AppleWorks 6 for Mac OS X
One application. Infinite uses

AppleWorks is the Swiss Army Knife of software.

By Michael Vallance
Mac Users Group Singapore
www.macuser.org.sg

Starting Points
For many years AppleWorks was known as the Swiss Army Knife of software. David Reynolds, former editor of MacAddict, also calls it icebergware: a brief glimpse doesn’t even hint at what lies beneath the surface.
AppleWorks is free with new iMacs and iBooks ($134 otherwise). It is a worthy office suite with six key tools - word processor, spreadsheet, database, presentation, drawing and painting.
AppleWorks seamlessly integrates all six tools, has an uncluttered interface and can be learned very quickly.
There are Assistants, Templates, recent documents and a link to web sites that have some free extras. This is particularly useful for small businesses, school teachers and students. Also, AppleWorks has such devoted users that there is also an AppleWorks User Group with tips and advice.

Word Processing
Opening AppleWorks reveals a button bar of Starting Points. Opening the word processor enables palettes containing the basic and advanced formatting tools expected. Tables are now easier to insert (click and select required number of cells) and format than previous versions. There’s also an Equation Editor for those complex formulas students and teachers often need to include in assignments and handouts. For Small Office Home Office (SOHO) enterprises AppleWorks can increase productivity and document consistency by creating customised Style sheets. Briefly, AppleWorks memorises a collection of formatting elements so an edit in one format of a particular style will automatically change every occurrence of that style in the document. This way AppleWorks saves time, which saves money.
Additionally, Mail Merge in Appleworks is easy. After typing a letter or creating a flyer simply go to the File- Mail Merge option and select the Appleworks database to automatically insert the required data to your document. Again SOHO enterprises can leverage this and teachers can efficiently post warning letters to their students!
A spell checker, thesaurus and enough clip art are available for most users.

Spreadsheet
If you have used Excel then you’ll immediately recognise the spreadsheet tools in AppleWorks. Cell formatting, formulas, auto sum, insert functions, make chart, etc. are all available. Completed spreadsheets can be saved as Excel for Mac Office X or Windows 97, 2000 and XP through its built-in translator. If you have experienced Excel then the switch to AppleWorks will be swift. If you are new to creating spreadsheets then this is the office tool for you. No courses to attend. Just click the friendly Mac Help icon if you get stuck.



Database
The database gets top marks if you want something simple yet powerful. We all know how cumbersome and unintuitive Microsoft’s Access can be and thankfully that bloated software is unavailable on the Mac. Use AppleWorks. Similar to FileMaker, the database tools will immediately help you input the database fields and insert new records. The appearance can be customised with your company logo or formatted as desired. Records can be sorted and matched, with a simple find option for quick recovery of information. If you don’t want to hire a database consultant, and wish to spend less time inputting data and more time working productively, then look no further. This is simple enough for schools and powerful for small businesses.

Presentation
Keynote may be Apple’s new presentation tool but don’t neglect the AppleWorks alternative just yet. Like any presentation a master slide is first designed and then new slides added. A range of backgrounds, formatting options and transitions are available. Again buttons are clicked to develop and edit the slide show. Adding tables, text boxes and images are quite straightforward. There is an auto play option to advance slides at specified time intervals. This presentation tool is no match for Keynote or PowerPoint except that it’s free and may be residing on your Mac right now. Connect up an AV projector and take AppleWorks presentation for a refreshing spin.

Painting & Drawing
Painting is fun because it’s so simple. Insert an image and you can immediately make it darker, lighter, softer or blend the colours at the click of selected buttons. So easy, such fun. There are a number of paint tools such as the eyedropper, paintbrush, bucket, etc. all clearly labelled. An image inserted into an AppleWorks word processing document can also be directly edited. Files can be saved in high quality TIFF, basic JPEG and even BMP.

Verdict
Where AppleWorks excels (pun intended!) is its database and painting tools. The word processing and spreadsheet are manageable if you don’t need all the features of the bloated Microsoft Office suite. AppleWorks files can be saved in formats read by Macs and Windows PCs but don’t expect 100% formatting compatibility. Additionally, OS X’s Quartz graphic system enables AppleWorks files to be saved as PDF for cross platform viewing. Simply go to File - Print - select Save as PDF option.

In summary, looking beneath the surface of AppleWorks reveals a very powerful office suite. Its ease of use and gorgeous aqua palettes and buttons force you to be more productive and creative.

Rating: 5 out of 7
+ User friendly, quick to learn
+ Free with new iMacs and iBooks
- Not fully compatabile with Microsoft Office
- Weak Presentation tool

System requirements:
Mac OSX v10.2
24 MB RAM

Price: $134

Contact: Apple Centre
Tel: 6462-2755 or 6238-9378
www.asia.apple.com/appleworks

Michael Vallance is from the Mac Users Group of Singapore. Its website is at www.macuser.org.sg