Hi, C.M. Welcome to the Discussions.
While TextEdit can support tables, embedded images, lists, and import/export in Word format, the actual performance of these features is not, IMO, up to par with Word or other word processors. For example, table import and export is often problematic. There's little flexibility w.r.t. page numbering and other features one comes to expect from a true word processor. Therefore, what you mean by "occasional documents" is very important.
The following applications are frequently mentioned in discussions of MS Word alternatives. They each have their adherents and fans. In alphabetical order:
•
AppleWorks, essentially been superseded by Pages.
•
Mellel
•
Mariner Write
•
Nissius Writer Express
•
Pages, part of Apple's new iWork bundle.
•
Ulysses
Some additional "office suite" alternatives that are regularly mentioned include:
•
ThinkFree Office
•
NeoOffice: a free prototype of a port of
OpenOffice to Mac OS X.
You can investigate other solutions by searching
MacUpdate or
Version Tracker. The user-submitted reviews accompanying the listings can be helpful in sorting the wheat from the chaff.
You must compare your requirements against the features of each package to determine the one that best meets
your needs.
Good luck!
😉 Dr. Smoke
Author:
Troubleshooting Mac® OS X
