Apple’s Roger Rosner took the stage at this year’s WWDC to introduce the new version of iWork. Available later this year, the brand new iWork for iCloud application will allow you to “create beautiful documents whether you’re on a Mac or a PC.” That’s right, a Mac or a PC! That’s because iWork for iCloud works via your Web browser. It also works on iOS, making it a truly cross-platform app.
The Numbers, Pages, and Keynote sections are all integrated into iCloud now. In a demo, Rosner opened an already-written document, explaining that “all of this was happening within the Web browser (Safari).” Selecting text and photos gave way to some unique features, which were all present in the sidebar, and implementing images into a document is as easy as dragging the photo from your desktop directly onto the page, where it can then be manipulated and moved around.
Pages
Rosner also showed off how easy it is to now edit a Microsoft Word document in Pages. Using the same technique as photos, you will be able to drag the Microsoft document directly onto the Pages window, where it will pop up alongside all of your other documents. Once it’s there, it can be opened and edited, just like any other document.
Numbers
As for Numbers (think Microsoft Excel, if you’re a PC user), Rosner stressed the simplicity of the program as he moved through a stock spreadsheet he had prepared. A nifty help section was showcased too, which pops up in the sidebar whenever you attempt to type a command in a specific field. Rosner wrapped up the Numbers demo by expressing once again that “all of this is being done in a Web browser.”
Keynote
Next up is Keynote (think Microsoft PowerPoint). Keynote, like Pages, accepts photos and other objects simply by dragging them from your desktop. Rosner played around with the controls a bit, showcasing how easy it is to mask and manipulate the image once it’s added into Keynote. He also gave us a glimpse at a unique cube animation that was used to move through the presentation. Rosner finished up his iWork for iCloud preview by showing how simple it is to switch over to Windows 8 and edit the same documents.
iWork for iCloud is available in beta today for Developers, and a public beta will be available later this year.
