Comments and Track Changes Support

Unfortunately, no user error on your part. Pages strips out comments and accepts tracked changes on import. I have tested this with third party apps like QuickOffice and Documents to Go with the same result. The only way I found to create a tracked history on the iPad is to use the versioning feature in Google Docs. I know, I'm a business attorney too and that is far from optimal.

I fully expect a Pages upgrade in this area or a third party to provide this type of app. I understand the idea behind creating "lean" apps for the iPad (Lord knows there are plenty of features in Word and Pages I never use that I don't miss) but losing the ability to track changes seems like a mistake.

Josh
tabletlegal.com

Yeah, this simply will not work for me. I NEED the ability to see and edit "track changes". Not just that but if I were then to send the document out again, everyone else's changes are toast. Now I have to carry my MBP most places since track changes is a big part of our research workflow.

I concur with the rest of the commentors. I was looking into whether I could use iPad as my "road computer" and was most of the way to getting there. I can deal with working in Pages and importing/exporting from/to Word but I rarely work a document other than in track changes. The combination of not being able to do this and the fact that Pages simply accepts all changes in the imported document is a deal killer.

It's a shame. In a lot of ways, the iPad would be a big improvement on my laptop. It is obviously not a substitute for my iPhone so, if it is not a substitute for my laptop either, it is just one more piece of gear to schlep.

If Apple wants to sell this thing to lawyers (yep, I'm one too)or other people who really work documents they need to solve this problem. Best would be to allow Word but track changes, in one format or another, is a requirement for serious document processing. I can live without the ability to put a giraffe anywhere in my document I want to but track changes is serious.

Same issues as others. I am an attorney who needs to be able to see tracked changes and redline on the fly. I suppose for just reviewing the redline, you can aske the sender to send the redline as a PDF?

My work around for a one time viewing is to convert the document to a pdf on my desktop Mac. Then sync or send to recipients iPad. The changes are viewable,but not editable. Recipient can only comment through email.

The lack of track changes is one of the biggest mistakes for me too. I don't want this to be a laptop replacement, but I do want this to be able to consume documents which are for discussion between my workgroups.

The lack of this feature is the one reason I can't rely on my iPad to replace my laptop for work.

I was just about to purchase an iPad with the 3G plan to work from our cottage this summer but without the possibility of using track changes back and forth to work cooperatively with my colleagues and our word processing staff, I am afraid that I will have to wait for Apple to correct this problem before I can make the purchase. I am really disappointed. 😟

Message was edited by: ccg2010

Realistically, I don't think we can expect to use Pages to make workflow revisions to a complex MSWord document, with or without track changes, on the iPad - at least in the immediate future. There are just too many formatting issues. However, like the commenter above, I find that converting complex documents to PDF format and then reviewing and commenting using iAnnotate works pretty well. The new version of iAnnotate allows you to email the PDF with your annotations intact.

A useful workaround is to change the font style and color in pages iPad for your first change. You can then copy and paste the text style for subsequent changes. Different reviewers could use different colors. Not as elegant as a real track changes function, but it works.

pity that Microsoft don't provide a cut down or slim version of Word and then the problem would disappear. I think expecting Pages to replicate track changes could be a long wait - hope I am wrong because the ipad virtually replaces my Laptop Apps and makes less indentation in my shoulder!

In the FAQs, Apple states:

During the import process, Pages creates a copy of the imported document and retains the original. > After the import process, changes made to the content or document layout are listed for review.

Does that mean, that the track-changes and foot-/endnotes won't be deleted when I reopen the file on a Mac again?

Me too

Please add me to the list. I'd love to have Track Changes available in Pages; it would go a long way to making the iPad a laptop replacement instead of addition on the road.

I hope Apple devs are reading this forum. Comments and tracking changes would be a killer feature for Pages, since currently no other office productivity apps have these features. The only reason I still have to lug my MacBook around instead of my iPad is the lack of track changes, and this is only adding injury to an already bad shoulder!