While I did download the demo (hey, I’m impatient!), I had already ordered my copy the minute the store came back up after the keynote so I was suprised to see that my iWork 09 box had no serial numbers anywhere. Both the 07 and 08 had serial numbers and my trial was asking me for one, so I figured there was a error with my copy and that I would have to ask Apple to fix it.

But that’s when I got the idea of deleting the trial and installing the boxed copy. The installer never asked for a serial number and when I launched the applications, they were fully registered. A quick search on Google revealed that indeed the retail copy doesn’t need a serial at all. It’s the best of both world, you can get instant satisfaction with a downloadable copy or a no-hassle solution with a retail copy.

It’s little details like this that makes all the difference. Adobe and Microsoft should perhaps pay attention.