Tables for Mac

User Reviews

• Much better than expected

  ChristopherHughWApril 13, 2013

  Pros

  This program is very robust and easy-to-use, especially for the price. Although it probably lacks some of the more advanced features of Excel, it handles all of the basic functions of a spreadsheet extremely well. So far, I've found this program's interface easier to use than all of the Microsoft, OpenOffice, and Apple spreadsheet programs I've used in the past.

  Cons

  At first, I thought this program was seriously lacking in features until I discovered that the Inspector contains most of the program's functionality. While a well-made program should have all of its features available through the menu bar, I find the use of pop-up windows to be more efficient than menus or toolbars. With the Inspector, Font, and Color windows open, everything I need to change is only one or two clicks away.

  Summary

  I normally avoid paying for software when a free version is available, but a spreadsheet program is such an essential tool for anyone that needs to manipulate and present data that having a high quality version is worth the cost. In this case, Tables is worth every penny.

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• Simple to use. Gives you the basics

  wyomasonAugust 20, 2011

  Pros

  If you want to open and app, use it, and get out quickly, this is the one you want. Simple, easy to use, not bloated with features you never use.

  Cons

  If you want to open your spreadsheet in another application, you have to take the extra step of exporting it to the .xls or .csv format.

  Summary

  Don't expect to use it in place of a database application or to do pivot tables. This is for the quick and dirty, in and out spreadsheet needs.

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• Tables - the lean Excel

  Jak T RipMarch 4, 2009

  Pros

  Cons

  Summary

  This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />I bought tables, because Excel and Numbers are huge programs and I wanted to quickly open excel files and do basic things with it. It does this job. Here is my experience: Pro: - opens most Excel files without problems - opens up fast - most handling is rather intuitive - OSX native app - good price Con: - has a strange own format that creates big files. These files take longer to save than exporting into Excel, but they open up quicker. I'd rather have no format change at command+s. - Does not stick to all OSX hot keys. The most annoying is that command+&lt; does not swap between windows but zooms your window. HEY! I bought tables, because I wanted to be fully in the OSX world!! - _very_ slow scrolling when holding down mouse button on the up/down arrows. Also some other a actions are extremely slow (some are quick, though). Almost impossible to work on bigger files. - is less user friendly than I expected from an OSX app. Sometime this is understandable, because tables needs to mimic how (badly) Excel works, but sometimes I'd expect more clever/slick/direct/customizable ways of improving productivity. For example, most of the every day functions are (like in excel) hidden in the menus. They can not be linked to hot keys and they can not be put into the GUI as a button. In general, the menus feel like Excel and not like OSX. We can do better than that! Conclusion: - Tables is the right way to go for simple every day spreadsheet tasks. - For complex uses, you'll need Numbers and for full compatibility you'll need Excel or maybe OpenOffice. - I think tables is the best choice for me and it is worth the money, but I couldn't say that I love it, because it is still away from the very high standards other OSX apps set. I think that only very few things need to be enhanced in terms of usability/customizability/speed to make tables a true winner.

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• Excellent app

  xplicitSeptember 6, 2008

  Pros

  Cons

  Summary

  This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />Tables is one of my most favourite apps. It's easy to use, fast (unlike the sloooooow Apple Numbers), lean and reliable (unlike that other app from Microsoft, regarding both lean AND reliable). The developer is most helpful and responds quickly. So keep up the good work, thanks.

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• Great spreadsheet app

  decadenceJune 11, 2008

  Pros

  Cons

  Summary

  This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />If you are a normal Excel user, Tables is just what the doctor ordered. Straightforward, easy to use. Excel has been the irreplaceable jewel in the Microsoft Office suite for a long time. Excel was always faster and more sensible than Word. Tables is like an ideal Excel: trimmed down and with a more attractive interface. Unlike Numbers, Tables does not use a lot of resources, either memory or CPU. OTOH, there are some issues with font display (many fonts are unreadable at smaller sizes, although turning the default font to Lucida Grande solves those display issues). The price is high on account of the Euro-$ relationship. Over here in Europe, we have to live in Euros so I understand the pricing. I think Daniel would do well to take the low dollar into account and lower the price somewhat - about ten euros. It is a good value at the full price, but you have to think long and hard about whether to use Neooffice or not.

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• Better than Numbers and WAY better than Excel

  DaGaMsSeptember 19, 2007

  Pros

  Cons

  Summary

  This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />Tables is by far more stable and comfortable to use than Excel, but as mentioned in another comment here, Tables is also far more resource-friendly than Numbers. Opening very large files with 20000 columns or more becomes prohibitively slow in Numbers, whereas Tables handles them quite well. The other thing that I was very fond of was the support: The developer is extremely resonsive to user feedback. I had a feature request, he immediately took it up and a few versions down the line, it was part of the program. Just for the sake of it, I should say that to my knowledge, Tables is the only Spreadsheet program I know that can export LaTeX tables out of the box, without any macros or add-ins! I write a lot of scientific stuff in LaTeX and for me, this is the ultimate killer feature :-) I hope that this program will prosper, because the figures and diagrams part of it are already showing a lot of promise. They are not yet as complex as the ones in Excel, but the ones that are there look a lot better, on the other hand.

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• I Love This Program

  larrywilsonJuly 8, 2007

  Pros

  Cons

  Summary

  This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />Simple, stable and no Bill Gates on my MacBook Pro. What more can you ask for?

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• Great Product! Very Responsive Developer!

  robbnashvilleJuly 5, 2007

  Pros

  Cons

  Summary

  This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />This is indeed the spreadsheet to replace AppleWorks and to avoid Excel. It has all the features & formulas most users will need. Perhaps even more importantly, the developer is very responsive. I had an issue with the most recent update on the morning of July 4th here in the USA. I emailed him and attached the problem file. By the time I got home from afternoon celebrations, the fix was on his website along with an email to me personally regarding the cause of the issue. What more could you ask of anyone! If you've been waiting for a new spreadsheet, this is the one!

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• Excellent product

  dvk1March 31, 2007

  Pros

  Cons

  Summary

  This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />This is the best Excel althernative I have found so far. Excel and its clones are big, clumsy and outdated. Tables is more stable and easier to use than Mesa and far more attractive than Mariner Calc which is an interface mess and has basically been unchanged for years. I have paid and used for all of these three products and consider Tables to be giving me the best return on my money. Mesa might have won the game if they had kept updating it but PLSYS seem to have lost interest. I hope this one continues in development and is not overrun by something from Apple. The fact that Tables does not do graphs might bother you but I have ignored spreadsheets for charting for a long time anyway, using Stata (there are cheaper options!).

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• Crashes constantly

  mahutiDecember 20, 2006

  Pros

  Cons

  Summary

  This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />Tables may have advanced since the early version, but based on that experience, It will be quite a while before I try this application out again. My first experience suggested that Tables wasn't quite ready for a non-beta release. Within moments, Tables crashed. Within minutes, Tables crashed so hard, I actually had to restart my machine due. That's really bad. I've since deleted it from my machine. For $50, I would think the application would have been a little more finished than that. I hope your mileage varies... but as far as I'm concerned this is in no way a replacement for eXcel. Try ThinkFree Office instead.

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