Have recently upgraded my iMac desktop to ElCapitan ver 10.11.4. The Numbers application remains at ver '09.
When using Numbers '09 help it refers to features that appear to apply to a newer version, which, after a search, is ver 3.6.1. I see no avenue to upgrade to this later version without paying for it on the App Store.
Should not the upgrade to the latest version of El Capitan also bring Numbers to its latest version?
Numbers, Keynote, Pages are part of iWorks which are paid Apple developed applications. iPhoto (replaced by Photos which is free), iMovie, and GarageBand are part of iLife which fall into the same category of additional paid Apple developed applications. These applications do come pre-installed with many new computers but they are still App Store applications that are separate from the operating system. Upgrading the operating system won't update App Store applications regardless if they were developed by Apple or a third party. Hope this helps to understand why upgrading the operating system did not also update Numbers. I would suggest contacting Apple to see if other options are available for updating Numbers instead of purchasing it again.
Many thanks for the response chroot. Do you know of a suitable Apple contact, to follow your suggestion in the last sentence?
Look up the number for your country here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201232
Or start a chat at https://getsupport.apple.com
Thanks again chroot for your response.
Am following those links.
Did Apple resolve this application upgrade issue? Previously, I upgraded from Lions to Yosemite whereupon Numbers, Pages, & Keynote appeared as applications as part of Yosemite, so I abandoned MS Office and my old iLife. But yesterday, I finally updated to El Capitan and now my new OS deleted Numbers, Pages, Keynote, and other previous applications contained in Yosemite instead of keeping them intact.
Question: Should I go back to Yosemite with its preinstalled Numbers, Pages, & Keynote? I'm comfortable staying with the older Pages, Numbers, Keynote, etc. and I heavy-hearted understand Apple's $ decision; but, I feel since Apple is usually more expensive to own, they include many value-added applications.
If Apple doesn't provide a favorable response, then I'll reload my original iLife applications from my original DVD onto El Capitan and hopes that still works. Forgive my unfavorable criticism, but I feel Apple gave a carrot while upgrading to Yosemite and then took it back when upgrading to El Capitan. If I had a magic wand, I would have wanted Apple to leave the existing applications intact while upgrading from Yosemite to El Capitan and let us decide to upgrade these applications instead of deleting them completely.
I do not work for Apple so I cannot tell you what Apple has or hasn't resolved or if there was even an issue to begin with. The older iLife and iWorks applications that were shipped on DVD media are not compatible with the newer versions of OS X and are not upgradeable through the App Store. They would need to be purchased again to upgrade to newer versions.
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203658
It's the same with Microsoft. If you install a new version of Windows that is no longer compatible with an old version of Office you will need to purchase a new version of Office. There is always the option of trying free office suites. I personally use LibreOffice since it's available for Windows, Linux, and OS X.
Numbers not upgraded with El Capitan
