Getting Started with Numbers on Mac: Lesson 1 – Accessible Table Layout & Editing

In this episode, Gaurav begins his journey into mastering spreadsheets with Apple’s free app,Numberson Mac. 📊 Using an insightful AppleVis podcast as his guide, he learns how to open a spreadsheet and navigate it efficiently with VoiceOver.

If you're new to spreadsheets, Numbers is an ideal starting point—especially since it’s bundled with every Mac. It’s highly accessible for VoiceOver users and perfectly suited for basic tasks. While Microsoft Excel is the go-to for complex data analysis and advanced features, Numbers excels at simplicity and even lets you export files to Excel when needed.

In this episode, Gaurav sets up a basic quarterly budget sheet, placing categories like Food, Water, Transportation, and Internet in the first column, and January through March across the top. It’s a simple project, but rewarding—watching the structure take shape is a great introduction to working with data.

Choosing a Spreadsheet App

• Numbers: Free with every Mac as part of iWork.
• Excel: Part of Microsoft Office, offers robust data tools.

Accessibility & Usability

• Numbers is beginner-friendly and VoiceOver-optimized.
• Excel supports complex tasks like pivot tables and macros.

Getting Started in Numbers

• Launch with Command + Space, then type “Numbers”.
• Press Command + N to start a new spreadsheet.
• Choose a template using arrow keys, then Enter to select.

Interface Overview

• Sheet Navigator: Switch between spreadsheet pages.
• Format Panel: Adjust text, background color, and cell formats.
• Table Format Tools: Customize table layout and appearance.

Basic Keyboard Navigation

• Command + Up/Down Arrow: Jump to top or bottom.
• Command + Left/Right Arrow: Move to far left/right.
• Option + Enter: Begin editing a selected cell.

Creating a Budget Sheet

• Enter months across the top row using the Right Arrow.
• Add expense categories down the first column.
• Fill in amounts, pressing Enter after each entry.

Reviewing Your Work

• Use VoiceOver to check entries with VO + C (column header) and VO + R (row header).
• Confirm content cell by cell before finishing your session.

Transcript

Disclaimer: This transcript was generated by AI Note Taker – VoicePen, an AI-powered transcription app. It is not edited or formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers’ names, voices, or content.

Gaurav: Good morning, everyone. Today, I'm going to start a basic course on how to use the numbers spreadsheet application for the Mac. Right now, to start with, I just want to cover a few basic differences between choosing between…