Apple ’s new Pages ’ 08 is a very honest word processing and page layout program with dozens of novel feature and enhancement that make the program easier to apply and which are probable to make Pages the only word processing and Sir Frederick Handley Page layout program most people will ever need . But , it is still missing key features — such as a undecomposed chain mail - merge pecker — and has one bug that may prevent you from taking the Pages dip .
One workspace, two worlds
With Pages ’ 08 , Apple has made a elusive but significant variety to how you work with your document . There are now two clear-cut document creation musical mode , one for give-and-take processing and the other for Sir Frederick Handley Page layout . You ’ll see this difference immediately — Pages ’ guide web browser now separates template into two unlike groups , and each document you open now displays either Word Processing or Page Layout at the top of your document ’s window . According to Apple , each of these modes is optimized for the type of document you ’re creating , but both modes leave the same kind of tractability when it descend to adding and manipulating graphics , textbook box seat , tables , and graphs . Except for document with complicated superimposed trope and text , documents create using both fashion were translated seamlessly with Microsoft Word 2004 in my examination .
The word processing mood treat text in a linear fashion , like a distinctive word processor . young page look as you type enough text edition to fill a page or after you tally a Thomas Nelson Page break . The Pages button that come out at the top left of the push bar in earlier version of the program has been replaced by a Sections push button . you may use the Sections button to inclose a page break and add a new template page to your document .
Page layout mode is designed for placing and manipulating objects on the Thomas Nelson Page ; ruler at the top and left - hand sides of your workspace aid you in placing objects . The only job that I had with Sir Frederick Handley Page layout mode was how much sieve real estate it used . By default , page layout mode launch the page thumbnail sidebar when you make a new document . While it ’s potential to hide this sidebar , it ’s almost a necessity to have it assailable to facilitate you navigate through multipage documents . If you need to have the Media internet browser and an Inspector windowpane open as well , you ’ll end up with a very fuddled workspace . This is n’t really a problem on turgid display like you ’ll detect on an iMac , but on my much smaller MacBook it was crowd , and I was forever rearranging windows while I worked on documents . fortuitously , I did n’t have the same issues while using the word processing fashion , even with the Paragraph Styles sidebar and the Inspector open .
Format freely
Tables and charts in Pages have also been updated . The former now have a look and sense that matches Apple ’s fresh Numbers ( ) spreadsheet program . Page now include a better chemical formula editor , conditional formatting , and several Quick Formulas for adding basic calculations to a table . Charts now let in several novel texture and color - redaction option . Unfortunately , there ’s no way to link a board to a chart in your text file and have that chart dynamically update as you change the entropy in your board ( as you’re able to in Microsoft Word ) .
Apple has also tot up feature article to Pages ’ ikon - redaction tools , which now admit an well-fixed - to - use alpha canal editor , which makes quick work of separating an physical object from the backcloth ( as you might do with a more advanced course of study like Photoshop ) .
Mail-merge madness
The last prison term I reviewed Pages ( ) I remark that the mail service - merge capableness were incredibly weak . I ’m sorry to say that Apple has done nothing to remedy this problem . Pages only allows you to make chain armor - merge documents using data that you have salt away in Apple ’s Address Book . If you have your contact data stored in FileMaker , Excel , or even numbers racket , it will be useless to you in Pages . This may make switching to Pages difficult for many businesses and soul , even for print something as basic as savoir-faire labels . It also significantly undermines the value of what is otherwise an amazing , various , and knock-down program .
One major network bug
While run with Pages , I discovered a significant bug that , upon further testing , appears in all three iWork applications . If you have a document store on a internet or if you ’re apportion iWork documents on your data processor , it ’s potential for two people to open and edit that text file at the same clock time . You wo n’t be warned that someone else is using the document or be pressure to spread out the document in a read - only format , making it potential for you to overwrite someone else ’s work — or someone else to make unnecessary over yours .
Macworld’s buying advice
Pages ’ 08 is a groovy discussion processing and pageboy layout computer programme . For most person , it should be a perfect fit for day - to - day needs . But if you require to share and cut filing cabinet on a connection , or if you necessitate robust mail - merge feature , Pages will not be enough to accomplish your need .
[ Jeffery Battersby is a regular contributor toMacworld . you could read his web log atjeffbattersby.com . ]