iWork, Apple’s answer to the Microsoft Office suite, also has an online component. iWork.com is Apple’s version of Google Docs, and it allows iWork users to share files with both Apple and PC users. I’ve never used it personally, but that’s because I don’t collaborate with anybody. And if I do, I just e-mail them a .doc file.

Anyways, Apple sent out an e-mail about the iWork.com public beta yesterday. Here it is in its entirety:

An important service message about the iWork.com public beta.

Dear iWork.com beta member,

We’re pleased to announce the availability of new features and enhancements to iWork.com.

Share documents on websites and social networks. iWork.com allows you to share a document by creating a public link. Use the link to share your document with large groups or on websites and social networks. There’s no need to set a password or send an invitation. Anyone with the public link can view your document but cannot add comments or notes.

Improved Shared Documents page. Download documents shared on iWork.com without leaving the Shared Documents page. You can also track the number of views your publicly shared documents receive.

Refined user interface. A redesigned Sign In and Shared Documents page for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch makes it easy to access your documents while on the go. The new interface and improved scrolling help you find your shared documents faster. Visit www.iwork.com from your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch to view your shared documents.

To take advantage of iWork.com and these new features, make sure you are using the latest version of iWork on your Mac. To update iWork on your Mac, go to the Apple menu, choose Software Update, and install any available updates for iWork. Then, to share a document from Keynote ‘09, Pages ‘09, or Numbers ‘09, choose “Share via iWork.com” from the Share menu.

Thank you for using iWork.com. We hope you enjoy these enhancements to your service. After you’ve had a chance to try them out, we invite you to tell us what you think.

Sincerely,

The iWork.com Team

I tried it out earlier today and it’s pretty neat. The document loads up right on the screen and you can make changes, download it or print it. It’s very Apple-esque, with clean lines and icons, and very similar to MobileMe. Will it make me use it? I dunno for sure, but will you?

Keynote 4.0.4 deals with compatibility issues with Microsoft Power Point, and other general compatibility issues. Pages 3.0.3 and Numbers 1.0.3 also fix the incredibly general “general compatibility issues”.

Each download clocks in at roughly 30 Mbs and can be obtained now.

There is no official word from Apple about why this is, but I’m sure the pirates out there will be happy that getting iWork ‘09 will be easier than ever.

If you’re chomping at the bit to try iWork ‘09, Apple has posted a 30 Day trial of the application that you can upgrade to the full version at any time – just like with previous incarnations of the software.

So don’t worry about ordering it online and having it shipped, or stopping by an Apple store – you can get it right now.

I downloaded it last night, and spent a few minutes with it, but not enough time yet to have an opinion on if it’s worth upgrading or not. Hopefully after Macworld I can spend some time with the software and get a good look at it. Right now, it’s hard to notice much change, just glancing at it.

You can get the download here and give it a try for yourself right now.

Introduces iWork.com Public Beta for Online Document Sharing

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Apple(R) today introduced iWork(R) ‘09, the latest version of Apple’s popular office productivity suite, which adds powerful new features without sacrificing Apple’s legendary ease of use. Keynote(R) ‘09 introduces advanced object transitions, which automatically animate objects with a choice of effects and Magic Move, an innovative way to create sophisticated animations just by applying a simple transition. Pages(R) ‘09 features a new Full Screen view that helps you focus on your writing and an outline mode to organize your thoughts. Numbers(R) ‘09 introduces a quick way to group and summarize data and a dramatically simplified way to create complex formulas. Apple also announced iWork.com public beta, a new service Apple is developing to share iWork ‘09 documents online.
“Millions of Mac users have fallen in love with iWork,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “With iWork ‘09, Apple continues to demonstrate that innovation is possible in office productivity software, and that creating impressive presentations, documents and spreadsheets doesn’t need to be complicated.”
Keynote ‘09 introduces Magic Move, which allows you to apply a simple transition to automatically animate the position, scale, rotation and opacity of any image, graphic or text that is repeated on consecutive slides. New text transitions morph text from one slide to the next. New advanced object transitions animate objects off one slide while simultaneously animating objects onto the next slide with a choice of effects. 3D charts now include cylinder shapes, beveled-edge pie charts, new textures and four new 3D build effects. The Keynote Remote application, sold separately in the App Store, lets you view slides and presenter notes and control your presentation with your iPhone(TM) or iPod(R) touch.
Pages ‘09 Full Screen view lets you focus on your document without any distractions and reveals the menus, format bar and page navigator only when needed. Outline mode includes templates that help to quickly build the framework for your document and allow you to collapse, expand and rearrange elements, even inline graphics, with ease. MathType 6 support lets engineers, mathematicians and students easily add sophisticated equations to their documents and EndNote X2 integration lets users add and edit comprehensive bibliographic references. Pages ‘09 also includes 40 new Apple-designed templates, including newsletters, posters, certificates and coordinated stationery.

Numbers ‘09 provides a great way to quickly categorize data by column, which you can then collapse, expand and summarize to easily make sense of large sets of data. Numbers ‘09 makes formula writing dramatically easier with an enhanced function browser which includes built-in help for over 250 functions, and visual placeholders with tool tips that explain each variable in a formula. Use the new Formula List to view all formulas in your entire spreadsheet and jump directly to any formula cell with a single click. Expanded chart options include mixed chart types, two-axis charts, and the ability to apply trend lines and error bars. Numbers charts pasted into Pages or Keynote are linked, and can be updated with a single click.
Apple also introduced iWork.com public beta, a new service Apple is developing to share iWork ‘09 documents online. Using your Apple ID, just click the iWork.com icon in the Keynote, Pages or Numbers toolbar to upload your document and invite others to view it online. Viewers can provide comments and notes, and download a copy of your document in iWork, Microsoft Office or PDF formats. A consolidated online list of all your shared documents indicates when your viewers have posted comments.

Pricing & Availability
iWork ‘09 is now available through the Apple Store(R) (http://www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers for a suggested retail price of $79 (US). iWork ‘09 is available for $49 (US) with the purchase of any Mac(R) through the Apple Store, Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers.
iWork ‘09 requires Mac OS(R) X version 10.4.11 or Mac OS X version 10.5.6 or later, a Macintosh(R) computer with an Intel processor, PowerPC G5, or 500 MHz or faster PowerPC G4, 512MB of RAM (1GB recommended), 32MB of video RAM, QuickTime(R) 7.5.5 or later, a DVD drive for installation and 1.2GB of available disk space. iWork.com Public Beta is not included with the purchase of iWork ‘09. Account setup and activation are required. Fees may apply. Internet access and iWork ‘09 are required. Terms of service apply and are available at http://www.apple.com/legal/iworkcom/en/terms.html.

Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market with its revolutionary iPhone.

(C) 2009 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, Mac, Mac OS, Macintosh, iWork, Keynote, Pages, Numbers, iPhone, iPod, Apple Store and QuickTime are trademarks of Apple. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.