andrewyarbro19

Q: Using part of iWorks instead of Microsoft Offcie

Im in my first year of college and I have always been a Microsoft user (Windows OS and Office), but I don't want to use Microsoft Office because of the subscription ( Yes I know there is an option to but it once but I want to be able to have continuous updates). Is part of Apple's iWorks (Pages, Numbers and Keynote) good enough to use for a college student for day to day use? (Using this for college essays and papers) I am willing to be part of Apple's Ecosystem. I have a Macbook Pro 13' and an iCloud email address. I will be getting an iPhone and iPad in the future. Im planning to use just Safari too. I value having the ability of having everything be seamless and integrated with each other. My subscription to Office 365 Personal is going to expire in January and wanting to see of part of Apple's iWorks will work for me. What is your recommendation? 

MacBook Pro with Retina display, OS X El Capitan (10.11.6)

Posted on Sep 5, 2016 6:03 PM

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Q: Using part of iWorks instead of Microsoft Offcie

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  • by PeterBreis0807,

    PeterBreis0807 PeterBreis0807 Sep 7, 2016 9:23 AM in response to ckuan
    Level 8 (35,551 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 7, 2016 9:23 AM in response to ckuan

    I never recommended "Ms apps", this is not a two horse race, but you seem to be hearing something else.

     

    In fact I recommended LibreOffice [free]. The important thing is to use a widely usable, stable file format.

     

    So what issues are you aware of with Pages 5.6.2?, because I can and have run off a very long list of them here. The major one is not being able to open files for some indiscernible reason and because the format is unparseable you may as well abandon your files at that point.

     

    The real problem is that Apple has switched the format so often (without warning) and it is now only compatible with the very latest MacOS and iOS.

     

    Peter

  • by PeterBreis0807,

    PeterBreis0807 PeterBreis0807 Sep 7, 2016 9:43 AM in response to Tom Gewecke
    Level 8 (35,551 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 7, 2016 9:43 AM in response to Tom Gewecke

    Tom

     

    In some States and Territories in Australia there is what is effectively a senior high school for years 10-12, called Colleges. There are also trades oriented TAFEs (Technical and Further Education).

     

    Universities are universities.

     

    Peter

  • by ckuan,

    ckuan ckuan Sep 7, 2016 9:46 AM in response to PeterBreis0807
    Level 7 (33,252 points)
    Sep 7, 2016 9:46 AM in response to PeterBreis0807

    Word has the same problem, it also has many versions of its' own that are not compatible to its own product.

    Just a sample below from Wikipedia which I can attest while using Word.

    Cross-version compatibility[edit]

    Opening a Word Document file in a version of Word other than the one with which it was created can cause incorrect display of the document. The document formats of the various versions change in subtle and not so subtle ways (such as changing the font, or the handling of more complex tasks like footnotes). Formatting created in newer versions does not always survive when viewed in older versions of the program, nearly always because that capability does not exist in the previous version.[47] Rich Text Format (RTF), an early effort to create a format for interchanging formatted text between applications, is an optional format for Word that retains most formatting and all content of the original document.

     

    Well it's up to the OP to decide: If it's college requirements or not.

    'Nuff said.

  • by PeterBreis0807,

    PeterBreis0807 PeterBreis0807 Sep 7, 2016 9:50 AM in response to ckuan
    Level 8 (35,551 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 7, 2016 9:50 AM in response to ckuan

    You really don't listen do you?

     

    1. I am not recommending Ms Word

     

    2. Your inability to comprehend what is going on will be no comfort when you can not open a file and you can do nothing to rescue the contents.

     

    3. Just because you are not paying attention and have not encountered the problem yet, does not make it non-existent.

     

    Peter

  • by ckuan,

    ckuan ckuan Sep 7, 2016 1:28 PM in response to PeterBreis0807
    Level 7 (33,252 points)
    Sep 7, 2016 1:28 PM in response to PeterBreis0807

    You really don't listen do you?

    That's your opinion.


    1. I am not recommending Ms Word

    I didn't say you are recommending Word.

    I was just giving one example of compatibility issue which also includes LibreOffice.

    I got that you did not like Pages. I do and is sufficient for me.

     

    2. Your inability to comprehend what is going on will be no comfort when you can not open a file and you can do nothing to rescue the contents.

    Same as any other software when big changes were made. It happens all the time. We make sure we have backups.

     

    3. Just because you are not paying attention and have not encountered the problem yet, does not make it non-existent.

    Yes if I can work around an issue it does make it non-existent. Just because it's a problem for you doesn't make it mine. All software are tools, as an intelligent being, I choose what I know and will find a way.

    If I have to switch, I'll do so in a heartbeat. I don't cry over it.

     

    Anyway, it's not about me or you, nobody wins here.

    OP can decide, s/he's old enough.

  • by PeterBreis0807,

    PeterBreis0807 PeterBreis0807 Sep 7, 2016 6:54 PM in response to ckuan
    Level 8 (35,551 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 7, 2016 6:54 PM in response to ckuan

    You are exhausting.

     

    LibreOffice uses open document format, which is exactly what it says and is designed for long term document storage and use and can be parsed when things go south. As part of that it opens and saves to almost every known format, except .pages. Because .pages is an absolute PITA, it breaks and when it breaks, that's it, forget it.

     

    Do your work in .pages and you are saying goodbye to it, but just don't know when. Apple has changed the format with almost every OS in the last few years, even several format changes in the first year. DON'T trust serious work to .pages. Bleedin' obvious.

     

    You are convinced by what little you know, so this is not addressed to you, it is addressed to whomever comes across this thread and may be following what is regrettable advice.

     

    Peter

  • by ckuan,

    ckuan ckuan Sep 8, 2016 1:48 AM in response to andrewyarbro19
    Level 7 (33,252 points)
    Sep 8, 2016 1:48 AM in response to andrewyarbro19

    And now with the beta release of new collaboration features, your team can work together in real time on a Mac, iPad or iPhone — even on a PC using iWork for iCloud.

    http://www.apple.com/au/iwork/

  • by Tom Gewecke,

    Tom Gewecke Tom Gewecke Sep 8, 2016 5:37 AM in response to ckuan
    Level 9 (79,055 points)
    Sep 8, 2016 5:37 AM in response to ckuan

    ckuan wrote:

     

    And now with the beta release of new collaboration features,

     

     

    Long awaited and most welcome!  Hopefully it is not too buggy.  It would be nice to not have to refer people who need this to Google Drive, which has been the case for the last 6 years or so...

  • by ckuan,

    ckuan ckuan Sep 8, 2016 5:49 AM in response to Tom Gewecke
    Level 7 (33,252 points)
    Sep 8, 2016 5:49 AM in response to Tom Gewecke

    Tom Gewecke wrote:

     

    ckuan wrote:

     

    And now with the beta release of new collaboration features,

     

     

    Long awaited and most welcome!  Hopefully it is not too buggy.  It would be nice to not have to refer people who need this to Google Drive, which has been the case for the last 6 years or so...

    True. But I guess the software needs to be tested on the field to ironed out the bugs.

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