Alternatives to Numbers

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Alternatives to Numbers

Postby RexinMinn » Tue Jan 25, 2011 8:42 pm

I am an Appleworks user who has only recently gone over to Pages for critical stuff, withing the last year. I have always hated Numbers spreadsheet program, and would like to find an alternative. With the recent problems (work not saving) on my AW spreadsheet, it's time I find something new, but I do not think it's Numbers. I'm looking for a good option for spreadsheet programming in lieu of Numbers, and would appreciate any feedback on what other people have found. Maybe I just need to spend more time with Numbers, but it really leaves me cold and disgruntled. Thanks much!
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Re: Alternatives to Numbers

Postby Peggy » Tue Jan 25, 2011 9:49 pm

Personally, I like Numbers & find it better for me than AppleWorks' spreadsheet module. I have not had any problems opening my AW6 spreadsheets in Numbers.

Before giving up on Numbers, check out Apple's Numbers tutorials here & here &, possible Lynda.com. An advanced Google search for tutorials with the exact phrase of iWork Numbers may return many other possibilities.

Other spreadsheet options are Excel, NeoOffice, Open Office, Mariner Calc & probably more you could find with a Google search or a search on MacUpdate.com
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Re: Alternatives to Numbers

Postby Tim » Tue Jan 25, 2011 9:51 pm

You can give NeoOffice a try <http://www.neooffice.org>. It's a set of applications that includes a word processor, spreadsheet and presentation module. I have looked at it briefly but do not use it so cannot comment on it's pros and cons. It is donationware so you could try it and decide if you like it before supporting it's development with your donation.

Me, I'm hangin' in there with Numbers, but then I don't use a spreadsheet too heavily.
Tim
AWUG/iWUG Webmaster
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Re: Alternatives to Numbers

Postby RexinMinn » Tue Jan 25, 2011 11:42 pm

Thank you, Peggy, I appreciate that.
Sounds like you think it might be best if I just tried working with Numbers a little more. I like the idea of the tutorials, thought I could figure this stuff out on my own. Essentially I think I'm just dealing with the murkiness of being in a strange new environment, that's how Pages feels to me. It also smacks of that Excel feel which I patently deplore. Thanks for your input!
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Re: Alternatives to Numbers

Postby RexinMinn » Tue Jan 25, 2011 11:43 pm

Tim,
Thanks for that, I may have to hang in there with Numbers as well but I will surely take a look at the alternatives you mention as well as what Peggy mentioned earlier too. NeoOffice may be worth a look.
rex
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Re: Alternatives to Numbers

Postby Barry » Wed Jan 26, 2011 2:48 am

RexinMinn wrote:Thank you, Peggy, I appreciate that.
Sounds like you think it might be best if I just tried working with Numbers a little more. I like the idea of the tutorials, thought I could figure this stuff out on my own. Essentially I think I'm just dealing with the murkiness of being in a strange new environment, that's how Pages feels to me. It also smacks of that Excel feel which I patently deplore. Thanks for your input!


Rex,

If 'that Excel feel' isn't your cup of tea, you're not going to like either NeoOffice or OpenOffice.org. Both bear more than a passing resemblance to Excel in their interface, and in the functions they support.

Can you get into some specifics regarding your dislike for Numbers?

Regards,
Barry
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Re: Alternatives to Numbers

Postby RexinMinn » Wed Jan 26, 2011 9:43 am

Barry,

You asked about being more specific with respect to my dislike for Numbers.

With Appleworks spreadsheet, the process is straightforward. The on-screen options for Numbers make me feel as thought I'm flying an airplane, and I prefer to walk or take the bus.
So the on-screen options provided in Numbers appear as clutter to me. Makes me feel unsettled and disorganized (which perhaps I already am, but the clutter accentuates it).

Yesterday I must have spent close to a half-hour (only a slight exaggeration) simply trying to insert a title in a header. My wife later helped me figure out how to do this, but I was going crazy in Numbers when the job in AW would have been done in less than a minute. Again, something simple in AW is either unexplained (Help was no help) or left to deduction. That aspect of Numbers is another thing I don't like. But when you're going from something as utilitarian, simple and straightforward as AWs spreadsheet, which works great for me (if only I could rely on it saving) purposes, to something as obtuse as what you get in Numbers, the switch becomes intimidating.

Another example: I'm accustomed to being able to adjust my row height quickly in AW, something I do with great frequency (I narrow down to a 4 pt. row height as a separator between entries). In Numbers you must go through the Inspector to make a change in row height, and this is inconvenient for people who use the feature regularly. Then, once you're in the Inspector to make the change, you can only narrow down so far. That's no good.

Selecting cells in Numbers is an issue. In AW when you select, the area is covered by a yellow shield. In Numbers it's outlined by a narrow and nearly invisible line. I do not like this at all.

I used the "Duplicate" feature yesterday. Then I had a great deal of difficulty getting rid of the duplicate table and had to ask for my wife's assistance. We figured it out together. I've been working on spreadsheets in AW for over ten years, and I'm not incompetent. I think the design in Numbers is simply flawed. The logic in many of the operations is simply askew or non-existent, leaving the operator to sweat it out, when in AW it would have been apparent.

So you see there are some very basic and simple issues I'm dealing with. Numbers takes the fun out of spreadsheets for me. I see some advantages, but very few. I will eventually have to learn how to adapt to Numbers (already started doing so) but in general I believe it simply tries to do too much and in the end its utilitarian function is lost, at least from my perspective.

Thanks for asking, Barry. I'm sure I could go further with this but for now I think you get my point.
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