Depending on what you plan to use it for, “Numbers ’09” could either be the best or worst of the iWork program suite.
As Apple’s equivalent of Microsoft’s Excel, this database program makes near-inaccessibly complicated processes simple enough for nearly anyone to use, yet it lacks some of the advanced features of Excel that professionals may demand.
A Gift for Casual Users
Most users will never take Excel past its more basic features of listings and mathematical equations. For this group, Numbers offers a vastly different program that puts an array useful tools at their fingertips.
In addition to the basic “chart” workspace that is at the heart of Excel, Numbers opens in a menu where users can choose from 30 different pre-made workspaces. Among them are budget planners, workout trackers, invoices, and school science projects.
Within a few minutes I found myself mapping out information that would have taken me hours to do in Excel.
What stands out most in this program is the sheer sense of freedom it offers. You don’t feel claustrophobic or limited by it. Numbers offers the sectioned box charts used as the main workspace of Excel, yet the user is given full control over them. They can be resized, moved, and you can make as many of them as you please.
Pictures can be added in side-by-side and placed wherever you please. There is no complicated process—all you need to do is drag and drop it onto the page. Creating charts and graphs is no less difficult. You just need to highlight the information to be included in it and then click the “Charts” button to choose the layout of your choice.
Unique Features
There are more than 250 functions available in Numbers ’09. Among the best of these is the ability to group information in categories, which makes organizing data significantly more efficient. It lets users place all their data in separate categories for each word in the selected panel of their choice.
I also found creating mathematical figures much easier to do in Numbers than in Excel. All the user needs to do is select the numbers to be included and mathematical options such as the sum and average will appear in the lower corner of the screen. The information can then be dragged to the location of the user’s choice.
There conditional formatting option will change a data cell when a certain condition is met. For example, if you set a budget range, you can make the information turn green if you go above and turn red if you fall below.
You can also save color settings as reusable templates.
Like “Keynote” and “Pages”—the other programs in the iWork ’09 suite—Numbers feels like it is made with the user in mind. It is easy to use and it has near-unsurpassable graphics when compared to similar programs. Apple also provides free tutorial videos on its website that are easy to follow, and which I found particularly helpful.
The price can’t be beat either. The entire iWork ’09 suite goes for $62.49, while Excel 2008 alone runs for $149.99, as listed on Amazon.com.
Some Parts Still Missing
Despite the many perks offered by Numbers, there are still some categories where it can’t compete with Excel.
The largest difference is that it only offers 19 different charts, as opposed to the more than 70 offered by Excel 2008. It can be argued that most users will not miss them, yet professionals in the field of science or research may shy away from Numbers for this reason alone.
Among the no-shows are “Surface” charts, “Radar” charts, and several variations of those included in Numbers, such as cylinders and cones.
Compatibility is the other big issue. Although Numbers ’09 can export files that are compatible with Excel, certain data cannot be transferred. Basic chart data is still okay, yet Numbers offers no support for Excel macros and most advanced graphics will be lost when switching between the two programs.
The fact that iWork ’09 is only available for Macs makes this a rough loss for anyone who will need to share files with a PC user.
In a Nutshell
Whether Numbers is a good buy really depends on what you plan to use if for.
For most other users, its friendly, open workspace and graphical features make it a good choice. It also makes some of the more advanced features of Excel much easier to use, which gives this program an extra gleam for nearly everyone.
If you need to process large amounts of data, need access to scientific charts, or have no use for graphically attractive charts, Numbers may not be a necessary switch. Still, its low price makes is a nice option for personal use.
There are some areas where the program falls short when compared to Excel, but it can be argued that Numbers makes up for them with other features that are exclusive to it.
