We have a macbook at home (we have a name for it too, we call it Shimla, the most romantic place for us). Like all latest macbooks, this one too came with a trail version of iWork. Even though I have used iWork before, this time I wanted to compare iWork numbers with Excel. In this post, I want to highlight 7 really cool features for iWork and how Microsoft excel can benefit from implementing the same.
1. iWork comes with sexy templates
When you try to make a new Numbers document, iWork asks you to select from some of the templates. The templates are really practical and very cool. For eg. they have a template for creating a check-list, product comparison worksheet, household budget. These are really easy to use and work to the point.
With excel 2007, MS introduced several new templates and gave us an option to import templates from web. But still, users resort to quite a few workarounds when it comes to building a neat looking worksheet. We all could benefit if something like this is available in Excel.
2. Simple but effective Paste Options
When you copy some values in to clipboard and try to paste them, iWork gives you an option to “paste values” and “paste and match styles”. 2 most commonly used paste options.
In excel, this is usually hidden in paste special menu (in 2007, paste values is available as a menu choice as well). Excel veterans know the ALT+ESV shortcut by heart. It would be cool to have these options highlighted in the menus and given easy to remember shortcuts.
3. Making Checkboxes, Sliders, Steppers ad List boxes is very easy
In iWork Numbers, to get a checkbox in a cell, all you need to do is format the cell as “checkbox”. You can also format a cell as slider, stepper or “pop-up menu” (usually known as combo box).
This is very easy compared to all the form control based stuff we are used to Excel. If MS implements this idea, we dont need to resort to sneaky tricks to get a bunch of checkboxes in excel or use wingdings font.
4. Quick summary of data
Whenever you select a bunch of numbers, iWork Numbers displays 5 quick statistics about the data, in the status area of the numbers application. (Unlike excel, iWork numbers has status bar in the left side).
Excel also shows the quick summary in the status bar, but usually the sum of values. (In excel 2007, you can configure the stats you want to see, thus mimicking this behavior. But it would surely help if these 5 stats are “always on” by default.
5. Cleaner Menu / toolbar area
While MS is going towards ribbon based interfaces for all their applications, iWork keeps the UI relatively simple and uncluttered. The toolbar area, shown below contains the vital buttons to make a filter, format a cell, create a chart, insert a function, table and change views. Everything else is buried one level deep.
This could be a more effective way to expose a complex application’s functionality. MS should consider these UI options as well.
6. Inspector Dialog for all the formatting options
Excel has a ton of dialogs to format cells, charts, drawings, printer settings, tables and more. In iWork, there is one dialog for all of these, called as inspector window. Using this you can setup printer options, page layout, table design, cell formatting, chart formatting, font, text, paragraph settings, drawing shape formats and other inserted object (such as movies) formats. Based on the selected item, the inspector window shows the corresponding tab where you can adjust the formatting.
This could be a great way to reduce the popup fatigue in Excel. In Excel 2007, MS introduced new popups that further complicated the way even a simple chart axis formatting. We all could benefit if MS implements simpler dialog boxes modeled after the inspector.
7. Switch rows and columns in charts intuitively
In iWork Numbers, to switch rows and columns in a chart, all you had to do is select the chart and then click on the little button that appears next to data range of the chart.
In excel you can do this using “select data” options of the chart. But doing this without leaving the worksheet is much more intuitive and cooler.
Have you tried iWork Numbers?
Apple is famous for its design sense and beautiful products. iWork is no exception. It is a visual treat to work with iWork.
What is your opinion about it?
13 Responses to “Convert fractional Excel time to hours & minutes [Quick tip]”
Hi Purna..
Again a great tip.. Its a great way to convert Fractional Time..
By the way.. Excel has two great and rarely used formula..
=DOLLARFR(7.8,60) and =DOLLARDE(7.48,60)
basically US Account person uses those to convert some currency denomination.. and we can use it to convert Year(i.e 3.11 Year = 3 year 11 month) and Week(6.5 week = 6 week 5 days), in the same manner...
This doesn't work for me. When applying the custom format of [h]:mm to 7.8 I get 187:12
Any ideas why?
@Jason
7.8 in Excel talk means 7.8 days
=7.8*24
=187.2 Hrs
=187 Hrs 12 Mins
If you follow Chandoo's instructions you will see that he divides the 7.8 by 24 to get it to a fraction of a day
Simple, assuming the fractional time is in cell A1,
Use below steps to convert it to hours & minutes:
1. In the target cell, write =A1/24
2. Select the target cell and press CTRL+1 to format it (you can also right click and select format cells)
3. Select Custom from “Number” tab and enter the code [h]:mm
4. Done!
Hi, sorry to point this out but Column C Header is misspelt 'Hours Palyed'
good one
So how do I go the other way and get hours and minutes to fractional time?
If you have 7.5 in cell A1,
- Use int(A1) to get the hours.
- Use mod(A1,1)*60 to get minutes.
If you have 7:30 (formatted as time) in A1
- Use hours(a1) to get hours
- Use minutes(a1) to get minutes.
I had the same issue. You can solve it by changing the format as described above:
Right click cell > Format Cells > (In Number tab) > Custom > Then enter the code [h]:mm
([hh]:mm and [hhh]:mm are nice too if you want to show leading zeros)
Thanks guys, these are the tips I'm looking for.
...dividing the number of minutes elapsed by the percent change is my task - "int" is the key this time
It doesnt work for greater than 24 hours
It returns 1:30 for 25.5 hours. It should have returned 25:30
Ideally I would right function as
=QUOTIENT(A1,1)&":"&MOD(A1,1)*60
Sorry, replied to wrong comment....
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I had the same issue. You can solve it by changing the format as described above:
Right click cell > Format Cells > (In Number tab) > Custom > Then enter the code [h]:mm
([hh]:mm and [hhh]:mm are nice too if you want to show leading zeros)
Clever use of MOD here to extract the decimal part of a number. Divide a number containing a decimal by 1 and return the remainder. Humm. Very clever.
Thanks very much, extremely useful !