Q: What has been lost in Numbers 3.0 upgrade?

alightman and Larry Nolan

My understanding is once you have worked on a spreadsheet in Numbers 3 you can not go back to numbers 2.3? (old version)

We are getting messages where it says you can not open this file (numbers file) in this version.  Upgrade to V3. 

Because I upgraded (bad mistakes) and started using various files in Numbers 3 this has forced my three other office locations (Aust | Singapore | Philippines) to have to upgrade as well so they can access these file.

Going back and restoring these from Time Machine would mean we would loses any updates made to the files.  (to risky)

Is Deleteing the Numbers 3 Version still an option or do we just have to live with it?

Also what do think Apples Objective is with this upgrade.  They appear to have removed so many features.  There must be a reason.  Is it to make numbers more compatiable with Mobile Devices?

Lastly - I've been an Apple User for 10 years and Apple was great.  Now, in the last year I just have ongoing problems.  Is this unique to me or are their products slipping.

pdhussey wrote:

 

My understanding is once you have worked on a spreadsheet in Numbers 3 you can not go back to numbers 2.3? (old version)

 

Have you tried this?

SG

pdhussey,

You can File/Export (in Numbers 3.0) a converted spreadsheet back to Numbers 2.3 format if you want, or continue to use Numbers 2.3 exclusively as Apple kept the program in the Applications directory in a sub-directory.  So you have two versions of Numbers available to you.

Personally I am continuing to use Numbers 2.3 as it has required functionality (Apple Scripts) I need for my daily work.  However I can use Numbers 3 for learning the new version and will wait till it catches up with 2.3 with my needed functionality.

I think that Apple's primary goof was not telling Numbers users that there was this functionality break between 2.3 and 3.0 versions; everyone could have planned accordingly and lots of irritation been avoided.

It is so amazing how we accommodate Apple's goofs. I'd say the goof was they backtracked with numbers 3, leaving its pro users in the lurch.

Hi Bondi Locals,

How do you define "pro users"?  It's a great sounding term... Presumably it includes you and excludes anybody like me who finds productivity gains in the cross-platform nature and other features of the new Numbers? 

I would define real pro users as those who evaluate the tools and know how to pick the best ones for them to do the job, rather than make general derogatory statements that don't help anyone reading these discussions in the Support Communities.

I agree with Larry that Apple could have, and should have, done more to educate users on the transition and remind everyone that, unlike after an update in iOS, the old version remains available and works just as well as ever.

Despite how many times you repeat the claim, though, no one has been left "in the lurch." Numbers 2.3 works just as well as it always has. And there are encouraging signs that Numbers is once again under active development.

SG

My experience is similar. Opened regularly used documents with headers that didn't show up in numbers 3. Even after I opened in numbers 3, opening in 2.3 showed the document with headers. I didn't modify while in 3, so hope the same works for you. I did trash 3, and I'm back to where is was using 2.3 for my business. It's too bad Apple didn't explain that it was castrating numbers before they put it out, but at least the functionality is still there in the old version. I hate the complication of excel, but if we need a spreadsheet instead of an iPhone app we may be forced to go there.

The new version of Numbers is a joke and a very bad one at that.

It will cost my company thousands of dollars to switch to using MS Excel the only viable option at this point.

This is sad for Apple, the product manager on Numbers should be fired.

CJ

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Footers from previous files are missing all together from the documents.

This is bad, because it doesn't tell you that it's deleted them.

Change it back.

I've been a happy Apple user since the ][e days. This is the worst hoax perpetrated on the apple community since the death of the ][e.

We should be warned when an 'upgrade' is actually a downgrade!!

The whole iWorks thing is very bad. I wish there was a way to get to someone that mattered but like most big companies, there is no way.

I agree with this, you cannot even just change the colour of text and cell without going into several crappy charts, compared to the one click colour boxes in top menu before.  And they have taken away the most basic and USEFULL of 8x8 cololur chart I use every day to update my working tables.  Does anyone at Apple acutally use their stuff??

We do, apple paying customers, worst thing i idid was put new numbers onto my NEW mac mini, need to install '09 somehow.

The numbers iPad app is usefull as only read only to me, way to simple, they were better than this in the 90's!!!

Pisssed off customer.

What happened to copying patterns by making 2 cells highlighting cells and dragging '+' box in bottom corner to copy into new cells???

What happened to copying patterns by making 2 cells highlighting cells and dragging '+' box in bottom corner to copy into new cells???

I only just learnt this new trick a few weeks before I upgraded, now I cant do it.

I use it for adding a series of dates, copying data across cells, eg, costs in a budget.

When is it coming back with rest of 'Losses'???

When will Apple tell us the users.

the 'clutter' they talk about made it usable.  I do not have big screen to have empty space, I can use a 10" screen for that. 

extra space means the more information I can see in my large tables.  LET ME USE IT PLEASE APPLE.!@!!!

Do you mean the old colour window? View > Show Colors (shift Command c)

Choose a Palette, then drag a colour to a cell. Fill Down or Right as needed.

Regards,

Ian.

P.S. Numbers '09 (unless you deleted it) is in a folder called iWork '09 inside your Applications folder. . Ian.

P.P.S  Your second post by email, make extra space by hiding the Format Panel (click on the paintbrush).

Outdoordreamer, if you are talking about the little circle at the bottom right corner that you could drag to fill formulas and data to other cells, now the thing you grab and drag is a little yellow circle and it is located on the edge of the selection box, at the midpoint.