is anyone else looking for an alternative to numbers since the update?

I would imagine a lot of people are looking for alternatives now, but I don't really understand why.

I started using Number '09 in 2009, when I got a new computer. Until that time I had used AppleWorks; since that time I have developed methods and documents to do things with Numbers that I used to do in the spreadsheet and database modules of AppleWorks, as well as some things that I never had to do before. Numbers '09 has worked fairly well for me and it continues to do so. Why would I look for a change?

Some of the things that I do, particularly with AppleScripts would not be possible on Numbers 3, so I'll continue to use the older version, which does work. I can still use AppleWorks on six of my seven Macs (and if I really wanted to, I could make it work on the newest one, in emulation) so I don't anticipate any problems continuing to use Numbers '09 well into the future.

If you are frustrated with the performance of Numbers before the update, look for an alternative, but if it's just the update that is bothering you, don't use it.

Why would you? You still have Numbers 2.3 on your computer (located in the folder /Applications/iWork '09" The new, free, version of Numbers has some things that are better and some things that are not better.

I was frustrated enough to go back to Excel. It is faster, more powerful, and has more options. That's for sure. But my time with Excel lasted only a few days. As with all Microsoft products, the organization of the controls and settings is horrendous. So many things are scattered around in so many poorly named multi-deep menu systems or on different "ribbons". Operations/buttons have similar sounding names but do very different things, often not what would be expected. Settings and operations that seem similar in nature are often in vastly different places. I know I can do what I need but I can't for the life of me figure out where to find the command/setting/method without going to the Internet and searching. And other things in Excel are just non-intuitive. Also, I am not a fan of monolithic worksheets; I like how Numbers does tables. So, I quickly became re-frustrated with Excel and decided to figure out how to work with Numbers 3.

Hi jeepmadmike,

Many features have been lost in Numbers 3. You can send feedback to Apple with Menu > Numbers > Provide Numbers Feedback.

As Jeff and Wayne said, you can use Numbers 2.

As Badunit said, you can find out how to work with Numbers 3.

Before you decide, have a read of these threads:

Features that Apple has promised to reinstate:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT6049

Hints on workarounds here:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5512949?answerId=23622372022#2362237202223622372

What has been GAINED in Numbers 3 is here:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5473882?start=75&tstart=0

What has been lost in Numbers 3 is here (with corrections where Apple has already reinstated some lost features in the Numbers 3.0.1 update:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5470448?start=240&tstart=0

Regards,

Ian.