There is an old saying that, “there are lies, damn lies, and statistics.” Without passing judgment, I frequently have need to insert graphs and charts into presentations and a lot of times it is much harder than it should be. While I am a big fan of Apple’s Numbers application, it has its limitations.

This is where the Omni Group’s latest gem, OmniGraphSketcher comes into play. This application allows you to make very precise graphs. OmniGraphSketcher takes graphing out of the spreadsheet. It, essentially, combines a charting tool with a drawing application. In very little time you will be able to create accurate graphs with colorful data sets and highlights, curves, and shading without requiring an advanced degree in mathematics and statistics.

Running OmniGraphSketcher, I was able to draw my own graphs or import data from Excel and Numbers sheets as a starting point for beautiful looking graphs. Once the basics were set up, annotations, shapes, arrows, and tick marks were simple and effective.

OmniGraphSketcher also makes it easy to export graphics for use in other applications. After using this application for some time, it is obvious some of the OmniGraffle team was involved. Once again, the Omni Group has created an application I didn’t realize I needed, but now can’t live without.

If you routinely work with presenting data, this $30 application is certainly worth downloading. As with all other Omni products, there is a student discount and free trial.
You can listen to this review on the Surfbit’s MacReviewCast.