Those are the big three applications, but Office also encompasses the desktop email software Outlook, note-taking app OneNote, and HTML editor SharePoint Designer. Chances are you've encountered at least one of the Office applications, whether that's Word, Excel, or PowerPoint. Microsoft's productivity software, Office, has been the gold standard for almost 26 years.

I'll also give you guidance on which service is right for your needs and your wallet. I won't dive too deep into how each program works, but instead point out the important features you should know about from each productivity suite. Those are a word processor for writing and editing text documents, a spreadsheet tool for organizing and analyzing data, and a presentation builder for creating slide shows. I also highlight two free offerings, Apache's OpenOffice and LibreOffice.Įach suites outlined in this post have three core programs. This guide takes you through the big three productivity suite options: Microsoft Office, Apple iWork, and Google Docs. We're taking this opportunity to take a look at the most popular productivity suite offerings to see how they compare. Now that Microsoft Office is available on the iPad, we all have yet another option to write, create spreadsheets, and build presentations on the go. O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.Editor's note, May 12, 2014: This post was updated to include details about Google's new Drive apps for Android and iOS. Get iWork: The Missing Manual now with the O’Reilly learning platform. In this appendix, the only App Stores you need to worry about are the ones that come preinstalled on your iDevice. (See for more on using iTunes with your iDevice.) You can use the iTunes store to download things such as TV shows and movies directly to your iDevice. If you’re wondering where iTunes fits into all of this, iTunes is an app that contains the iDevice App Store and lots of other music- and entertainment-related goodies. You use the Mac’s online App Store to (surprise, surprise) purchase programs that run on your Mac. The iDevice App Store is different from the Mac App Store that you see in your Mac’s Dock.

To download apps via the App Store, you use the App Store app that comes preinstalled on your iDevice. Here’s the lowdown:Īpple’s App Store is an online store where you can download apps for your iDevice. It’s easy to get confused by the different App Stores that Apple runs. UP TO SPEED: What’s with All the App Stores?

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