Too Low To Display  Apple iLife '05 (Mac) - Software |
$124.99 ![Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger [DVD]](http://shop0nline.com/image/B0002G71T0.S.jpg) Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger [DVD] - Software |
$197.99 ![Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger Family Pack - 5 Client [DVD]](http://shop0nline.com/image/B0007LW1MW.S.jpg) Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger Family Pack - 5 Client [DVD] - Software |
Too Low To Display  Apple iLife '05 Family Pack (Mac) - Software |
$79.99  Adobe Photoshop Elements 3.0 (Mac) - Software |
 [Larger view] | Apple iWork '05 (Mac)
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Average user rating:  | |
 Don't Underestimate This Program. | |
| A number of reviewers have commented upon how easy this program is and, I suppose, in one sense it is, especially if you stick to using the templates. However, as one who has had occasion to work with "Adobe Pagemaker," this program can do sophisticated page layout and, as such, there will be a learning curve for the inexperienced.
But, the User Manual is good and there are good books coming out, like one from Visual Start in July, that will help people learn. It is wrong to think of this program as a word processor "in competition with" Word. "MS Word" is a robust word processor; "Pages," as its name implies, is a page layout program. Having also worked with "MS Publisher," the real point of comparison and not "MS Word," "Pages" far exceeds "Publisher" in capabilities and yet for relatively simple layouts is as easy as "Publisher" to use. I have not as yet put any real strain on the program, but at first blush, on my Powerbook G4 1.5, speed of operations is just fine. Yes, as a few reviewers have pointed out, some of the palettes could be more elegantly combined. One tends to get a clutter of open palettes. But, these are refinements that will be made in future editions, I am sure. Bottom line: If you want to layout pages with a lot of the sophistication possible in the more expensive "Quark" and "PageMaker" programs; if you want to be able to export your documents to universal portable PDF file format and print out beautiful documents; if you want to pay, basically, only about $40 for these benefits ["Keynotes," the other half of iwork represents another $40], then buy "Pages." And, if you are a novice with respect to not only page layout programs but also to very robust word programs like "Word," don't expect that everything will be simple. You will have to learn, but you will be rewarded relatively quickly. | |
 I almost didn't buy it.... | |
| I thought, "I have MS Office for the Mac, why do I need iWork?" Was I wrong!
Okay fine I suppose I don't really NEED it. But it is a great program, and worth the price. The ability to export my work as a .pdf file is worth the price by itself. The Pages interface is much better, cleaner than Word. And the templates are suprisingly useful. I created a web page by costomizing a template and exporting it as HTML. I twas easy and quick and the result looked great. Most of the people I work with are PC users and because they were unfamiliar with pages the web Page looked fresh, not like a modified copy of someone elses work. I use my Mac for research mostly and the ability to save documents as .pdf files is very valuable as they are searchable. With Tigers ability to search the text within a .pdf I can now save my work as a .pdf and later find everytime a particular work appears in the fines I've created. This has made cross-refrecing very easy and fast. I now use a program called Pyramid to create a "mind map" of my work and create links from the "map" to refrences in the .pdfs. I don't use Keynote as much. I t more visially appealing than Powerpoint and pretty easy to use. The ability to use Quicktime movies in the presentation is helpful and the ability to export as a Powerpoint file is nice. | |
 Great program if Microsoft can develop an imitation | |
| 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. |
