What has been lost in Numbers 3.0 upgrade?

Something good is coming out of all this. Reading about everything that is lost, I am learning lots more functionality of Numbers 2.0, which I have just reverted to. I didn't realised you could use the table name in HLOOKUP/VLOOKUP formulae. That's great. Bring back the 09 developers, they were clever!!!

You are correct that the foumula input bar has been removed when a cell is selected. Now you have to double click the cell to edit the underlying formula.

Also in another part of this thread it was mentioned that table fill is missing. If that was refering to the ability to apply a formula to other cells by dragging the lower right corner of the formula's cell, the feature is not gone. The UI behavior is slightly different. Now you drag the center bottom of the cell.

It has been mentioned that Apple was nice enough not to delete the iWork 09 which has proven to be a life saver. If you want to work with both versions and you don't want the new versions messing with your old version's documents, it would be a good idea to change their default "open with" settings. This is easily accomplised by selecting the documents and changing the setting in the Get Info box. I did have a problem getting it to accept iWork 09 with both new and old iWork on the disk. My workaround was to rename the Numbers and Pages apps: OldPages & OldNumbers. Get Info would now accept selecting OldNumbers & OldPages as the default. Hopefully this name change will protect the older version from any automatic updating.

Anyone who experiences losses of features should be sure to report this to Apple. If there is enough demand perhaps they will relent. They can always claim that that was their intention. 😟

I am deeply disappointed with v3.0. I am not a 'power-user' of Numbers, but even I appear to have lost significant functionality (categories etc, etc). I agree entirely with what someone has already said ... "The new iWorks software is a DOWNGRADE. It is less useful, less intuitive, and less effective than the prior iWorks. If I did not know better, I would think that Apple was trying to destroy these products and discourage customers from using it".

I will remain with v2.3 while I assess the current Microsoft offering.

The new pages and numbers programes are an absolute dissaster. They used to be way ahead of their time compared to word and excel. Apple needs to fire the guy who was responsible for the new versions!

The new version is so bad that I have dumped it entirely and have installed LibreOffice.

My biggest complaint is the completely opaque file format that no one else supports. What happens when Apple decide to abandon Numbers? Don't think it will happen? remember AppleWork.

Also, the files it generates are extremely bloated. Even an extemely simple spreadsheet is several hundred kilobytes only whereas the same info in a opendocument spreadsheet is 20-30 kb.

I also can not live with 1 inch margins all round my spreadsheets. Spreadsheets that use to take 4 pages to print now take 8 pages.

I am afraid it's the lack of adding formulas and referencing other cells in that formulas that is a big loss to me. It was always nice to colour certain cells based on specific criteria. I guess I'll keep using Numbers '09. Unfortunately I updated my iOS versions so this is a mess. Really hope Apple plans to add all the missing features.

I am afraid it's the lack of adding formulas and referencing other cells in that formulas that is a big loss to me.

Hi Jaodb,

I'm curious what you mean here. You can add formulas and reference other cells pretty much the way you always could. Where are you having trouble with that?

SG

Can someone give me a hand regarding table styles? In an imported table from '09 some font colours got mixed up. I guess referencing text from other tables also uses the source font style.

Now, I want to apply a standard table style to clean that up but but the font style doesn't change. I can't find the function "erase and apply" the table style. Are font styles now completely separated from table styles?

To roll back to the old version, you have to have the original spreadsheet. If you save it in the new version and don't have a backup, you will not be able to open the spreadsheet in the old version of the software. I have already reverted after one try of using the new software and discovering that I can't drag contacts into an existing spreadsheet or a new spreadsheet.

Another feature lost: can't insert the current filename or path into a cell. I use this in time sheet formulas. So, I name the file with the current date and the spreadsheet grabs the date and applies it where ever needed in formulas. This is so I can organize my time sheets by date and get at the one I need. That means with the new version, I have to enter the date in the spreadsheet, making a one step process into a two step process. Not a big deal, but a hassle nonetheless. I've downgraded to Mac OSX 10.8, not because of this issue, but because Mavericks won't print to Konica printers at all.

Hi cyclingdad,

Printing to a Konica printer here on 10.9. Unlike past OS X upgrades, where I had trouble, this time it works like a charm. May not be a Mavericks thing.

Interesting point on links to files.

SG

If you save it in the new version and don't have a backup, you will not be able to open the spreadsheet in the old version of the software

True, and it's best to have backups in any case, but there's this:

SG

I regret not seeking for this info before I upgrated to latest Numbers version.

I realized later that I need to rool back to to the previous version, in the worst timing, during prodution.

I use lots of custom made models in my company and after some few hours trying to understant why some elements disapered, why documents are printed without my margin settings.... etc., I rooled back. Deleted the app, found that original old Numbers stayed on Aplicantions folder under iWork folder.... and luckly Models/Templates are keeped in original form (seems the new Numbers store them in other palce)

I am realy sad, because I implemented in my company the idea that you dont need Excel to make simple tasks. Keeping simple and easy under Mac nativeness... didnt expect this, and after iOS7 (that keeps fighting me in some issues) I realy dont understand...

I am Mac user since 2006, windows developer from almost 10 years... but always turn on Mac, not because some funboy'ism but because simply work.

I know that coments in here dont go to any place at Apple, but feels good to talk about and cry.

Another rude issue is the Applescript Support, and comparing, Excel for mac has more suport!!!

Tomorrow I am starting to try Excel trial version, and maybe I will have some laughts in my company at my expense

disapointed

Does anyone know where "Search in formulas" has moved to? Or is it also missing?

As far as I can tell you can find and find and replace via command-F:

Nothing with formulas, though, that I can find.

SG