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Did Pages 5.6 Drop Appleworks Compatibility?

I just upgraded to El Capitan and also downloaded new versions of iWork software. I noticed that the old versions were left untouched on the hard drive. Good thing, because I have now noticed that the new version will not open an old Appleworks document. In fact, it seems that it will not open nor save even a text document?? Am I missing something?

MacBook Pro (15-inch Mid 2012), OS X El Capitan (10.11.2), , Apple since 1979!

Posted on Jan 20, 2016 6:22 AM

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Posted on Jan 20, 2016 6:32 AM

It was dropped in Pages 5.0.


(138599)

40 replies

Jan 22, 2016 5:50 AM in response to GeneMike

AppleWorks support was dropped in OS X Lion back in 2011, though the word processing and spreadsheet files can still be opened in Pages '09 v4.3/Numbers '09 v2.3. All releases of Pages v5 (including v5.6.1) do not open AppleWorks, or RTF documents.


Pages v5.6.1 is not the default opening application for text documents (.txt). It is TextEdit. You can open a text document in Pages v5.6.1 by drag/drop the text file's finder icon on the Pages v5.6.1 application icon, or by using control-click (two-finger tap) to open the contextual menu, where you can specify open with Pages (5.6.1).


Pages applications translate any opened file (even text files) into the internal .pages document format. There is no save in other file formats, but you can certainly discover Plain Text… on the File menu : Export To menu.


The free LibreOffice application suite can open AppleWorks v5 and v6 word processing, and spreadsheet documents (unless overly complex). This allows you to migrate these to Word document formats, and then Pages itself if that is a goal.

Jan 20, 2016 6:51 AM in response to VikingOSX

Thanks! It certainly makes you think twice about using Pages as your main word processing tool.


Once an avid Appleworks user, I did my best to convert them all to text years ago but, I occasionally run across one still there. What concerns me now is all the letters I have written in Pages 4 that may become non accessible in some future decision.

Jan 22, 2016 5:50 AM in response to GeneMike

Apple has a history of making islanders out of AppleWorks and Pages users.


The release of Pages v5.6.1 added the ability to open Pages '06, and '08 documents to the existing '09 document support. It took Apple 2 years to achieve this feat., and main stream word processing features are still absent from Pages v5.6.1. By deed, Apple is simply clueless, or at best, uncommitted to adding modern and necessary word processing features in Pages. Serious time to plan/execute document migration to the far more portable Word document format.


The real issue is that Pages v5 was not based on Pages '09, and there is a huge feature discrepancy between the more capable Pages '09 and any release of Pages v5. This does not always add up to forward document compatibility, and there is no backward compatibility from Pages v5 documents without the Export to Pages '09 facility.

Jan 20, 2016 2:44 PM in response to GeneMike

GeneMike wrote:


Thanks! It certainly makes you think twice about using Pages as your main word processing tool.


Once an avid Appleworks user, I did my best to convert them all to text years ago but, I occasionally run across one still there. What concerns me now is all the letters I have written in Pages 4 that may become non accessible in some future decision.


We have been warning users about this for many years. Unfortunately it takes a long hard shock to get people's attention and even then, a lot of people still ignore the reality.


Apple has dumped just about everyone of their Pro Applications, with users' work a direct casualty. The few left can be expected to have a short relief until Apple gets around to knifing those too.


DO NOT TRUST any work to Apple's software particularly the current gutted versions which have changed formats multiple times and can not be opened by even relatively older versions of OSX/software.


Peter

Jan 21, 2016 8:59 PM in response to GeneMike

GeneMike wrote:


Thanks! It certainly makes you think twice about using Pages as your main word processing tool.


Once an avid Appleworks user, I did my best to convert them all to text years ago but, I occasionally run across one still there. What concerns me now is all the letters I have written in Pages 4 that may become non accessible in some future decision.

If you come across any Appleworks database files or complex graphics, you can still open them:


Appleworks installed in Snow Leopard Server running in Parallels for use in Lion, Mt. Lion, Mavericks, Yosemite and El Capitan:


User uploaded file

[click on image to enlarge]


Snow Leopard Server is available for $20 from the Apple Store by telephone only: 1.800.MYAPPLE (1.800.692.7753) - Apple Part Number: MC588Z/A


Installing Snow Leopard Server into Parallels for DUMMIES:


http://forums.macrumors.com/threads/installing-snow-leopard-and-rosetta-into-par allels-7-in-lion.1365439/page-23#post-17285039

Jan 22, 2016 8:38 AM in response to GeneMike

Just keep an old Mac around if you want to use older software.


Simpler, cheaper, less convoluted and certainly safer.


When something doesn't work you will be able to eliminate the vagaries of buggy Snow Leopard Server, Parallels, any unnecessary partitioning or inadequate RAM & Virtual Memory because you threw a good chunk of it all away on setting up the above.


All of the above may interact in unpredictable ways. If you are having problems getting your work done now, wait until you are doing it underwater, on your head, and with one hand tied behind your back.


Just 20 years of experience as a Studio Manager and another 15 doing support:


K.I.S.S.


Peter


<Image Edited by Host>

Jan 22, 2016 6:41 AM in response to PeterBreis0807

PeterBreis0807 wrote:


Just keep an old Mac around if you want to use older software.

That is a good suggestion, especially one for those who need to use legacy hardware that is not supported by modern Macs, even with virtualization.


However, depending upon the daily importance of the access to the OP's PowerPC application, owning an old Mac is just that: an old Mac! One day, he will turn it on and it will fail with no ability to gain support from Apple. Perhaps you will drop by with your 20 years of experience and another 15 doing support and fix it for him...


PeterBreis0807 wrote:


When something doesn't work you will be able to eliminate the vagaries of buggy Snow Leopard Server, Parallels, any unnecessary partitioning or inadequate RAM & Virtual Memory because you threw a good chunk of it all away on setting up the above.

There is no groundswell of evidence to support any of these claims. If the OP choses not to purchase an older Mac, you are needlessly injecting worry and concern for what represents the only solution to his running PowerPC software.


This method of running PowerPC software continues to help countless users in need of such a solution, including the hundreds that I have helped in the last 4+ years (since the release of OS X Lion) with such problems:


http://forums.macrumors.com/threads/installing-snow-leopard-and-rosetta-into-par allels-7-in-lion.1365439/

Jan 22, 2016 12:07 PM in response to PeterBreis0807

PeterBreis0807 wrote:


When something doesn't work you will be able to eliminate the vagaries of buggy Snow Leopard Server, Parallels, any unnecessary partitioning or inadequate RAM & Virtual Memory because you threw a good chunk of it all away on setting up the above.


Let us review these claims in more detail:


"buggy Snow Leopard Server" - REALLY?!? No reports of any substantial bugs and much published acclaim for the stability of Snow Leopard and its Server version. While Security Updates are no longer available, no internet access is needed by Appleworks, so no cause for concern there.


"buggy... Parallels" - REALLY?!? Not what the Parallels user community reports, especially in the use of Snow Leopard Server within Parallels. Plus Snow Leopard Server can be virtualized in other virtualization programs than Parallels, at the users choice.


"any unnecessary partitioning" - EXACTLY!!! No partitioning is needed when using Snow Leopard Server in Parallels


"inadequate RAM & Virtual Memory" - if the user has "inadequate RAM" it will only cause a slowdown of the operation of his Mac ONLY while Parallels is running. Once Parallels is quit, it utilizes no virtual memory and, if it existed, there will be no continuation of a slowdown. Of course, a user with inadequate RAM should always consider upgrading the amount of RAM in his Mac for optimum performance on all counts!


"because you threw a good chunk of it al away on setting up the above" - FALSE: Installation of Snow Leopard Server in Parallels creates a "pvm" file in the users' Documents folder. Other than the amount of space taken up by this file, NO other resources are used when Parallels is quit.


So, "when something doesn't work, you can easily eliminate Snow Leopard Server and Parallels as a source of the problem, by shutting down Snow Leopard Server and quitting Parallels and then continue to trace the source of the problem.


PeterBreis0807 wrote:


All of the above may interact in unpredictable ways. If you are having problems getting your work done now, wait until you are doing it underwater, on your head, and with one hand tied behind your back.


Just NOT true: you obviously have no experience in using Snow Leopard Server in virtualization, and do the OP a disservice to suggest problems that just do not exist!


The fact of the matter is that on today's modern Macs, PowerPC applications run faster than they did on the fastest PowerPC Macs that they were originally written for.

Jan 22, 2016 12:32 PM in response to MlchaelLAX

Cutting through all the long list, the conclusion is whilst the long list of software is not running or doing anything, there won't be a problem?


Then we agree.


Don't build the house of cards.


In all probabilty users who have older software have older Macs, if not they can be bought very cheapily. I have two almost original iMacs which are now 17 years old and are built like battle tanks. They run any old legacy software I have like the clappers. NATIVELY! I bought them for a pittance almost a decade ago for less than the cost of one Parallels, certainly for less than the incessant cost of the "upgrades".


You think you have discovered the Holy Grail with Roger Wilmut's recommendations for AppleWorks. We recommended him for years to users transitioning from AppleWorks, but those days are long gone. We are now faced with transitioning from iWork '09 which does not even have the Unicode and other system problems of Appleworks.


I repeat, in running anything, even a lawnmower, K.I.S.S., especially software which you can not run in perpetuity and was replaced by something substantially better for most things (but not all). To continue using it is going to dig a deep hole deeper and leave you at the bottom.


If my 91 year old father can move on I am sure others can too.


I am coming to the conclusion that commonsense is not just rare it has evaporated.


Peter

Did Pages 5.6 Drop Appleworks Compatibility?

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