what is the best word processing program for mac?

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There are different word processing applications you can use:

1. Microsoft Word for Mac: this is the most complete word processing application and the most recommended one if you will be editing documents in PCs. However, it is the most expensive application, and it is included in Microsoft Office for Mac.
2. Apple Pages: this app has received an update recently that has changed its interface and has dropped a lot of features. I do not recommend you to use it.
3. LibreOffice: this is a free and open-source application, and it works properly with Office documents. If you have doubts about the application to choose, I recommend you to try this application first.

There are more, but those three are the most important ones

Apple Pages is definitely the best for Mac. It is sleek, simple, exactly like a Mac.

mende1 wrote:

2. Apple Pages: ... has changed its interface and has dropped a lot of features

It was hasn't dropped any features, if anything. Added them.

mende1 wrote:

I do not recommend you to use it.

I'm sorry mende1 but you are wrong. Apple Pages is amazing. I have used it for years. It has only gotten better.

Hope that Helped,

Aiden

Mmm, have a look at the Pages forum. You will not see anybody who agrees with you.

Apple Pages is still great in old versions, but the problem is that the new version is not so great. Apple has dropped features (moreover, they have been forced to post this in the Apple Support site) and has changed the interface, apart from the terrible bugs the new version has got. Because of this and many other things, you should go for Word or LibreOffice, which is free

MS Word, plain and simple

Apple pages doesnt even come close

next would be SCRIVENER

then for authors IA Writer

Agree with Mende, I couldnt even be forced to use Pages

however also dont like Libre Office

Libre Office is a 'cheap' version of Word in several ways.

😊

Open Office is free and great.

I agree with PlotinusVeritas: nothing beats Microsoft Word for a full-blown word processor.

You know the maxim, "You get what you pay for?"? Same goes for the best word processor for OS X.

Good luck,

Clinton

That's an impossible question to answer - what type of writing will you be doing?

Before we can point you in a direction you need to tell us what kind of writing you will be doing. As phrased, the question is a bit like "what's the best car?" Well few would doubt that a Ferrari is superior to a Honda minivan, but the Ferrari will not much use if you're dragging 4 kids, two dogs and the grandparents along.

Academic?

Word is the nearest thing to a standard format in the Humanties, but in the sciences and math you'll find Tex more useful for laying out formulas. The older Pages is quite good as a substitute for Word in many cases in the Humanties, but you'll have big problems with citations in the newer version. Apps like Nisus Writer Pro and Mellel are more powerful than Pages, but each have shortcomings. Scrivener and Ulysses are excellent drafting tools but you'll need a Word Processor for final layout. There are lots and lots of lightweight editors out there - Byword, iaWriter (and Writer Pro), OmmWriter - that have little functional use in Academic settings - poor or no support for citations for instance, or poor or no interoperability with Word - but which might be excellent for other uses.

So, back to the key question: what kind of writing will you be doing?

Dohhh , I forgot to mention Ulysses , got it and love it

IA Writer is very good..............but IA Writer PRO is getting huge negative reviews, serious flaws apparently

It just scored a 3 out of 10 from

http://mac.appstorm.net/reviews/office-review/writer-pro-is-an-exercise-in-disap pointment/

I think a lot of the negative comment on WriterPro is based on their claim to have invented this syntax control feature, whereas it's actually part of the Apple background libraries. Ulysses is great, III is much better and more accessible than either I or II versions, and I use it every day, but it is a mite eccentric and might not suit all tastes. Thas said, for me, it feels more comfortable than Scrivener. But that's a subjective take on it. Once a project gets too long, over to Scrivener it goes - round about draft 3 or so.

Word is the standard, no doubt about it, but it is expensvie and some folks mention that it can have issues under very long projects. And, again, for me, I just don't like how ot renders on the screen, plus it has a whole load of tools that I have no need for. That said, anything I choose has to be interoperate with Word - comments support, especially.

But again, it comes down to the kind of writing you are doing. The tools needed to write a sonnet or a C.V. are not the same as the ones needed to write up an article for an academic journal, nor are those the same as the tools needed for very long form projects like a novel or a doctoral thesis.

Ohh I know, I write a few books and articles and translations, and people have diff. needs for writing, and there is no "perfect" APP for writing, depends on needs, use/ etc. etc.

Ive owned upteen versions of Word, theyve all had a few bugs here and there to be sure.

Word isnt perfect for everything, in which case Ulysses or IA Writer is best. Diff (pen) strokes for diff folks on the writing APPS, some however are certainly counter intuitive and frustrating regardless of what type of writing your doing

much of it is subjective true, the rest is "how buggy / intuitive is the APP"

Hey rwoods,

If you get the new Mac's, they come with the app Pages already pre-installed and free of charge, which is a pretty good word processor.

Microsoft Word is defintely a step up with more features like others have said, but paying for it if you get Pages for free isn't necessary.