latest installment in bringing back the missing features. Back from the dead this time are the vertical ruler and customizable alignment guides in Pages 5.1, as well as multiple column/row sorting in Numbers 3.1.

Keynote 6.1 kind of sort of brings back enhanced presentation display, though Macworld’s Dan Moren it’s only half measure. Nevertheless, Keynote 6.1 does bring improved PowerPoint 2012 compatibility, new transitions, new templates and some nifty new chart creation functionality.

• Pages 5.1 (MAS, $19.99)

— Vertical ruler

— Share password-protected documents via iCloud link

— Customizable alignment guides

— Set keyboard shortcuts for styles

— Bug fixes and stability improvements, see MAS for full release notes

• Keynote 6.1 (MAS, $19.99)

— New transitions including Droplet and Grid

— Enhanced presenter display options

— Share password-protected presentations via iCloud link

— Custom number formats in charts are preserved on import of Keynote ’09 and Microsoft PowerPoint presentations

— Bug fixes and stability improvements, see MAS for full release notes

• Numbers 3.1 (MAS, $19.99)

— Sort by multiple columns

— Sort a subset of rows

— Text autocompletes when editing cells

— Chart date and duration values

— Bug fixes and stability improvements, see MAS for full release notes

Obviously, Apple still has more work to do here. Stay tuned.

iWork Update For iOS

The updates on the iOS side are more modest, but nonetheless welcome. For example, Numbers 2.1 adds the ability to view/edit spreadsheets in landscape mode. For its part, Keynote keeps pace with the Mac version with the addition of new transitions

All three iWork apps gain the ability to share password-protect docs.

• Pages 2.1 ($9.99, App Store)

— Share password-protected documents via iCloud link

— View character count with or without spaces

— Export password-protected documents to DOCX format

— Start a list automatically using new special characters

— Bug fixes and stability improvements, see App Store for full release notes

• Numbers 2.1 ($9.99, App Store)

— View and edit spreadsheets in landscape orientation

— Chart date and duration values

— Share password-protected documents via iCloud link

— Export password-protected spreadsheets to XLSX format

— Bug fixes and stability improvements, see App Store for full release notes

• Keynote 2.1 ($9.99, App Store)

— Use the new remote feature to control slideshows on other devices

— New transitions including Droplet and Grid

— Enhanced presenter display options

— Share password-protected documents via iCloud link

— Bug fixes and stability improvements, see App Store for full release notes

See what you like in Apple’s iWork updates for Mac and iOS? What features do you still want brought back?