iWork '08 released

Apple today released iWork '08, the latest revision of its productivity application suite that introduces a brand new member to the family: "Numbers." Apple's "Numbers" is a spreadsheet application designed "for the rest of us" that features intelligent tables, and accompanies updates to its Keynote presentation software and Pages word processing/layout application. iWork '08 includes new text effects and features in Keynote, with new transitions and an "Instant Alpha" feature that lets users take out backgrounds to add to a presentation. Apple also added new "Smart Builds" to Keynote, serving as small animations "for mere mortals." Pages now offers two modes to accommodate word processing and page layout. Distinct modes for each usage complement a contextual bar and change tracking functionality in Pages documents. The update also adds 140 new Apple-designed templates to speed up document creation. iWork '08 is available for $79, and comes free with any new Mac purchased from Apple.

by MacNN Staff