When Apple introduced the original iPad in 2010, the company also unveiled its iWork and iLife suite of apps for the tablet. The apps were later made available for the iPhone. Apple initially offered the apps has a paid download and then made them free for every new iOS user.

As Apple’s iOS platform gained more and more popularity, it was turning out to be a lost opportunity for Microsoft to not offer its apps on the second most popular mobile platform. It’s clear that Microsoft initially must have struggled and hoped that Widows Mobile gains the same momentum as iOS or Android however, it hasn’t worked out like that as yet.

Under the leadership of Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s CEO, the company launched Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint for iOS. The apps when launched required Office 365 subscription to edit and save files but remained free to view Office files. The company later removed the restriction of Office 365 subscription and made editing files a standard feature.

With the latest update to the suite of apps you can now save files to Apple’s iCloud Drive. Microsoft has added support for open, edit, and save work to iCloud in the “Places” section of each iOS app. iCloud Drive upload and save feature has been added in addition to existing cloud services such as DropBox and Microsoft OneDrive.

You can download the apps for free from the App Store: Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel and Microsoft PowerPoint.

Apple recently released all-new versions of iWork apps for Mac and iOS. The updated versions of Pages, Keynote and Numbers feature a complete design overhaul and also introduces some new features. However, as users began to explore the new update many found that some features were removed.

Users reported their concerns on Apple support forums and the started listing the features that had been removed. This isn’t the first time the company has faced strong comments or feedback after a major update. When Apple released a brand new version of Final Cut Pro many users said it was a step back rather than a step forward. But, Apple promised users that they would be restoring popular features in upcoming updates.

This time Apple has responded similarly, by announcing that many user requested features for the iWork apps will be coming in a future update.

The new iWork applications—Pages, Numbers, and Keynote—were released for Mac on October 22nd. These applications were rewritten from the ground up to be fully 64-bit and to support a unified file format between OS X and iOS 7 versions, as well as iWork for iCloud beta.

These apps feature an all-new design with an intelligent format panel and many new features such as easy ways to share documents, Apple-designed styles for objects, interactive charts, new templates, and new animations in Keynote.

In rewriting these applications, some features from iWork ’09 were not available for the initial release. We plan to reintroduce some of these features in the next few releases and will continue to add brand new features on an ongoing basis.

The new version of iWork apps ensure that there is complete compatibility between iOS and Mac version of the apps. This will server users better in the long run as they create files on their iPhone or iPad and the continue to work on it on their Mac without worrying about compatibility or messing up the format.

Some of the most requested features in the new iWork applications according to the threads on Apple support forums have been the ability to customise the toolbar, use AppleScripts and vertical ruler. Apple will re-introduce these features in upcoming updates over a period of six months.

It’s important to note that files created in new iWork apps aren’t compatible with older versions of the software suite. However, you can convert the files created with the new version to run on older iWork apps.

iWork apps are now free for anyone who buys a new Mac or iOS device. The update is free for anyone who previously owned any of the iWork apps.

During the special keynote event yesterday Apple announced all new versions of their productivity and creativity apps for Mac and iOS. All new versions of iWork and iLife which includes Pages, Keynote, Numbers, iPhoto, iMovie and Garage Band are now free with purchase of new Mac or iOS device. These updates are also free for existing users who purchased the older versions.

I own a Mid 2010 27-inch iMac which has been serving me well all these years. OS X Mavericks the tenth major software release for the Mac was also made available for free to iMac models dating back to 2007. After multiple failed attempts to download the software update due to Apple’s sever overload and then finally succeeding I was able to install OS X Mavericks.

After installing the new software update when I launched the Mac App Store to download other software updates I noticed Keynote as one of the app among other apps listed that had available updates. Now, this was interesting to me as I never purchased Keynote app for the Mac.

When I purchased the Mac I downloaded trial version of iWork (Apple did not have Mac App Store back then) and then later purchased only Pages and Numbers app as a digital download. Keynote app was still installed but never worked as the trial had expired.

After installing Mavericks I noticed under the “Purchases” tab it listed Keynote app with a purchase date of today. After the app was updated I launched it and it worked flawlessly.

In the past I’ve got lucky even with iCloud. Just when rumours about Apple announcing a cloud based service reached an all time high I registered for a free trial of MobileMe service. Since the trial was for 60 days and within a weeks time Apple announced iCloud I got extended storage of 25GB for one year without ever paying for the old MobileMe service.

iWork apps are also available on iCloud as web apps and now feature collaboration. The shift in Apple’s pricing strategy by listing its creative and productive suite of apps as free would certainly help in more customers experimenting with these apps and thus increasing its usage worldwide.

Apple recently released updates for its suite of iWork applications, for both Mac and iOS. The company updated iWork to version 9.3 for compatibility with the iOS 1.7 updates. Pages, Numbers, and Keynote which were updated to version 1.7 added new features such as adding reflections to shapes and the ability to lock and unlock objects. Other features of Pages includes:

• Use Change Tracking to track changes to body text in a document
• Accept and reject individual changes as you review a document
• Import Pages and Microsoft Word documents with change tracking and continue to track changes to body text
• Preserve tracked changes in documents exported in Microsoft Word or Pages format
• Preserve calculations in tables when importing from and exporting to Pages for Mac
• Add reflections to shapes
• Lock and unlock objects

Apple also updated Numbers to version 1.7 to reflect some of the iOS changes on the Mac.

Numbers 1.7:

In this release Numbers for iOS is updated for improved compatibility with Microsoft Excel and Numbers for Mac.

• Hide and unhide rows and columns
• Import and export Numbers for Mac spreadsheets with filters, and turn filters on and off
• Preserve rich text in tables when importing and exporting
• Add reflections to shapes
• Lock and unlock objects

Keynote also received several new features, such as importing and exporting all Microsoft PowerPoint and Keynote for Mac slide sizes. Other features include:

• Import and export all Microsoft PowerPoint and Keynote for Mac slide sizes
• Import and export presentation themes, complete with master slides and preset styles
• Play back all Keynote action builds including Move, Rotate, Scale, and Opacity
• Add new slide transitions including Shimmer and Sparkle
• Preserve calculations in tables when importing from and exporting to Keynote for Mac
• Add reflections to shapes
• New print layouts include options to print with presenter notes, with builds, and without backgrounds
• Lock and unlock objects

The Mac version of the iWork applications can be downloaded via the Mac App Store, however, users that bought the boxed version of iWork can update via Software Update.

{Via MacRumors}

With the introduction of iCloud during last year’s WWDC conference, it was clear that Apple was taking a new path with their offering of cloud services. Steve Jobs, who was CEO at the time of the introduction, admitted that the MobileMe services offered up as cloud features were definitely not the best product that Apple had offered its users. Since then, Apple has gradually been winding down operations associated with MobileMe, making the normally $99 a year service into iCloud.

iCloud offers users an initial 5GB of free storage and then begins to charge based on GB of storage. Earlier this year, Apple gave users the option to remove their files and even offered discs of the Snow Leopard software through MobileMe accounts for users to make the transition to iCloud as smoothly as possible. Apple is still allowing users to transfer their files from iDisk and images from Gallery, but is doing so on a final notice, as the website now displays a red sign that reads, “MobileMe is Closed”.

Apple is offering users the option to transfer their iDisk and Gallery files because both of those features as well as iWeb publishing did not and will not carry over to iCloud. Apple’s replacement for Gallery is likely the new PhotoStream feature and iDisk is being replaced by the variety of storage options offered in iCloud.

The Cupertino company has yet to mention a specific date as to when MobileMe would be permanently shut down, but it will likely be shut before the public release of iOS 6.

{via MacRumors}

Today, Apple released iOS 5 beta 6, only two weeks after the company released iOS 5 beta 5. Apple usually releases 8 betas before they release the GM seed to developers that is followed by the public release which is pegged for a release later this fall.

Apple is now releasing betas more and more often, hinting that the final release is right around the corner. The over-the-air version of iOS 5 beta 6 for the iPhone comes in at 144 MB.

This latest beta isn’t known for major upgrades to the OS and instead addresses only “bug fixes and improvements” according to Apple’s description. iOS 5 beta 6 has not yet revealed any major upgrades but more features may become evident as Apple strengthens the betas and releases the last two expected betas including the public release.

Alongside, iOS 5 beta 6, Apple also released a new beta version of iTunes 10.5 with a preview version of Xcode 4.2, as well as iWork for iOS beta 2 and a new beta 5 of the Apple TV software.

Apple is rumored to release the final version of iOS 5 to the public in October alongside iPhone 5. The fifth gen. iPhone is expected to feature 8 megapixel camera, dual-core A5 chip, more RAM and a thinner design.

Apple on Monday launched iCloud.com and the iWork beta for developers. The iCloud.com login screen is also identical to the one seen just before the iCloud announcement. This is one of the three major updates announced at Apple’s WWDC 2011 event, highlighting iOS 5, Mac OS X Lion, and iCloud.

Reports from users and developers alike say that some have had trouble logging in while others are having a seamless experience with the service. Apple launched the two betas in order to work out the kinks for final release.

Apple is strengthening it’s mobile devices with every software update, moving away from a desktop computer and making the iPad, iPhone, and the iPod touch as independent as possible.

iWork for iOS, iOS 5, and iCloud are the three features working together in order for the iDevices to gain their independence. Apple has not yet announced a formal release date for iCloud or iWork for iOS, but looking at the release of the betas, we can assume that they will be released in late August or early September time frame.

{via MacRumors}

In looking through the new iPhone 4 and iOS 4 content posted on the Apple web site, MacRumors and TUAW independently noticed an iPhone 4 screenshot pertaining to the Mail application. It displayed an e-mail message with a Keynote file attachment. The options to open the attachment were Quick Look and Open in Keynote. Did you catch that? An option on the new iPhone 4 to open a Keynote file natively IN Keynote. While the screenshot was quickly replaced by Apple, it may also tip Apple’s hand to some future plans. Document management on the iPhone is a space dominated by a few third party apps like Documents to Go. Bringing the iWork suite in some capacity to the iPhone 4 makes as much sense for Apple as it did to bring it to the iPad. Now that the iPhone 4 and iPad will be unified under a common operating system, perhaps Apple senses the opportunity to bring iWork to the iPhone 4. Never before has such a commonality in hardware and software existed between the two devices. The downside of course is that if it does happen, it will probably be an iPhone 4 / iOS 4 exclusive. Sorry iPhone 3G, 3GS, and iPod Touch owners this will probably be acarrot Apple uses to get those upgrade dollars going.

Are you a current user of third party document management apps like Documents to Go for iPhone? Do you do a lot of document management on your iPhone? Would you buy iWork for the iPhone? Let us know in the comments.

The latest such instance comes from a report on CultofMac. Apple has rolled out a new interface to their iWork.com portal that enables some key functionality for mobile devices. The first is improved scrolling functionality. The new functionality enables the familiar tap-drag-push movement for moving through documents. This movement is now available in the iPhone and iPod Touch and, presumably, available in the iPad as well.

The second is an improved document sharing scheme. Users can now simply choose to publicly share their documents and send the generated URL to whomever they desire. Although in of themselves they seem like small, incremental improvements; they actually vastly improve the mobile experience. The key to the mobile experience is getting a task done in as few steps as possible. Viewed in that light, both of these improvements make perfect sense.

It will be interesting to see how Apple further adjusts its infrastructure to support the iPad specifically and mobile computing in general. The biggest unsolved mystery in what we know of Apple’s mobile strategy is the massive data center they’ve built in North Carolina. Could this be the home of the much rumored “iTunes in the cloud“? Will it support some other unrevealed element in Apple’s mobile strategy? Viewed in the light of the iPad, it certainly signals the willingness and determination Apple has put into owning the tablet computing space.

What changes to infrastructure and services would you like to see in support of Apple’s mobile devices? Is iTunes in the cloud your biggest wish or would you like to see Apple focus on changing other services to better support the mobile space? Let us know below.