Apple brings back lost iWork features with new update

Criticized for dumbing down its iWork suite of productivity apps a month ago, Apple on Friday issued a software update that brings back some of the lost features in Pages, Numbers and Keynote. In addition to the expected stability improvements and bug fixes that come with such software updates, Apple is also making available certain features to the OS X app versions including the custom toolbars.

With the iWork update it released following its late October iPad media event, Apple is trying to unify the productivity experience across platforms from OS X to iOS to iCloud, which would explain its decision to remove some of the features available in older versions. Meanwhile, iWork users that have updated to the new versions and found them lacking also have access to the older software versions on OS X computers. Apple has promised that more features will be available to iWork users in future updates in the following months.

Worth remembering is that Pages, Numbers and Keynote are available as free downloads both on iOS devices and OS X computers with the purchase of new hardware.

Here are changelogs detailing the iWork updates for OS X and iOS:

Pages 5.0.1 for OS X:

• Customize the toolbar with your most important tools
• Center and edge guides are on by default
• Stability improvements and bug fixes

Numbers 3.0.1 for OS X:

• Customize the toolbar with your most important tools
• Window size and placement preserved on Save
• Set default zoom in Preferences
• Stability improvements and bug fixes

Keynote 6.0.1 for OS X:

• Customize the toolbar with your most important tools
• New transitions including Blinds, Color Planes, Confetti, Fall, Perspective, Pivot, and Swoosh
• New builds including Blinds, Fly in, Fly out, Orbital, Pivot, Scale Big, and Swoosh
• Stability improvements and bug fixes

Pages 2.0. 1 for iOS:

• Stability improvements and bug fixes

Numbers 2.0.1 for iOS:

• Stability improvements and bug fixes

Keynote 2.0.1 for iOS:

• New transitions including Blinds, Color Planes, Confetti, Fall, Perspective, Pivot, and Swoosh
• New builds including Blinds, Fly in, Fly out, Orbital, Pivot, Scale Big, and Swoosh
• Stability improvements and bug fixes