Apple's iWork suite of productivity apps has been one of the go-to options for iPhone, iPad, and Mac owners for years. The three apps, Pages, Keynote, and Numbers all offer people the ability to create documents, presentations, and spreadsheets respectively, and best of all they don't cost a penny. They aren't necessarily the most updated apps around, however, which makes this round of updates worth paying attention to.

Apple has issued updates across all of its major platforms so owners of iPhones, iPads, and Macs should check for new updates if they don't have the App Store configured to handle them automatically. Each app has its own release notes although they are very similar no matter which platform you happen to use these apps on.

All three apps have gained improvements for handling photos taken on an iPhone and iPad while other improvements specific to their wheelhouse are also present. Obviously, all of these updates are free, and we'd suggest everyone downloads them sooner rather than later.

Pages

Apple's Pages app is a great option for people who need to create rich documents whether they be letters, posters, and more. This update improves photo handling and in-app notifications, among other things.

• Press and hold the Command key to select noncontiguous words, sentences, or paragraphs
• Streamlined in-app notifications inform you when a person joins a collaborative document for the first time
• Preserve file format and full quality when adding HEIC photos taken on iPhone or iPad
• Additional stability and performance improvements

Keynote

The Keynote app is perfect for creating presentations and users can connect their devices to projectors for that big-screen experience. In this update Apple has again improved HEIC photo handling while the familiar stability and performance improvements are also present. Those who deal with files that also need to work with Microsoft PowerPoint will also enjoy a compatibility improvement.

• Add a new look to your slides with the Dynamic Color, Minimalist Light, and Minimalist Dark themes
• Streamlined in-app notifications inform you when a person joins a collaborative presentation for the first time
• Preserve file format and full quality when adding HEIC photos taken on iPhone or iPad
• Press and hold the Command key to select noncontiguous words, sentences, or paragraphs
• Improved compatibility for slide transitions when importing and exporting Microsoft PowerPoint files
• Additional stability and performance improvements

Numbers

While Microsoft's Excel might be the go-to for a lot of people, Numbers can more than hold its own in the spreadsheet stakes. This new update isn't going to change the way people get their work done but there are still some notable improvements to stability and file handling.

• Streamlined in-app notifications inform you when a person joins a collaborative spreadsheet for the first time
• Preserve file format and full quality when adding HEIC photos taken on iPhone or iPad
• Press and hold the Command key to select noncontiguous words, sentences, or paragraphs
• Additional stability and performance improvements

Those who don't have the iWork apps installed already can download them all for free from the App Store and Mac App Store via Apple's developer page. Again, all of these apps are free which makes them a viable option for people who need to get things done but don't want to pay for a Microsoft subscription or buy Office outright.

More from iMore

• iWork for iPhone and iPad — Everything you need to know!
• Apple makes iWork suite free for everyone
• How to get all the iWork apps, iPhoto, and iMovie for free on an iPhone or iPad

If you're a student with an iPhone or an iPad heading back to school or college, then you need to know about some of the best iPhone and iPad apps for college students. 

Whether you want help with your productivity, documents, collaboration, or even your learning itself, there are a ton of apps that can help you get the most out of your studies, all at your fingertips on iPhone and iPad. 

Thanks to the magic of Apple's App Store, you can download these apps whether you have Apple's best iPhone or iPad, or something cheap and cheerful. Here are our top picks as we head towards the end of summer. 

Pages, Keynote, and Numbers

If you're in college classes, the chances are high that you're going to need a word processor, presentation creator, or spreadsheet application. And if you're working with your best iPhone or iPad (or even a Mac), then there is nothing better and more crucial than Apple's own suite of office software.

Pages is Apple's word processor that does all of the same things that you can find in Microsoft Word, but in a sleeker interface that is easy to use. Keynote is like PowerPoint, but much more streamlined and fun to use. And Numbers is just like Excel, so you can create spreadsheets to your heart's content. And all three of these programs can save files that are compatible with Microsoft Office as well, if you need to submit files online as a .doc file or similar, for example.

Google Docs

Google offers an entire suite of apps, many of which you'll probably end up downloading on your iPad and all of your other devices. Google products are ecosystem-agnostic, meaning you can use them across Apple and non-Apple devices easily and smoothly. Google Docs is the first one you'll want to download, since you can use it to write papers, take notes in class, whatever you need.

You'll probably be able to get through school without paying for upgraded storage, unless you store a lot of photos and videos within your Google account. In that case, you'll need to upgrade. While you can store up to 15GB for free, the paid tiers start at $2/month for 100GB and go up from there.

Microsoft Office 365

If you're used to Microsoft Office or your school uses Microsoft products exclusively, then you can grab Microsoft Office on your iPad This app contains Word, PowerPoint, and Excel in one app, but you can also grab them individually on the App Store as well.

With the Microsoft Office app, you get Word, PowerPoint, and Excel in one place. You can create, edit, and even collaborate with others in real-time, but a Microsoft 365 subscription may be required to access some premium features. Still, you can use the app to view and create documents without paying anything.

Evernote

When it comes to digital note-taking, it's hard to beat Evernote. Not only is it available on iPhone and iPad, but it's also available on Android, PC, and Mac, and the web — so you can access it anywhere.

Evernote lets you create notebooks for easy organization, and notes can consist of plain text, formatted text, web snippets from the clipper, photos, entire web pages, audio — you name it. And the best part is that everything that you put into Evernote becomes searchable, so you can search by keyword to find what you need. There is seamless syncing across all of your devices and while there are paid plans, you should have a good amount of space for free every month.

Microsoft OneNote

For those who are invested in the Microsoft ecosystem, then OneNote is an excellent alternative to Evernote. With OneNote, you can create an unlimited number of digital notebooks for every subject you're taking, and take notes in an organized fashion.

OneNote lets students type out notes, as well as handwrite them in, sketch diagrams, import photos, collaborate with others, and more. There is also a Sticky Notes feature that lets you save notes for easy reference later, and they are synced to all of your devices. You can download OneNote for free and use it with your Microsoft Account or even an account that is assigned to you by your school.

Dropbox

You're bound to end up with a lot of files and documents for school, so you'll want a good cloud storage service. One of our favorites is Dropbox because once you upload your files to Dropbox, you're able to access them on practically any device. Dropbox also has seamless integration with a lot of existing third-party apps as well, giving you a ton of flexibility when it comes to choosing what apps to use to get things done. You can also share files with others quite easily, making this a great tool for collaboration.

Dropbox has a free tier with 2GB of storage, which isn't a lot, but you can get more space with referrals. However, we recommend signing up for one of their tiered plans, which starts at 2TB for $10 a month. Considering the ubiquity and versatility, Dropbox is well worth paying for.

Quizlet

Either you're a flashcards person or you're not, but if you are, step away from those index cards. Save paper and time and create your flashcards on Quizlet. You can create your own custom flashcards or choose from over 500 million pre-made flashcards by students and teachers in many popular fields of study from grade school to grad school. You'll be able to share them easily with your classmates and study groups. 

The app is free to download, but you'll need a Quizlet Plus subscription for the more premium features. For $8/month or $36/year, you'll unlock features such as offline studying and be able to access many more flashcards.

Khan Academy

Enrich your learning in a myriad of subject with Khan Academy. Maybe you need a little help understand certain subject material, or you want to brush up on previously learned material before beginning an advanced class. Perhaps you want to get a taste of a subject before committing to whole semester class on it, or you just have deeper interests that take you beyond your college course's materials. You can find it all here. 

Khan Academy is a free app with no in-app purchases, since a non-profit organization and. Downloading this app a no-brainer. Everyone should have this app on their iPad whether they are a college student or a student of life.

PCalc

Chances are high that you'll be taking a math class of some sort, especially if you're an undergrad. If that's the case, you may want to have a powerful calculator on your iPhone and iPad, and it's hard to beat PCalc.

With PCalc, you're getting a feature-rich calculator that is capable of basic calculations all the way up to more advanced equations. It has an optional RPN mode as well as a multi-line display, customizable button layouts, unit conversions, and constants, paper tape, multiple undo and redo, engineering and scientific notation, hexadecimal support, and binary calculations. PCalc is great for scientists, engineers, students, programmers, and anyone else who wants a powerful calculator.

Screens VNC

While services like Dropbox are great for accessing our files from any device, what about using our apps on desktop computers? If you have Screens VNC, then it's entirely possible.

Screens VNC allows you to connect to your computer from anywhere in the world at any time. With Screens VNC, you can update your computer even when you're away from it, work with your computer software, and even access files that may not be in the cloud. All you need to do is download Screens, set up an account, and connect. You will need Screens VNC on both your iPhone or iPad as well as your Mac or PC.

YNAB

College isn't just about learning, it's about trying not to go broke. To that end, you need a great budgeting app that can help you keep track of all your income and your outgoings. You Need a Budget helps you put all your spending in different categories to help you keep track of your spending. 

Fantastical

Most college students will have a very busy schedule of classes, exams, studying, assignments, deadlines, and of course social gatherings. Not to mention sports, travel, and anything else you can think of. You need a great calendar to help keep track of your time and there's no better option than Fantastical. If features day, week, and month views as well as reminders. 

Get back to school!

If you have a new iPhone or iPad and you're about to go back to school, all the apps listed above are perfect for helping you with your studies. A combination of them means you can get plenty of work done in a portable fashion without relying on your best student Macbook to be productive.

Of course, if you're in a creative program, especially in the digital design field, you may want to check out some of the best drawing apps for iPad, as they will offer you a ton of great tools to sketch, paint, or draw right on your best iPad.

Apple has released updates to all of its iWork apps.

Today's update, which brings the productivity suite to version 12.2, adds some notable updates to Pages, Numbers, and Keynote across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and iCloud, but especially macOS.

The new update launches a ton of new features enabled by macOS Ventura, which was launched to all users on Monday, October 25. You can check out all of the new features below:

Pages

The latest version of Pages adds a number of notable features to the writing app, including the ability to send a message or start a FaceTime call from within a collaborative document:

• An all-new activity view shows recent changes in collaborative documents, including when people join, comment, and make edits
• Get notifications when others join or make changes in your shared documents
• Share a document in Messages to instantly start collaborating with your team and see updates right in the Messages conversation (Requires macOS 13)
• Send a message or start a FaceTime call right from a collaborative document (Requires macOS 13)
• Now use the File menu to manage your shared document or send a copy
• The new Blank Layout template makes it easy to start documents that let you freely arrange text and graphics
• A new option lets you automatically remove an image’s background to isolate its subject (Requires macOS 13)

Numbers

Numbers also has an exciting update. The latest version, amongst other things, allows you to work across multiple spreadsheets on iPad with Stage Manager:

• An all-new activity view shows recent changes in collaborative spreadsheets, including when people join, comment, and make edits
• Get notifications when others join or make changes in your shared spreadsheets
• Share a spreadsheet in Messages to instantly start collaborating with your team and see updates right in the Messages conversation (Requires iOS 16 or iPadOS 16)
• Send a message or start a FaceTime call right from a collaborative spreadsheet (Requires iOS 16 or iPadOS 16)
• Compare values and combine text with new functions, including BITAND, BITOR, BITXOR, BITLSHIFT, BITRSHIFT, ISOWEEKNUM, CONCAT, TEXTJOIN, and SWITCH
• See autocomplete suggestions based on the contents of other cells in the same column
• Style charts with additional controls for colors, lines, and number formats
• Be even more productive on iPad with iPadOS 16
• Quickly insert objects and get to your favorite tools with the customizable toolbar
• Find common actions like print, rename, and more in the new document menu
• Work across multiple spreadsheets more easily with Stage Manager on supported iPad models
• A new option lets you automatically remove an image’s background to isolate its subject (Requires iOS 16 or iPadOS 16)

Keynote

The latest version of Keynote adds the ability to share a presentation in Messages to instantly start collaborating:

• An all-new activity view shows recent changes in collaborative presentations, including when people join, comment, and make edits
• Get notifications when others join or make changes in your shared presentations
• Share a presentation in Messages to instantly start collaborating with your team and see updates right in the Messages conversation (Requires iOS 16 or iPadOS 16)
• Send a message or start a FaceTime call right from a collaborative presentation (Requires iOS 16 or iPadOS 16)
• Be even more productive on iPad with iPadOS 16
• Quickly insert objects and get to your favorite tools with the customizable toolbar
• Find common actions like print, rename, and more in the new document menu
• Work across multiple presentations more easily with Stage Manager on supported iPad models
• A new option lets you automatically remove an image’s background to isolate its subject (Requires iOS 16 or iPadOS 16)
• Remove or replace the background of live video for a dramatic effect
• Style charts with additional controls for colors, lines, and number formats
• Additional options for printing and exporting PDFs

If you are curious about what other types of office apps are good on the Mac, check out our list of the Best Home Office Software for Working from Home.

What you need to know

• The entire suite of iWork apps has been updated today.
• The updates bring new features to iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and iCloud.

Apple has released updates to all of its iWork apps, bringing some notable updates to Pages, Numbers, and Keynote across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and iCloud.

Pages

The latest version of Pages adds a number of notable features to the writing app:

• Publish directly to Apple Books with larger file sizes up to 2 GB
• Insert page numbers anywhere in your document
• Edit font size more precisely with up to two decimal places
• Quickly start writing a new document on iPhone — just touch and hold the Pages app icon on the Home Screen
• Read comments and track changes using VoiceOver

Keynote

The latest version of Keynote brings a couple of new features to the presentation app:

• Enlarge slides to a maximum zoom level of 400%
• Edit font size more precisely with up to two decimal places

Numbers

Numbers has also added a few features to its spreadsheet application:

• Copy a snapshot of table cells without formulas, categories, or hidden values
• Edit font size more precisely with up to two decimal places
• Create formulas and quickly fill cells with autofill using VoiceOver

All of the latest versions of the apps are available now on the App Store. Pages, Numbers, and Keynote are all free to users on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Users also have access to create and edit their documents on the iCloud website.

If you are curious about what other types of office apps are good on the Mac, check out our list of the Best Home Office Software for Working from Home in 2020.

What you need to know

• All of the suite of iWork apps have been updated to version 11.0.
• The new version updates Pages, Numbers, and Keynote.
• The update brings new features to iOS, iPadOS, Mac, and iCloud.

Apple has officially released version 11.0 of its suite of iWork apps, bringing some notable updates to Pages, Numbers, and Keynote across iOS, iPadOS, Mac, and iCloud.

Pages

In addition to precision editing, quick value entry, and an easier way to select multiple objects, Pages 11.0 has added the following to the iOS and iPadOS app:

• A new option in More > Settings > Editing to always open documents in edit view.
• Add phone number links to table cells, text objects, and shapes.
• Scribble support for Portuguese, French, Italian, German, and Spanish languages.

Pages 11.0 for the Mac has also received some notable updates:

• Updated media browser offers enhanced search options and new content categories such as Recents, Portraits, and Live Photos.
• Add phone number links to table cells, text objects, and shapes.
• Use AppleScript to change a document password or open password-protected documents.

Pages for iCloud has also been given the ability to add bookmarks to documents.

Keynote

Keynote 11.0 for iOS and iPadOS has also added precision editing, quick value entry, and an easier way to select multiple objects. It has also added the following:

• A new option in More > Settings > Editing to always open presentations in edit view.
• Add phone number links to table cells, text objects, and shapes.
• Scribble support for Portuguese, French, Italian, German, and Spanish languages.

Keynote 11.0 for the Mac has added some new enhancements for presenters:

• View your presenter notes, current slide, and next slide in a separate window while presenting.

Keynote for iCloud has also added some new shapes to bring variety to your slides.

Numbers

Numbers 11.0 has added precision editing, quick value entry, and an easier way to select multiple cells in a sheet. In addition, the new update adds the following for the iOS and iPadOS app:

• A new option in More > Settings > Editing to always open spreadsheets in edit view.
• Add phone number links to table cells, text objects, and shapes.
• Export your spreadsheet to Microsoft Excel with the summary worksheet excluded.
• Scribble support for Portuguese, French, Italian, German, and Spanish languages.

The new Numbers update adds the following for the Mac app:

• Updated media browser offers enhanced search options and new content categories such as Recents, Portraits, and Live Photos.
• Add phone number links to table cells, text objects, and shapes.
• Use AppleScript to change a spreadsheet password or open password protected spreadsheets.

Numbers for iCloud has also added new shapes.

If you are curious about what other types of office apps are good on the Mac, check out our list of the Best Home Office Software for Working from Home in 2020.

What you need to know

• Apple has updated its iWork apps.
• The new updates include a new app icon and a refreshed user interface.
• Updates for Pages, Numbers, and Keynote bring each app in line for macOS Big Sur.

Reported by 9to5Mac, Apple has updated its suite of iWork apps on the Mac App Store. The updates to Pages, Numbers, and Keynote bring new icons and a new user interface designed for macOS Big Sur.

While the release notes do not call it out specifically, the report believes that the updates also add support for Macs running the new M1 processor.

Apple's release notes for the updates to Pages, Numbers, and Keynote below:

Pages 10.3.5

• Refined new design on macOS Big Sur
• Stability and performance improvements

Numbers 10.3.5

• Refined new design on macOS Big Sur
• Stability and performance improvements

Keynote 10.3.5

• Refined new design on macOS Big Sur
• Stability and performance improvements

You can download all of the updates, or download the apps for the first time for free, from the Mac App Store.

Keynote, Apple's tool for creating presentations, can now work with the Keynote Remote app on the Apple Watch. Keynote Remote already comes as a part of the iPhone and iPad app, and lets you control your presentations in Keynote on iOS and Mac.

In addition to Apple Watch support, this update also bring a number of bug fixes and improvements to the core Keynote app on iPhone and iPad.

You can grab Keynote 2.5.3 from the App Store now.

• $9.99 - Download Now

iPhone and iPad owners have an amazing problem — iOS is the only platform with all major office suites. The good news is: we get to choose between Apple iWork (Pages, Numbers, and Keynote), Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint), and Google Docs (Docs, Sheets, and Slides). The bad news is: we have to choose between Apple iWork, Microsoft Office, and Google Docs. And it can be a tough choice! iWork is great for consumers. Microsoft Office is the enterprise standard. Google Docs is increasingly everywhere. So, which one is best? We put them to the test so you can find out!

Word processing: Pages vs Word vs Docs

One of the most common things we do with an Office suite is create documents or PDFs. Whether you need to update your resume, complete an assignment for school, or create a flyer for an event, or something else, you need to be able to get the text in efficiently and format it effectively.

In terms of templates, both Pages and Word offer a decent selection to choose from. Everything from reports to resumes to outlines to fliers and more. Google Docs doesn't offer templates and simply launched you right into a blank text document. So if you're looking for templates, you're going to want to use either Pages or Word.

When it comes to feature set and editing tools, Pages uses interactive formatting in order to let you select different elements. Editing tools and the format menu will change depending on what you have selected. When you're typing, a formatting bar will appear over the keyboard so you can easily adjust fonts, alignment, breaks, and more. You can also add tables, charts, graphs, shapes, and photos in just a few taps. Overall, Pages offers a robust feature set that remains easy to use and works great on a touch interface. When it comes time to export your documents, Pages supports .doc and .docx as well. Pair Pages with a Bluetooth keyboard and it's almost comparable to the desktop version of Pages.

Microsoft Word has been completely designed around a touch screen interface, but will be familiar to desktop Office users as well. (This is true across all the Microsoft apps.) There are tabs for creating, formatting, and editing your documents. In just two taps you can insert or format pretty much any object you'd like. Some features such as tracking and reviewing changes, section breaks, and a few others will require an Office 365 Premium subscription. Either way, the free version of Word offers enough features that a good majority of folks will be able to accomplish what they need with zero issues. One thing I do wish Word had was the formatting toolbar similar to what Pages offers.

Google Docs is simpler than either Pages and Word, and the editing tools more basic. Like Word, I do wish Google had placed a formatting bar directly over the keyboard instead of at the top of the screen. Image insertion is also missing, which will be a deal breaker for many. (You can go back to the web version to do it, but that's a terrible work around.)

When it comes to word processing, Pages and Word are equal in terms of feature set. However, certain features such as review tracking, section breaks, and more are free with Pages but require premium subscription with Microsoft Word. So unless you need Word or simply prefer the layout, Pages currently offers the best value for most people.

Spreadsheets: Numbers vs Excel vs Sheets

Numbers proves that doing calculations doesn't have to be painful on an iPad or iPhone. Just plot your data and then choose what kind of table, graph, or chart you'd like to use to represent it. The keyboard also changes dynamically in order suit what you're doing. So if you type an = sign in order to start a formula, Numbers automatically gives you a full number pad and relevant buttons you may want to use. There are also lots of templates to choose from in Numbers including ones to create budgets, calculate net worth, track grades (great for teachers), plan travel, and much more.

There's no disputing that Microsoft Excel has been the king of spreadsheets. The main reason for that is the robust feature set. There's no denying in networked office environments, Excel can't be beat. Microsoft did good job bringing the experience to the iPhone and iPad as well. When using formulas in Excel, the formatting bar automatically brings up suggestions to make handling complex formulas an easier job. The keyboard also is suited for entering numbers and editing formulas, a feature I wish the Word application received as well in terms of a formatting bar. Some features, however, will require a premium subscription.

Google Sheets is a barebones spreadsheet application that allows you to create spreadsheets but without the help of a lot of formatting tools and templates that are offered in competitor apps such as Excel and Numbers. However, if your main purpose is to track data between large groups of people, Google's collaboration tools are some of the best around. Just share sheets with whoever you need to via email and once they accept you can view changes, make comments to each other, and even see who's changing what in real time.

If feature set and advanced tools are your main concern, there's none better than Excel. If you're new to spreadsheets and would appreciate a balance between ease of use and feature set, Numbers is for you. If collaboration tools are what you're after and your feature requirements are minimal, Google Sheets will suit you just fine.

Presentations: Keynote vs PowerPoint vs Slides

Keynote has always been Apple's best office app, and the same holds true on iOS. Aside from offering gorgeous templates to choose from, Keynote's interface feels as it if were made for the touch screen. Adding slides couldn't be easier, and neither could tweaking them to your liking. Just like the other iWork apps, formatting and editing is interactive, so the menus will change depending on what type of content you're working with. The Keynote Remote feature also lets you use one iOS device as a remote to control a presentation on another, or even on a Mac.

PowerPoint is no a slouch when it comes to creating presentations either. You can create animations, transitions, and much more in just a few taps. If you've ever used PowerPoint on the desktop computer, the experience is very much the same on iPad and iPhone. Inserting objects is also easy and includes support not only for tables and pictures, but videos as well.

Unfortunately Google Slides doesn't provide as great of an experience as either Keynote or PowerPoint do. Slides are technically "editable" but not functionally. You can add text into existing text boxes but there isn't a way to add, move, or edit them. Basically, you have to pick from Google's pre-made slides and be happy with text-only slides with no image support, unless, of course, you are okay with finishing things up from a web browser. You can choose themes on the web and then they'll sync down to the mobile version, but again, not very convenient.

Keynote and PowerPoint run neck and neck when it comes to creating presentations. Both support inserting images, videos, and other kinds of objects as well as the option to choose from many great looking templates. Google Slides can't really offer any of that.

Syncing, sharing, and collaborating

All of Apple's iWork apps tie in with iCloud. That means no matter what device you create something on, you'll be able to access it on any other iOS device or Mac that's linked to your account. (You can also use Continuity to Handoff documents between devices as you go.) All of Apple's iWork apps also support the most popular file formats and let you easily share what you create via email or by sharing an iCloud link.

Microsoft Office syncs with Office 365 so you can access all your work on the web from anywhere. You can also link Dropbox and pull files from there into any of the Office apps. Dropbox integration isn't something Google or Apple offer (though that may change in the future thanks to iOS 8's third-party storage provider support), so if you're tied into that ecosystem due to file sharing or some other factor, Office may be the best option for you.

Google uses Google Drive as a hub. There, you can view all your Docs, Sheets, and Slides files in one place, and they'll sync anywhere you can access Google Drive, including any desktop browser. You can easily share documents or export them from the apps and online. And when it comes to collaboration, Google can't be beat. Not only can you share Google Docs files with others so they can view and edit them, you can see what changes they're making live, which makes Google Docs a great option for workgroups and teams that need live collaboration options.

Who should use iWork?

If you're tied into an Apple ecosystem consisting of Macs and multiple iOS devices, and iCloud is your main syncing service of choice, Pages, Keynote, and Numbers will serve you well. All of the iWork apps manage to strike a great balance between feature set and ease of use. If you don't need the most advanced tools on the planet, the iWork apps are a great place to start. Also, if you're new to working with office documents, iWork is a great place to start.

• Pages - $9.99, free for newer iPhones, iPads, and Macs - Download Now
• Numbers, $9.99, free for newer iPhones, iPads, and Macs - Download Now
• Keynote, $9.99, free for newer iPhones, iPads, and Macs - Download Now

Who should use Microsoft Office?

Microsoft Office has always been the most advanced productivity suite on the market. Anyone that's already familiar with Office 365 on the PC will feel right at home with Office for iPad or iPhone. Office is also the only offering that includes Dropbox integration, which is something you'll want to consider if you keep most of your documents there. The more advanced features of Office will require a 365 subscription, however. If you already have an Office subscription, Microsoft Office is hands down the best option for you considering all the premium features you already have access to.

• Word - Free - Download Now
• Excel - Free - Download Now
• PowerPoint - Free - Download Now

Who should use Google Docs?

Google Docs is a barebones productivity suites but it's completely free and offers some of the best collaboration tools you can ask for. If you don't need all the fancy formatting and media capabilities, want to work with multiple people, and like having everything in the cloud, Google Docs is your best option. (If you work with presentations, however, you'd be well advised to pick up Keynote or PowerPoint as well...)

• Docs - Free - Download Now
• Sheets - Free - Download Now
• Slides - Free - Download Now

If you're using Pages, Keynote, or Numbers on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac you can easily share anything you create via Apple's online service, iCloud. The best part about sharing iWork documents via iCloud is that the person you share with doesn't need an iOS device or Mac to open or even collaborate on the documents with you. All they need is a web browser.

How to share your Pages, Keynote, and Numbers files from iPhone and iPad

1. Open the file in Pages, Numbers, or Keynote on your iPhone or iPad that you'd like to share.
2. Tap on the Share button in the upper right hand corner.
3. Choose Share Link via iCloud from the drop down menu.
4. Tap on the method you'd like to use in order to share it.
5. iWork automatically inserts the iCloud link for you. Type anything else you'd like to add and send your message.

How to share your Pages, Keynote, and Numbers files from your Mac

1. Open the file in Pages, Numbers, or Keynote on your Mac that you'd like to share.
2. In the top menubar, click on the Share button.
3. Choose the option for Share Link via iCloud.
4. Tap on the option you'd like to use in order to share the file link.
5. iWork will automatically insert the link. Type anything else you'd like to tell the person receiving the document and send it.

That's it! The person you've sent the link needs only open it in a browser in order to view and edit the spreadsheet.

If you've been using iWork — Pages, Keynote, or Numbers — on your Mac for a long time, chances are you have older files stored locally rather than in Apple's online service, iCloud. While those files are still perfectly good, they don't benefit from iCloud's Documents in the Cloud sync service, which lets you open copies on any other Mac, iPhone, iPad you may have logged into your account, nor can they be shared or accessed via iCloud.com. If you want all of that sync and access goodness, you'll need to move your Keynote, Pages, or Numbers files from your Mac to iCloud. Luckily, it's easy to do!

How to save existing Pages, Numbers, and Keynote files on your Mac in iCloud

1. Launch Pages, Keynote, or Numbers on your Mac — keep in mind you must be running a version new enough to support iCloud.
2. At the top of the documents window, click on On My Mac.
3. Navigate to the Pages, Numbers, or Keynote file you'd like in iCloud. Open it.
4. At the top, click on the title.
5. You should now see a drop down that lets you choose where you'd like to save it, as well as an option to rename it.
6. Just choose iCloud and change anything else you'd like.
7. Hit Command + S on your keyboard in order to save it in iCloud.

Your document or file should now be saved in iCloud with the rest of your iCloud documents. You can now access it not only on your Mac but on any iPhone or iPad with iWork installed. Alternately, you can also view and edit it from iCloud.com on the web from any computer. If you have lots of documents to save to iCloud at once, just highlight them and drag them to the iCloud window. That should also work but I've found a few random documents to get left behind here and there, so just make sure they all import.

If you have lots of iWork documents saved on your Mac, have you moved them over to iCloud? Why or why not? Let me know in the comments!

Apple's iWork suite consisting of Pages, Keynote, and Numbers can store your documents up in iCloud and push them back down again to all your devices, iPhone, iPad, and Mac. However, sometimes when you try to open those files again, you get the dreaded "The operation couldn't be completed [LibrarianErrorDomain error 1 - Unable to initiate item download.)" or similar error. What it means is that the iCloud file has gotten lost in limbo. Luckily, what it doesn't mean is that your iWork file is lost forever. There's an easy fix!

How to force iWork to re-sync a document from iCloud

If you aren't able to open a file or document in Pages, Keynote, or Numbers that's saved in iCloud, it's most likely caused by a syncing error. Fortunately the solution is fairly simple.

1. Completely quit Numbers, Keynote, or Pages — whichever program you're having an issue with — on the computer or device in question. On iOS, just close them out of the multitasking tray. In OS X, just be sure they're closed by hitting Command + Q while they're open.
2. Now go to another device that also has Pages, Keynote, or Numbers installed and open the exact same document you were just having issues with.
3. This time the document or file should load just fine. Make a small change and then let iCloud sync your changes. It can be something as small as adding a word or period — you can remove it in just a second.
4. Now go back to the problem Mac or iOS device and try launching the iWork program in question and that same file. It should now open like normal.

While the fix is somewhat simple, it does rely on the fact that you have another device lying around with iWork installed. Alternately, you can go to iCloud.com from any computer and make a small change and save it. That should force other versions of your document to update correctly. Not the most elegant solution but it works. Here's to hoping Apple fixes it in a future update!

If you've had the issue and found another way of fixing it, let us know in the comments! Also let us know if this method fixed any iWork error messages for you!

If you picked up a shiny new iPad Air today, be sure to drop by the App Store and download the free iLife and iWork applications from Apple! Recently made free with the purchase of a new iOS device, the collection of Apple applications is a great way to add productivity and creativity to your new iPad. And of course, with iCloud integration you get to share your content with respective applications on your Mac and iPhone.

So, grab them for yourselves using the handy links below, and if you're a first time downloader of any of them, let me know what you think!

• Free - Download Now - Pages for iPad
• Free - Download Now - Numbers for iPad
• Free - Download Now - Keynote for iPad
• Free - Download Now - iMovie for iPad
• Free - Download Now - iPhoto for iPad
• Free - Download Now - Garageband for iPad

On Tuesday evening Apple posted updates to its iWork apps for Mac - Pages, Keynote and Numbers. Featured during Apple's iPad and Mac event in San Francisco, the new versions of iWork apps sport new features, more thorough iCloud integration and an a unified file format compatible with their iOS counterparts. But there are some important pieces missing for users interested workflow automation, according to Clark Goble, who maintains Clark's Tech Blog. (Goble's post has been widely linked, so you can find a cached copy at Fireballed.org if the original doesn't load for you.)

AppleScript support went from bad to worse

If all this AppleScript talk is making your head spin, let's give you some concrete ideas of what I'm talking about. Opening the AppleScript dictionary of the old version of Pages yielded this:

Here's what opening the AppleScript dictionary of the new Pages looks like:

As you can see, the new version has a lot less functionality that the old version it replaces.

Eddy Cue pointed out on Tuesday that the new iWork apps are a complete rewrite from the replaced four-year-old versions (whose codebases are even older than that). So I'm reluctant to describe the relative absence of AppleScript support as removal, as much as it is omission. If this had been an incremental change to the codebase, removal would be a perfectly adequate word. But this isn't. The new iWork apps are totally new. And in some respects, totally different. The absence of most AppleScript functionality that was there before is what caught Goble's eye, but it isn't the only change.

And as Goble points out, even before now, iWork apps haven't been a shining paragon of AppleScript virtue. iWork apps aren't the only Apple-made products that suffer from limited automation support. On balance when it comes to AppleScript, Apple is a somewhat lousy and really inconsistent eater of its own dog food. I've never been able to figure out why.

Apple's decision to make iWork apps free with the purchase of new hardware is a shot across the bow of Microsoft, which gives away its Office software on its beleaguered Surface tablet. Clearly it helps keep Apple on competitive terms for new iPad and Mac owners who are looking for useful productivity software.

The irony is that Microsoft supports AppleScript in Office more thoroughly than Apple does in its iWork apps. Perhaps that shouldn't be any terrific surprise, as you're likely to find Office in most business environments, especially corporate locations where IT departments are capable of whipping up and supporting AppleScripts to improve the productivity of the workers they support.

Getting back to iWork for a moment, clearly the priority on this release wasn't on workflow automation, or making sure iWork apps had every feature and function they did before - it was on aligning the Mac version of iWork much closer with its iOS counterpart, and creating a common user experience that translates well between devices.

Apple's succeeded on that point, and they've made plenty of embellishments to make some users looking for new features and functionality happy. But AppleScript and other long-standing features are gone. Take a look at this thread about Pages{.nofollow} on Apple's discussion site alone to get a sense of what diehard Pages users are saying.

Consumers versus professionals

I work part-time at an Apple reseller. "Does this include Office?" is one of the first questions I get from customers who come in looking at the iPad or the Mac. Up until now, I've had to say no, and then either try to sell them a copy of Office for the Mac or explain to them about the iWork apps and the Mac App Store. It's much easier to explain that Office isn't included, but Apple's own Office-style apps are (and they're capable of reading and producing Office-compatible files). It's one less barrier to entry for prospective buyers of new iPads and Macs.

Entry level consumers, by and large, aren't interested in AppleScript. It's too techy for them, it requires too abstract an understanding of how applications and the system work with one another. But that lowest common denominator consumer doesn't represent the entire spectrum of Mac users. A lot of people depend on Macs to help run their businesses efficiently. And for many of them, workflow automation represents improved productivity, better return on investment, and better usability. It's about getting better results with less process. AppleScript support can be a key differentiator for those customers.

Reversing the course

To be clear, unless you've done something unusual with your iWork installation, you should still have the old apps inside an iWork '09 folder in your Applications folder, and they should still be functional (at least they are in the two machines I've upgraded with the new software - as in all things, your mileage may vary). If you've upgraded to the new releases and you don't like them, you should still be able to use the old ones - albeit with the limitations they've always had, and without the new features like round-trip iCloud support between OS X and iOS.

But this whole issue unveils a more fundamental problem: by neglecting AppleScript support in iWork apps, Apple underserves customers who would otherwise use their products - not just big companies with IT departments, but freelance workers who want to save time, small and medium-sized businesses that benefit from workflow automation tools, and others. AppleScript may be techy, but it's pretty democratic - anyone who wants to use it should be able to use it.

Mavericks is plainly aimed at helping people who use Apple devices every day to get the most out the experience - besides the relatively mild interface adjustments and new apps, the underlying operating system has been bolstered to improve efficiency and performance.

If Apple's iWork developers aren't already hard at work restoring some of this functionality, they should be, for exactly that reason. By excluding AppleScript - and, quite frankly, dumbing down the apps - Apple's gone the exact opposite direction with iWork - they may have improved some core functions (like iCloud sharing and file interoperability) while completely demolishing others in the process, making it less efficient to use the new iWork apps.

I'm not one to trumpet the "iOSification" theory, that Apple is trying to make the Mac the same as iOS devices - in fact, I've been an outspoken critic of that idea. And I don't think that's the case here.

What I suspect happened is that Apple needed to streamline development of the new iWork Mac apps by making them as similar as possible to their iOS counterparts. They took the path of least resistance, and we're left with less capable software that's prettier to look at.

That's not something that Mac users should just roll over and accept. Our Macs are more capable than our iPads. And we should insist that developers of Mac apps - Apple and third-parties alike - help us get the most out of that experience, not get in our way.

As shown at the Apple Event earlier in the day, Apple late on Tuesday released updated iWorks and iLife apps for iOS. Those include Pages, Numbers, Keynote, iPhoto, iMovie and GarageBand - all updated to version 2.0.

The new apps have been reworked to support the user interface changes in iOS 7 and a new unified file format that works across Mac, iOS and the web. All are free updates for existing users, and free with the purchase of a new iOS device.

Pages gets more than 60 Apple-designed templates; keyboard support for text formatting options, the ability to share documents through iCloud, AirDrop, ePub export, improved non-Roman foreign language support and much more.

• $9.99 - Download now

Numbers sports new interactive charts, faster calculation, export to CSV, file sharing with Mail, Messages, Twitter and Facebook, and more.

• $9.99 - Download now

Keynote gains new themes, new animation and effects, interactive charts and more.

• $9.99 - Download now

iPhoto gets redesigned, and supports the ability to order professionally printed hardbound books. You can create custom slideshows that can be controlled using gestures, new photo effects have been added, new widgets support national flags and currency, white balance will compensate for underwater shots, and more.

• $4.99 - Download now

iMovie sports a new iMovie Theater feature that makes it easier to watch your movies anywhere. Full-screen video browsing is new, along with an adjustments bar to make audio and video adjustments easier. Sixteen new title styles have been added, along iwth three new transitions, new trailers, slow motion support, new imaging effects and much more.

• $4.99 - Download now

GarageBand has gone free, but to use the full array of instruments and sounds, you'll need to unlock a $4.99 In-App Purchase. You can create songs with up to 32 tracks (on 64-bit equipped systems like the iPhone 5s, the new iPad Air and the new iPad mini with Retina Display). Inter-App Audio lets you record compatible third-party music apps, and you can drag and drop audio recordings to create your own custom Sampler Instruments.

• Free - Download now

Apple has just pushed out an update to all three of their iWork apps for iPhone, iPad, and Mac: Pages, Keynote, and Numbers. The iPhone and iPad versions now have improved capability with Microsoft Word, Excel, and Powerpoint as well as as the Mac versions of the iWork apps. iWork for Mac has simply been updated to support the new versions of the iOS iWork apps.

In Pages, you can now use Change Tracking to track changes to a bod text in a document, accept and reject individual changes when reviewing a document, and all these changes (and calculations) will be preserved with exported in Microsoft World or Pages format. You can also add reflections to shapes and lock/unlock objects.

In Numbers, now you can hide and unhide rows and columns (great news for me as a teacher!), import and export Numbers for Mac spreadsheets with filters and turn them on/off, preserve rich text in tables when importing and exporting. And just as in Pages, you can also add reflections to shapes and lock/unlock objects.

In Keynote, you can now import and export all Powerpoint and Keynote slide sizes and themes, play back all Keynote action builds including Move, Rotate, Scale, and Opacity, and new slide transitions including Shimmer and Sparkle, preserve calculations when importing and exporting to Keynote for Mac, and the option to print with present notes, with builds, and without backgrounds. Of course, you can also add reflections to shapes and lock/unlock objects just like you now can with Pages and Numbers.

I'm very excited about the compatibility improvements with iWork for Mac and really hope a lot of the errors I see when importing to my iPad go away. Has anyone had a chance to give any of these a test drive? Pleased with the updates?

Here's the links for the iPhone and iPad versions.

• Pages for iOS - $9.99 - Download Now
• Numbers for iOS - $9.99 - Download Now
• Keynote for iOS - $9.99 - Download Now

And here's the links for the Mac versions.

• Pages for Mac - $19.99 - Download Now
• Numbers for Mac - $19.99 - Download Now
• Keynote for Mac - $19.99 - Download Now

Apple has just announced new 21" and 27" iMacs from their live event that weigh in at only 5mm thing and sheds around 8 pounds over its predecessors as well as updated specs. The new iMacs will not only have updated specs but feature a new option for a flash storage Fusion Drive of 128GB combined with a 1TB or 3TB HDD attached. The 27" iMac will feature a 2560 x 1440 display while the 21.5" will have a 1920 x 1080 panel. The 21.5" model will include base specifications of 2.7 GHz quad-core i5, 8GB of RAM, GeForce GT 640M, and a 1TB HDD and will start at $1,299. The 27" model will start at $1,799 and feature 2.9 GHz quad-core i5, 8GB of RAM, GeForce GTX 660M, and a 1TB hardrive. The 21.5" model will begin to ship in November while the 27" variant will start shipping a month later in December.

Full press release below.

All-New iMac Features Stunning Design, Brilliant Display & Faster Performance

SAN JOSE, California—October 23, 2012—Apple® today unveiled a completely new iMac® with a stunning design, brilliant display with reduced reflection, and faster processors.* With third generation Intel quad-core processors, powerful NVIDIA graphics and an innovative new storage option called Fusion Drive, the new iMac is the most advanced desktop Apple has ever made.

“With a stunning design, brilliant display and faster performance, we’ve made the world’s leading all-in-one desktop computer better in every way,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “The all-new iMac is unbelievably thin, yet packs an incredible amount of performance and technology into our most innovative desktop.”

Redesigned from the inside out, the new iMac packs high-performance technology into an aluminum and glass enclosure with up to 40 percent less volume than its predecessor and an edge that measures just 5 mm thin. Built with an unprecedented level of fit and finish, the new iMac delivers an amazing desktop experience in a gorgeous design. The new iMac also features a completely reengineered display that reduces reflection by 75 percent while maintaining brilliant color and contrast. In the new design, the cover glass is fully laminated to the LCD and an anti-reflective coating is applied using a high-precision plasma deposition process. Every iMac display is individually color calibrated using an advanced spectroradiometer.

The new iMac features third generation quad-core Intel Core i5 processors that can be upgraded to Core i7. The latest NVIDIA GeForce processors deliver up to 60 percent faster performance for advanced gaming and graphics intensive apps. Every new iMac now comes standard with 8GB of 1600 MHz memory and a 1TB hard drive, and customers can choose to configure their iMac with up to 32GB of memory and a new 3TB hard drive, or 768GB of flash storage for ultimate performance. With two Thunderbolt and four USB 3.0 ports, the new iMac delivers even greater expandability and support for high-performance peripherals.

Fusion Drive is an innovative new storage option that gives customers the performance of flash storage and the capacity of a hard drive. It combines 128GB of flash with a standard 1TB or 3TB hard drive to create a single storage volume that intelligently manages files to optimize read and write performance. Fusion Drive adapts to the way you use your iMac and automatically moves the files and apps you use most often to flash storage to enable faster performance and quicker access.

Apple also updated the Mac® mini with third generation dual-core Intel Core i5 and quad-core Intel Core i7 processors that are up to twice as fast and have integrated graphics that are up to 65 percent faster.** Mac mini comes standard with 4GB of 1600 MHz memory with support for up to 16GB. Retaining its amazingly compact aluminum design, the new Mac mini now includes four USB 3.0 ports in addition to its Thunderbolt, HDMI, SDXC, Gigabit Ethernet, and FireWire® 800 ports.

Both iMac and Mac mini meet stringent Energy Star 5.2 requirements and achieve an EPEAT Gold rating.*** iMac uses up to 50 percent less energy than the previous generation when idle, and features LED-backlit displays that are mercury-free and made with arsenic-free glass. Mac mini retains its status as the world’s most energy efficient desktop computer, using only 11W when idle. Both the iMac and Mac mini include PVC-free components and cables, contain no brominated flame retardants, and use highly recyclable materials and material-efficient packaging designs.

iMac and Mac mini ship with OS X® Mountain Lion, bringing Messages, Notification Center, system-wide Sharing, AirPlay® Mirroring, Dictation, Game Center and the enhanced security of Gatekeeper to your Mac. With iCloud® built into the foundation of OS X, Mountain Lion makes it easier than ever to keep your content up to date across your Mac, iPhone®, iPad® and iPod touch®.

Pricing & Availability

The 21.5-inch iMac is available with a 2.7 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.2 GHz and NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M for a suggested retail price of $1,299 (US); and with a 2.9 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.6 GHz and NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M for a suggested retail price of $1,499 (US). The 21.5-inch iMac will be available in November through the Apple Online Store (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers.

The 27-inch iMac is available with a 2.9 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.6 GHz and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660M for a suggested retail price of $1,799 (US); and with a 3.2 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.6 GHz and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX for a suggested retail price of $1,999 (US). The 27-inch iMac will be available in December through the Apple Online Store (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers.

The Mac mini is available with a 2.5 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.1 GHz, 4GB of memory and a 500GB hard drive for a suggested retail price of $599 (US); a 2.3 GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.3 GHz, 4GB of memory and a 1TB hard drive for a suggested retail price of $799 (US); and a 2.3 GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.3 GHz, OS X Server, 4GB of memory and two 1TB hard drives for a suggested retail price of $999 (US). The Mac mini is available today through the Apple Online Store (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers.

Additional technical specifications, configure-to-order options and accessories are available online at apple.com/imac or apple.com/mac-mini.

*Testing conducted by Apple in October 2012 using preproduction iMac configurations. For more information visit apple.com/imac/features/.

**Testing conducted by Apple in October 2012 using preproduction Mac mini configurations. For more information visit apple.com/mac-mini/features.html.

***Claim based on energy efficiency categories and products listed within the EPA ENERGY STAR 5.2 energy database as of October 2012. EPEAT is an independent organization that helps customers compare the environmental performance of notebooks and desktops. Products meeting all of the required criteria and at least 75 percent of the optional criteria are recognized as EPEAT Gold products. The EPEAT program was conceived by the US EPA and is based on IEEE 1680 standard for Environmental Assessment of Personal Computer Products. For more information visit www.epeat.net.

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices with iPad.

While some may still scoff at the iPad as a productivity powerhouse, thanks to spectacular software and, optionally, a kickass portable keyboard, the smart and savvy among us know the iPad can be the best way to get things done while on the go. Wether you're in business or in school, whether you need to create new documents, spreadsheets, or presentations from scratch or simply edit your words, numbers, and slides to perfection, a mobile office suite can quickly go from being a nice-to-have to a must-have to a real life (or career/class) saver.

And the iPad has several excellent office suite options to choose from. Apple's iWork comes as three separate apps, Pages, Keynote, and Numbers. BlackBerry-maker RIM's Documents To Go is an integrated, Microsoft-like powerhouse. And Google's newly acquired Quickoffice Pro HD likewise offers everything all in one place. But which is the best for you and your workflow?

iWork vs. Documents To Go vs. Quickoffice Pro HD: User interface and workflow

Apple's mobile suite of apps is actually three separate apps, Pages, Numbers, and Keynote. They are universal, however, so once you buy them they work for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Even though all three are purchased separately, Apple has done a good job of making the user experience and general workflow the same across all of them.

Upon initially launching Pages, Numbers, or Keynote on your iPad you'll be asked whether or not you'd like to sync your documents to iCloud. If you've already got documents stored in iCloud from another iOS device or Mac, they'll be right there ready for you to pick up where you left off. Tapping any one of them will open it.

Once you're inside a document whether it be a word processing document, spreadsheet, or presentation, you'll see a navigation bar along the top. This is where all of your commands and options will be located. While the menu style may vary slightly between Pages, Keynote, and Numbers the user experience is pretty consistent across all three and all the tools and options you'd expect to find are right there.

When working with word documents you can tap anywhere on the screen to start typing. A virtual keyboard will appear as well as a formatting bar along the top that allows you to change fonts, sizes, margins, indentation, and more. The same type of menu system is also available in both Numbers and Keynote as well but tweaked somewhat for each individual application's needs.

Once choosing the type of spreadsheet you'd like in Numbers you'll see a bar along the top to add more sheets to the current book as well as formatting and function tools. If you need to input data into a cell you can simply double tap on the cell you'd like to edit and the keyboard will pop up. Instead of seeing a formatting menu like you do in Pages you'll see a formula bar and quick links for common spreadsheet tasks such as auto-inserting time or date. You can manually start typing in formulas or click the "=" sign in order to access a functions menu which provides access to commonly used formulas and symbols.

Keynote will operate in a very similar fashion and open any documents you currently have stored in iCloud. You can also create a new presentation from a template or from scratch. Once you're inside a presentation you'll see the typical formatting bar along the top that consists of a formatting tool, add slide button, settings button, and play button.

Manipulating slides is also easy and can be done by dragging them in different positions. Tapping on an already highlighted slide will bring up a popup menu that gives you the options to cut, copy, delete, skip, and add transitions.

Documents To Go is a complete suite that has the ability to open and edit word processing documents, spreadsheets, and presentations all in one single app. Along the bottom you'll notice a row of tabs that consists of local files, desktop files, online files, recents, store, search, and settings.

The local, desktop, and online tabs give you access to documents in different places. The local tab will store anything that you've created and maintained on your iPad. The desktop tab will sync any documents between the free desktop application and your iPad. The online tab allows you to access and edit documents that you've got stored elsewhere on a cloud storage service. Documents To Go currently supports Google Docs, Box.net, Dropbox, and SugarSync. Once you're signed in you can navigate through all your folders and open and edit documents as you wish. Once you're done Documents To Go can save the file directly to where you already have it stored.

Editing word documents within Documents To Go is easy enough. Once you open a word document you'll be able to start adding and editing content immediately. The bottom toolbar will give you options to increase margins and change paragraph styles, customize fonts, and create different kinds of lists and bullets. Once you're done, Documents To Go will simply save the document so you can pick up from any other device or machine you'd like to work from.

Just like you'd open a word document you can open a spreadsheet. The bottom toolbar will be similar to what you see when editing word files but the controls will change to suit working with spreadsheets. You'll have options to edit and add sheets, move columns or rows, delete them, and more. The formula bar will stay stationary at the top of the app and allow you to start typing formulas quickly. If you need to add cells the the formula you can just tap on them to add the cell location.

While Documents To Go does offer the ability to create and edit presentations you'll only be able to edit presentations that are saved in Microsoft Office format. If you've saved all your presentations in Keynote, you'll have to either re-save them in .ppt format or you'll only be able to view them, not edit.

Once inside a presentation you'll see a screen that allows you to add notes and edit the main slide. The screen is split to allow you to view notes and slides at the same time. Along the bottom you'll find the typical toolbar that allows you to insert slides, duplicate them, delete them, or jump to different slides. The layout is easy to navigate but somewhat limited in terms of functionality. There are only a few templates you can choose from and none of them are quite breathtaking.

Quickoffice Pro HD consists of a main menu that shows everything currently accessible in Quickoffice that is stored on your iPad. Clicking the "+" sign in the lower left hand corner allows you to add syncing services so you can access documents stored to them. After you set up a syncing service it will show up in the left hand pane so you can navigate between local files and cloud files easily.

Navigate to the file you want to open and tap it to have Quickoffice open it. While Documents To Go uses a bottom navigation bar, Quickoffice Pro HD's navigation will be located at the top of the screen. Just like Documents To Go, the menus will change to suit the type of document you're opening.

When editing a word document you'll have quick access to common things like bolding, italicizing, and underlining. On the far right you also have another menu that will let you customize fonts, colors, and more.

Opening a spreadsheet in Quickoffice Pro HD is very much like opening a word processing document. You'll have the same bar along the top but again it'll be tailored to common spreadsheet tasks such as changing number formats, bolding, italicizing, and more. The top right menu will allow you to customize font type and size. To use formulas you can just start typing them in the top formula bar and commonly used options will start populating.

Just like Documents To Go, Quickoffice Pro HD plays a lot nicer with PowerPoint documents than it does Numbers. If you use .ppt files this won't be an issue but if you use Keynote you'll need to convert them in order to edit them.

When it comes to interface, the iWork suite of apps provide the most uniform experience while retaining the functions that are unique to each individual type of workflow. Pages, Keynote, and Numbers manage to utilize a familiar interface without taking away from any one type of task.

iWork vs. Documents To Go vs. Quickoffice Pro HD: Word documents

Pages for iPad makes it easy to edit documents on the go and will work with any native Pages file format or Microsoft Office file (.doc or .docx). The minimal UI combined with common features that you'd expect to find in a word processing app make it easy to use and easy to navigate.

Once you open a new document or choose a template you can immediate tap the screen in order to bring up the virtual keyboard and start typing. The formatting menu for texts, paragraphs, and spacing will stay on the screen as long as the keyboard is active for easy access to commonly used functions. The formatting tool works in conjunction with whatever you've got selected or highlighted. The plus sign allows you to add media, tables, charts, and shapes to your document.

Pages allows you to interact not only with text but with images too. You can add, cut, resize, delete, and replace images quickly and easily. Pages will pull from your camera roll, albums, and events already on your iPad. Just tap the plus sign and drop in an image. You can then resize it and drag it around as well as choose the formatting tool in order to change how text wraps around it.

Documents To Go will allow you open any .doc or .docx file. Once you've opened a document you can start typing and use the formatting bar along the bottom to add things such as bullet lists, double line spacing, different margins or paragraphs, and more. The settings icon will give you access to a word count feature, full screen mode, and a find and replace tool. The top menu also gives you access to undo and redo buttons.

While you can cut images out of documents there is currently no way to add or manipulate images. This means your documents will be strictly text unless you've added images from another Office suite on a different computer. They'll load just fine and you can work around them but there isn't much you can do with them.

Quickoffice Pro HD operates in almost the exact same way Documents To Go does except the formatting bar runs along the top of the screen instead of at the bottom. You'll have all the things you'd expect to find when it comes to manipulating text but again, there are no abilities to add or manipulate existing images in your documents. I even had issues highlighting to delete images in Quickoffice Pro HD.

When it comes to word processing, all three will provide the standard text input features you'd come to expect but Pages in the only option that allows you to not only manipulate and work with media such as images, charts, and graphs, but insert them natively.

iWork vs. Documents To Go vs. Quickoffice Pro HD: Spreadsheets

Numbers, the iWork counterpart for spreadsheets, will allow you to edit any spreadsheet made in either Numbers on Mac or Excel on PC. Once you've launched a spreadsheet you can immediately start tapping into cells and editing or adding new content.

Double-tapping will bring up the virtual keyboard and allow you to start punching in data. If there's already data or a formula in that cell, the formula bar will show you that information. You can also add tabs along the top of Numbers by tapping the plus sign next to the last sheet in a workbook. Just like word processing, the format paint brush will dynamically change to format anything that's currently highlighted or selected. This makes it super easy to grab large chunks of data and convert them into charts or graphs.

You can also add media such as photos to your spreadsheets as well. Clicking the "+" sign will allow you to add photos from your iPad and predesigned charts, tables, and shapes. While Numbers and Excel don't always use the same syntax for formulas I've found that Numbers handles most documents just fine. I've come across very few instances where Numbers broke formulas from Excel documents. You've got to be using extremely complex formulas in order to trip it up. Basic algebra and even most advanced formulas will transfer over correctly as long as the syntax was written correctly in Excel.

Documents To Go gives you the ability to both view and edit any spreadsheet with a .xls or .xlsx format. Once you've tapped into the spreadsheet you'll see your commonly used functions along the bottom and an undo/redo option in the top right. You can manipulate and resize columns and tables as you'd wish by dragging them into new positions.

The options along the bottom allow you to change cell formats or change number formats as well as format fonts. The formula bar will always stay stationary at the top of the screen for easy access. In order to input or view an existing formula just highlight the cell that you'd like to enter a new one or view a current one.

Adding sheets or removing them is easy within Documents To Go as well. To the right of the formula bar you'll see a sheet button. Tap it to view all the sheets in the current document. Tapping edit will allow you to delete sheets, re-order them, or drop a new sheet where you'd like.

Quickoffice Pro HD handles all file formats for Excel just like Pages and Documents To Go. Your menu along the top will be your go to place for all your formatting needs. Once you tap into a cell you'll be able to start typing on the virtual keyboard or view any formulas that are already in that cell. You can also use the top formula bar as a way to view the formulas by single tapping on a cell.

Along the bottom you'll see a list of tabs that currently exist that you can toggle between. Tapping the plus sign will allow you to create a new blank sheet. One thing I do particularly like in Quickoffice Pro HD is that when you've got the keyboard pulled up the tabs for sheets raises up so you can always switch between sheets without the need to hide the keyboard first.

When it comes to spreadsheets Numbers, Documents To Go, and Quickoffice Pro HD will all give you the ability to edit formulas and perform basic tasks. If you need to add images, charts, graphs, and easily manipulate anything other than text input, Numbers is the only program that allows you to do so natively.

iWork vs. Documents To Go vs. Quickoffice Pro HD: Slideshows and presentations

Keynote allows you to easily open any Keynote or Microsoft PowerPoint document and begin editing it immediately. Just like Numbers and Pages you'll have your formatting bar along the top that will allow you to add and manipulate content as you wish.

Keynote comes with quite a few templates to choose from that look rather good considering they're coming from a stock gallery. Once you're in a project you can add slides and transitions via the top menu or use the format paintbrush to work with anything you've got highlighted. You can also change slide order by just dragging slides around in the left hand navigation panel. Tapping on a highlighted slide will also give you the option to work with that slide in certain ways such as adding transitions.

Documents To Go will only read PowerPoint files so if you're a Keynote user on a Mac you'll need to convert your documents over to .ppt format in order to open them in Documents To Go. In my experience this sometimes results in losing transitions and other types of shadows and features that Keynote offers.

Nonetheless, you'll be able to edit any .ppt file by just tapping on it to open it. The page will show a split pane between the actual slide and note cards. You can tap the notes tab in order to hide it but your slide will still only occupy the top portion of the screen if you're working in portrait orientation. If you're in landscape it will allow the notes tab to hover on the side while showing full screen slides. Pulling out the notes tab in landscape will divide the screen left to right instead of top and bottom. While landscape mode gives you a bit more space to work with, it's still a bit funny when it comes to workflow and spacing.

Along the bottom you'll find all the functions you need to add transitions, insert slides, or jump to an existing slide using the slide picker feature. The one disappointing aspect of Document's To Go's implementation is that you can't add or edit images. This is a complete let down consider text only slides are more than boring and most people will rely on adding images to their slides.

Quickoffice Pro HD takes a bit better of an approach to handling presentations than Documents To Go. All your slides will show along the bottom or the side depending what orientation you're working in. Your main menu will run along the top and allow you to play the project or add media such as images, charts, and shapes as well as text bubbles and other things specific to slide presentations. The one downer I found in Quickoffice Pro HD is the lack of transitions. As far as I'm aware there are none and no way to add them.

Keynote not only handles presentations better than both Documents To Go and Quickoffice Pro HD but gives you access to beautiful designed templates that you can edit as much as you'd like as well as a better navigation system with well-placed tools. If you plan on putting together a lot of presentations on your iPad, Documents To Go is the worst choice due the not being able to add any kind of media into your presentation.

iWork vs. Documents To Go vs. Quickoffice Pro HD: Cross-platform and cloud syncing

Pages, Numbers, and Keynote all support iCloud which means any documents you've got stored will automatically be made available across any iCloud enabled device whether that be an iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, or Mac. The iOS versions of Pages, Keynote, and Numbers are universal downloads for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch but you will have to purchase the Mac versions separately. There's also support for iTunes syncing and WebDAV.

If you plan on storing most of your documents in a service like Dropbox or Google Docs it should be no surprise that none of Apple's iWork apps support it since they offer their own native service.

Documents To Go supports cloud syncing with Google Docs, Box.net, Dropbox, and SugarSync. If you use any of these services you won't have any problem saving and pulling documents to and from them. You can also navigate to any folder you'd like and start a new document within it as opposed to storing it locally.

When it comes to computer counterparts, Documents To Go doesn't have one but that probably isn't a huge deal to most users as the app is made to compliment either the iWork for destkop apps or Microsoft Office on the desktop. Documents To Go does, however, offer a sync client for both Mac and PC to sync your documents back and forth between your computer and iPad. It works very much like Dropbox or any other online service would work by creating a folder on your computer to sync to your iPad. You can create sub-folders inside of it and drag any documents you'd like available on your iPad to it.

The only catch is that to sync these documents you'll have to be on the same Wi-Fi network and have the Documents To Go app open on your iPad before attempting to sync. Considering the app offers cloud sync options, the desktop app really doesn't serve a point anymore anyways.

Quickoffice Pro HD supports even more sync services than Documents To Go when it comes to cloud storage. It's compatible with Google Drive, Dropbox, Box.net, Evernote, Catch, SugarSync, Huddle, and Egnyte. Regardless what service you use you should have aboslutely no issues hoooking it up to Quickoffice Pro.

Again, Quickoffice Pro HD doesn't have a suite for Mac or PC but no one should really expect them to. Most users already have a workflow with either iWork or Microsoft Office and only want an iPad app as a companion and on the go option.

When it comes to syncing, the iWork suite of apps consisting of Pages, Keynote, and Numbers is hands down the best option if you're an iCloud and Mac user and don't have an issue storing all your documents in Apple's highly abstracted pool. It works seamlessly and effortlessly. Wherever you have a connection you have all your documents. It doesn't get any simpler than that.

If you don't use iCloud, or you're a PC user that doesn't have the option to use iWork on your computer, QuickOffice Pro HD offers the most options when it comes to syncing.

iWork vs. Documents To Go vs. Quickoffice Pro HD: Pricing

Pages, Numbers, and Keynote are three separate app purchases in the App Store and will run you $9.99 each for a total of $30 for the entire suite. This will get you access from any iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch you own. If you're a Mac user and would like to use the Mac versions in correlation to the iOS versions, they're also sold separately in the Mac App Store and will cost $19.99 a piece. All in all you're looking at around $100 after tax to own the entire collection. This isn't bad considering what Microsoft Office on its own costs for Mac or PC. The best part about iWork being sold as separate apps is that you can always choose to only buy the ones that you know you'll use. If you never have a need to create spreadsheets, don't buy Numbers. If you never create presentations, you can get away with not buying Keynote. It's an easy way to save you some money.

Documents To Go Premium will run you $16.99 in the App Store but it's a universal download for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. The desktop application is free to download for both Mac and PC but if you're using any kind of cloud syncing service you probably won't have a need for it anyways.

Quickoffice Pro HD goes for $19.99 in the App Store and it's an iPad only app. If you'd like the regular version of Quickoffice Pro for iPhone and iPod touch as well it'll run you an additional $14.99. Still not too bad when it comes to a complete mobile office suite.

Pages, Numbers, and Keynote will obviously cost you the most so if you're concerned about price, one of the other two is a better option. Documents To Go offers the lowest price with a universal app but the other two may be better options in terms of functionality and feature set. When it comes to value, the iWork suite of apps will offer the most bang for your buck.

iWork vs. Documents To Go vs. Quickoffice Pro: The bottom line

If you're a Windows user, and you want to be able to sync between your iPad and your Windows PC, Quickoffice HD Pro is best choice for you, even if it's not the best choice overall. Until Microsoft does the right thing and releases a native version of Office for iOS. (Write Steve Ballmer, use a lot of exclamation points!)

If you're a Mac user with Pages, Numbers, and Keynote on the desktop, or if you just want to work and sync between iPad and another iOS devices, Pages, Numbers, and Keynote are the best apps for creating, editing, and sharing any kind of document on your iPad. The complete suite provides a streamline experience and interface that just can't be matched.

The iWork suite of apps which includes Pages, Numbers, and Keynote are getting some updates on both OS X Mountain Lion and iOS for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. The new versions of the apps appear to add iCloud support across both and dictation support for Mountain Lion.

If you've got a Mac running Mountain Lion, which was just released today you'll want to check the Mac App Store for updates to the iWork suite. Mountain Lion and iOS will now keep all your documents synced across all your devices via iCloud.

The update on the Mac App Store says the following is included in the update:

iWork Update 9.2 adds support for the following features available on OS X Mountain Lion:

• iCloud: Store documents in iCloud and keep them automatically up to date across your Mac, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, and the web. Changes made to a document on one device automatically appear on all your other devices. Requires iWork for iOS 1.6.1 or later installed on your iOS device.
• Dictation: Speak words, numbers, or sentences and watch them appear in your presentation, document, or spreadsheet.
• The iWork apps are also enhances to take advantage of the Retina display on the new Mac hardware so presentations, documents, and spreadsheets appear sharper and more vibrant.

So far we see updates for all three iWork apps on iOS and the update for the entire suite in the Mac App Store. No word on the iLife suite yet in terms of new features or functionality but a couple of us have seen some bug fixes and compatibility updates coming through for Mountain Lion. If you don't see the updates yet, keep checking the iOS and Mac App Stores.

Anyone seeing any other interesting updates on iOS or OS X other than bug fixes?

• Pages for iOS - $9.99 - Download Now
• Pages for Mac - $19.99 - Download Now
• Numbers for iOS - $9.99 - Download Now
• Numbers for Mac - $19.99 - Download Now
• Keynote for iOS - $9.99 - Download Now
• Keynote for Mac - $19.99 - Download Now

Keynote is all you need to create, edit, and give stunning presentations straight from your iPhone or iPad

Apple's Keynote is the presentation component of their iWork productivity suite of software, and a companion app to Pages for word processing and Numbers for spreadsheets. All three are universal apps that work on iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad, and popular choices for document management on the go. They've also just been updated to support iOS 5.1 and the new iPad's Retina display.

If you're a new iPad or iPhone owner and need a way to create, edit, and give presentations on the go, Keynote is Apple's iCloud integrated solution. It was designed for Apple's late co-founder, Steve Jobs, and the desktop version was used to give every one of his presentations, including the original iPhone and iPad introductions.

Does it work just as well on iOS?

Keynote isn't Powerpoint, and that's a good thing

While most of the iWork apps pale in comparison to Microsoft's Office suite, Keynote is the possible exception. Again, it was made for and used by arguably the best corporate presenter in a generation, and that says a lot.

However, because Keynote and Powerpoint are both intended for the same purpose, there's a lot of overlap in features, and if you've used Powerpoint, or Keynote on the Mac, you shouldn't have any trouble getting used to Keynote for iPhone and iPad.

If anything, the layout and controls on iOS are even more intuitive than desktop presentation software. Once you've gotten the basics down, you'll be creating amazing presentations that you can share with co-workers, friends, and family with just a few taps.

From the main Keynote screen you can open, edit, delete or create a presentation. To create a new one just tap the "+" sign in the upper right hand corner and select Create Presentation. You'll be presented with several templates that you can choose from.

While Apple hasn't added any new ones since Keynote was released, there are still quite a few different selections which should suit most users just fine.

Keynote's user interface is simple and streamline. In the upper right hand corner are four icons.

• Format brush: You'll use this to change the different properties of texts and objects such as font style, colors, and size.
• Insert button: This is where you'll tap to add content to your slides. You can input many objects such as images from your camera roll, tables, charts, and several shapes.
• Tools: This menu allows you to add different transitions to your slides, share your presentations, add presenter notes, and many other options.
• Play button: This does exactly what you'd think, plays your slideshow. To exit play mode, just pinch the screen to go back to editing mode.

To add a slide to your project, tap the add slide button in the bottom left hand corner. There are a good amount of slide types to choose from such as title slides, bulleted slides, and more. You can also choose to use a blank slide and build your own custom content.

To change the order of slides within your project, hold your finger down on the slide you'd like to move and you can drag it up or down to the position you desire.

There are a good selection of built-in transitions in the tools menu. Once you select Transitions and Builds, your slide will get a marker next to it. Tap the "+" sign to add a transition to it.

You can also tap on options to adjust timing of transitions.

You can also add photos, tables, charts, or shapes directly to your presentation from your iPhone or iPad. To do so, tap the insert button in the top right and choose what kind of media you'd like to add.

Once you insert a chart you can double tap it to bring up the editing menu. You can choose to edit data which will bring up a table format that allows you to change the data and labels for your charts or graphs.

Once you've added an object, you can continue to manipulate them further with the format brush. Select an object, select the format brush, and Keynote will then bring up format options based on what you have highlighted.

If you have a chart or graph highlighted, it will allow you to edit the color and dimension of the chart as well as many other elements.

Resizing an object is easy. Just tap the object and blue anchors will appear. You can then use the grid lines to resize and straighten or off-center an object to your liking.

Moving objects is just as simple. Tap and hold on an object and move it around. The same yellow grid lines will show up to assist you with centering it with the rest of your text and content.

Keynote gives you a few ways that you can share your presentations directly from your iPhone or iPad. You can share your work via e-mail, send it to iTunes, and print it.

Currently all of the iWork for iOS apps still give you the option to share it to iWork.com or iDisk. Given iDisk and iWork.com will be discontinued this summer, I’m not quite sure why Apple is still allowing them as options. I’d advise new users to stay away from them and just enable iCloud from the beginning to avoid having to transfer documents over before Apple turns off these services.

If you currently have data stored on iWork.com or iDisk, you should probably transfer it over to iCloud before this summer.

You can also use the optional VGA or HDMI out dongles sold by Apple to connect to a projector at work, or use AirPlay to mean a presentation to Apple TV and show it off on the big screen.

Upon first launching any of the iWork for iOS apps on your iPhone or iPad, you'll be asked whether or not you'd like to sync with iCloud. I'd recommend doing so if you plan on editing and accessing documents from multiple iOS devices. This way, if you make changes to a document on your iPad, your changes will be synced with all your devices.

There are, however, a few flaws to this system. I'm not a fan of the fact that I have to log in to iCloud from a browser and download files and re-upload them when at a computer. I was really hoping Apple would have implemented a better solution by now.

If you only have the need to edit iWork documents on the go, iCloud is just fine but we have to be practical - most users need to be able to easily edit them on a computer whether in iWork or Microsoft Office as well. The integration just isn't that great when you've got to download a document from iCloud, edit what you need to, and re-upload it in order for it to sync the current version to all your devices.

A syncing solution that better integrates documents with iCloud will hopefully be a big part of what OS X Mountain Lion will bring to the table. Right now Keynote gives you the ability to download your presentations to your computer in the following formats:

• Keynote
• PDF
• Powerpoint

What's new in Keynote 1.6

Not too much has changed in the new version of Keynote. There aren't any new templates from what I can tell. While iWork did get a few new features across the board, most enhancements were done under the hood.

This is probably a bigger deal to spreadsheet user but there's no denying the new 3D charts make presentation look a lot more interesting than the standard 2D charts. And since it only takes a few taps to turn a boring table into an animated 3D one, why not?

You can also rotate the chart and change it's orientation and position. This is especially convenient when working with line graphs that overlap each other. You can stretch the graph outwards so you can easily see the difference between them and they don't seem so bunched up against each other.

Stability improvements

All three iWork applications received performance enhancements that really seem to show on the iPad 2 and iPhone 4S. I hadn't really noticed as many lag issues in Keynote as I did in Numbers to begin with. Probably due to the amount of formulas and data Numbers loads in comparison.

Sometimes when adding slides or paging through charts, I'd notice a bit of a lag but not anything worth getting frustrated over. Unfortunately the lag was noticeably present on the first generation iPad.

The good

• The enhanced interface makes it even easier to format and edit data quickly and easily
• Performance enhancements seemed to decrease the amount of time it takes to edit larger presentations and move slides around
• 3D charts and graphs make presentations more visually appealing than their 2D counterparts

The bad

• Lack of iCloud integration on the Mac is highly frustrating
• Limited presentation and slide templates to work with

Conclusion

I use Keynote to prepare workshop presentations and use AirPlay to show them iva Apple TV without ever having to worry about connecting a computer to a projector. I also haven't found much the Mac version of Keynote does that the iOS version won't do. For many, Keynote is all you will need to create, edit, and give stunning presentations straight from your iPhone or iPad

There's no denying that Keynote for iPhone and iPad is an amazing way to create beautiful presentations without ever touching your computer. It's so good on recent generation iPads and iPhones, in fact, you may never want to create a slideshow in any other program again.

CloudOn, a free iPad app that offered Microsoft Office functionality with Dropbox support, appeared briefly in the App Store yesterday before going up in a puff of smoke a short time later.

CloudOn has responded saying their app has "sold out", but we think this may have had something to do with server overload.

The fact that CloudOn came with full Dropbox support for storing and managing office files on-the-go was a great idea for power users, and the overall offering is unique in respect to beating Microsoft to the punch at their own game. This could be another reason the app is no longer available, as Microsoft could have called shenanigans if CloudOn didn't go through the appropriate channels before release.

I gave it a quick whirl when it was actually up and running, and noticed the app was somewhat sluggish from the get-go (probably due to how much it relies on the cloud backend to get things done paired with the influx of users hammering their servers).

We'll let you know as soon as CloudOn is back in the App Store. In the meantime, here's its description:

• Use Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint on your iPad to create or edit documents.
• Rename, delete and manage documents with your Dropbox account
• Display, edit or create charts, change formatting, spell check, insert comments, into any Word, Excel or PowerPoint files
• Track changes while reviewing Word documents
• Use pivot tables and insert formulas in Excel workbooks
• Display and edit animation or transitions in PowerPoint presentations
• Present in full PowerPoint mode (not in PDF)
• Open files directly from your iPad email accounts or Dropbox account
• Automatically save documents to avoid losing changes

Source: CloudOn

Have an app you’d love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we’ll take a look.

iOS 5 brings a lot of great new features to iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad but more than that -- it lets developers bring us even better apps and games! Whether it's a great old app that's been updated with amazing new functionality, or a brand new app that never would have been possible before, they now get access to everything from Documents in the Cloud to AirPlay Mirroring to Twitter integration to Newsstand, to persistent location and more.

There will no doubt be a flood of them soon but for right now, right this minute, here are a list of our favorites, the ones we think are the best -- TiPb's Top 5 apps that support awesome new iOS 5 features!

iWork Numbers, Pages, and Keynote (Documents in the Cloud)

Apple's iWork productivity suite includes the Numbers spreadsheet, the Pages word processor, and the Keynote presentation maker. While not as powerful as Microsoft's ubiquitous Office suite, for smaller jobs they can make for even more beautiful, better laid out documents. And now, Documents in the Cloud. It only makes sense that Apple is right out of the gate with iCloud support for their own apps, and that the support is pretty good. Any Numbers, Pages, or Keynote document that you start on your iPhone or iPad is stored up on iCloud and pushed back down to all your other devices, including -- eventually -- the iWork apps on the Mac.

There's no file system, no file management. The idea is for you to simply open your apps and find your documents there waiting for you, up to date and ready for more. If editing on all your iOS and OS X devices is important for you, iWork is now a powerful, easy way to do it.

Note: iWork apps are universal, so you only have to buy once to use on all your iOS devices, including iPhone and iPad. However, each app needs to be bought separately, and the Mac versions need to be bought separately as well.

• Numbers - $9.99 App Store link
• Pages - $9.99 - [App Store link](mt=8 http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pages/id361309726?mt=8&at=10l3Vy
• Keynote - $9.99 App Store link

Magazine and newspaper apps (Newsstand)

While many people seem to hate even the presence of Newsstand on their home screens, it actually manages to very neatly solve several problems previously associated with subscription media like magazines and newspapers. It's really just a custom folder, and magazines and newspapers are still served up as apps, but Newsstand keeps them all in one place, updates automagically when new issues "come out", and takes you to a subscription section of the App Store so you don't have to wade through games and novelty apps to find your periodicals.

Those magazine and newspaper apps had to update for iOS 5 to support Newsstand, but many already have and many more will update shortly. If subscriptions are your thing, Newsstand, if not perfect, is certainly better.

Note: Some apps are universal, many aren't. Check for the + symbol on a case-by-case basis.

• Variable - App Store link

Real Racing 2 and Real Racing 2 HD (AirPlay Mirroring)

FireMint is always at the cutting edge of iOS gaming and iOS 5 is no different. They've already updated Real Racing 2 for iPhone and Real Racing 2 HD for iPad to support the new AirPlay Mirroring feature. It lets you stream your iPhone 4S or iPad 2 interface -- including any app or game -- through an Apple TV to a big screen HDTV. FireMint takes it to a whole new level -- they offer full on Party Play. What that means is you and up to 4 people total can each use an iPhone 4S or iPad 2 to race, multiplayer style, on the big screen. Not only is that a whole lot of fun -- it's a shot across the bow of every console in the casual gaming space.

Hopefully soon we'll see all sorts of board games, shooters, and other great titles support to feature. Until then we'll be busy playing Real Racing 2.

Note: It's not a universal binary, so you'll have to buy it separately for iPhone and iPad if you want it on both, but right now it's on 40% sale so it's as close to a no brainer as you can get.

• $2.99 on sale - iPhone App Store
• $3.99 on sale - iPad App Store

iQuick Tweet (Twitter Integration)

iOS 5 has built-in Twitter integration so you can rapidly tweet a photo, YouTube video, etc. iQuick Tweet smartly took that rapidity and made it the focus of a dedicated app. You launch, you type a Twitter status, you hit send, you're done. It's just that simple and it's just that fast.

If you want to read timelines, search through @mentions, explore profiles, check trends, or do a lot of other stuff besides tweeting, there's an embarrassment of full fledged Twitter clients on iOS, but if all you want to do is blast off a message, iQuick Tweet has you covered.

• $0.99 - iPhone App Store link

foursquare (Location)

For iOS 5 users, foursquare now offers the new Radar feature, with ability to alert you when your friends are near and doing something fun -- even if your iPhone is in your pocket. This awesome -- or terrifying -- new feature means you don't have to have your iPhone out and foursquare open all the time, in constant fear you might miss out on what's happening around you. While it's not as granular as Apple's new Find my Friends app, if your goal is to know where the cool stuff is happening, foursquare Rader is a lot more powerful.

• Free - iPhone App Store

Bonus: Instapaper (Brightness and Dictionary)

Favored as the best way to devour web articles by geeks everywhere, Instapaper proves that it's not just the big, flashy iOS 5 features that can make a difference -- the little ones matter too. Support for the built-in dictionary and native brightness controls means downloading the app is faster, and reading your saved articles is more comfortable than ever. (The UI has also received an excellent overhaul.)

Note: Instapaper is a universal app so you can buy it once and use it on all your iOS devices.

• $4.99 - App Store link

Addenda: Jailbreak apps

A lot of Jailbreak apps and tweaks are also being updated to support iOS 5. If Jailbreak is where your heart lies, keep your browser locked on TiPb.com/Jailbreak for all the updates.

Your favorite new iOS 5 apps?

iOS 5 is only a week old and we've only just begun to scratch the surface of what iOS 5 apps and games will bring to our iPhones and iPads. Did we miss any of your favorites? Did we leave any of the best new apps and updates out? Is there anything else that should have made our top 5 list?

If so, speak up and let us know in the comments!