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It ’s been a class since Apple released Pages (; April 2005 ) , the word processing and Thomas Nelson Page - layout portion of the dynamical iWork duo — and what a difference a class makes . While I would like to have encounter some of the program ’s early weaknesses remedied preferably , I ’m pleased that the new version of Pages is everything I hoped the initial handout would be , and more .

Pages 2 is an first-class word processing program that does double obligation as an equally stellar page - layout program . plan to take reward of all your iLife medium , from picture to movies and music , Pages progress to it well-off to create everything from basic password work papers to centre - confect - rich brochures , write up , and poster . While it lacks some of the feature of speech AppleWorks users would want in a full - blown replacement — namely , a spreadsheet software — it far exceeds AppleWorks when it comes to create professional - look documents . ( Keynote , the other one-half of iWork , also has new mesa computation capability . )

The fixes are in

In Apple ’s first freeing of Pages , several modest details limited the app ’s utility . The most significant was varlet direction : it was impossible to rearrange or easily delete pages in a document . Not any longer : the program now includes a thumbnail web web browser , accessed from the toolbar . you’re able to employ it to move or delete pages , and it does double duty as a way to pilot quickly between all the pageboy in a papers .

Version 1 ’s image shortcomings are also a thing of the past . Documents containing images with bead shadows now keep back those shadows when exported to PDF files and viewed in Adobe Acrobat . EPS ( Encapsulated PostScript ) files now import correctly into text file , and the Media internet browser , which was primitively fix to shop iLife medium , can now view other images on your hard thrust . unluckily , selecting your personal folder of images is not as simple as iron out a button — you’ll need to scuff your selected folder from the Finder to the Media browser app — but at least now you have this choice . The only image job I had was with Raw tv camera data file in documents . While these persona were viewable in Preview , they appeared pixelated both in Pages and when we publish the papers ( Apple is look into this hemipteron ) .

Flexible Page HandlingPages ’ fresh Thumbnail drawer(A)allows you to select , rearrange , or delete varlet with ease . ( get through ikon to afford full screenshot )

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Pages also includes a new Mail Merge social occasion that reserve you to merge data from Apple ’s Address Book app into Pages documents . Pages make ample use of this feature film in several of the 66 document templates that transport with the program . For example , unfold the unexampled Expense Report template , and you ’ll see that Pages has already fill in your personal information , from the card you ’ve marked as “ me ” in Address Book . The Mail Merge office ’s connection to Address Book does have some limitations though , especially if the name you expend for mass mailings are n’t the same names you want to keep in your personal address Good Book . You should also closely check any template you use , to ensure that personal information is n’t included somewhere you were n’t expecting to see it .

Slick additions

On the graphics front , Pages now let in a new reflection alternative for image , which makes it come out as if your persona are rest on a highly reflective surface . This looks especially decent on non-white backgrounds . The programme also includes an Image Adjustment dialog box , similar to the one in iPhoto , that lets you change image setting such as brightness , line , and saturation . Graphs in Pages can now be displayed in three proportion , but the tool for manipulating these 3 - five hundred graph is awkward — which seems uneven yield how easy it is to manipulate other graphics in a document .

Page ’ young Table tool allows you to do minor calculations . The political platform supports six canonic procedure : Sum , Average , Min , Max , Count , and Product , which will take the numerical info you enter and automatically look the sum . This is a welcome new feature , but unfortunately Pages is still missing a fully functioning spreadsheet tool for performing more - refine calculations .

Macworld’s buying advice

Pages 2 is a significant melioration on the premature variant . It provides excellent word process feature film in a package that can also act as as a top - snick screen background publishing applications programme . While Pages lacks a full - featured spreadsheet applications programme , it is a various and muscular program that will fill a multitude of educational , personal , and professional needs without making you bid that you had something more .

[ Jeffery Battersby is a frequent contributor toMacworld . ]