Review iWork '05: The Missing Manual

With iWork, we have a case where the manual isn't actually missing. When I got my copy of iWork I was pleasantly surprised that Apple had actually included a real honest-to-goodness printed manual that was more than a quick start guide.

So why pick up a "missing manual"? That depends. If you are familiar with similar applications to the two in the package, you probably will get by fine with the real manual. A Powerpoint pro will have no trouble using Keynote, needing, at most, occasional references to either the online help menu or the manual.

Pages proves a little more complicated. It's part word processor and part desktop publishing program.(DTP) The word processor functions much like ones we're familiar with, sort of a cross between Word and Appleworks both in features and design. The Inspector will be quite recognizable to anyone who has used a recent version of Word. The menu items are pretty much what we've come to expect.

It's the DTP features in Pages that make the Missing Manual worth getting. Pages is enough different from any other application that the bare-facts Apple manual starts to lose its allure as my reference of choice. The included manual, like most manuals is terse. Just the facts, Ma'am, just the facts.

I did knock out a quick newsletter the first afternoon after getting iWork, but it took frequent referrals to the manual and help menu. I also have had quite a bit of experience with Pagemaker and some with Quark and InDesign. Without that background, I think I would have had more trouble and possibly become quite frustrated, as have several people who have described their first experiences with Pages to me. I knew enough to make sense of the manual and what to look for. And I realized that Pages is a fairly complex program that does need a manual. I've created several Keynote presentations with no problem. My Powerpoint background is sufficient to make Keynote easy to use.

iWork '05: The Missing Manual would have made my first experiences much smoother. It is a much more comfortable introduction the Pages. Where the Apple manual gives, bare-bones instructions, Elferdink takes the time to actually explain both how-to but also why-to, offering a context for the instructions. His style is readable and conversational, in keeping with the rest of the series.

I've also found that having a more approachable text encourages me to browse, which I never did with Apple's manual. Of course there is a lot to the program that I don't know and didn't even know to look up. As I work through iWork, I'm sure to find answers to questions I don't even know to ask.

The book is not perfect. It either doesn't mention or glosses over some of Pages shortcomings, like the flaky nature of Flash export and the inability to re-order pages in Pages. Still it's a credible manual, reasonably well indexed and written in plain, understandable English. Recommended.