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Apple Works vs. Office for Mac

P

Pepzhez

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jan 23, 2002
161
1
I'm always puzzled why Apple Works doesn't seem to get any respect from even the most diehard Macheads. In my opinion, Apple Works features the most elegant and easiest to use Word Processor around. I can think of many benefits:

1) Elegance/ease of use (M$ Word's horrid interface looks and feels as if it were designed by the Internal Revenue Service - big, unwieldy, unfriendly, non-intuitive and, well, just plain UGLY.)
2) Price - free or virtually free (compare cost to M$ Office for Mac -- ridiculous!)
3) Size - Compare to M$ Office for Mac - jeezuz, the textbook definition of bloatware!
4) Latest version of AW does a fabulous job of translating MS Word documents; certainly can't say the same for any M$ translation program. (I have NEVER gotten Word on a PC to translate anything properly, not even a document created on Office for Mac! Never mind a .cwk document ...)
5) Apple Works is not made by M$ ('nuff said)

I much prefer Apple Works' slide show over M$ Powerpoint anyday!

I've never had occasion to use Apple Works' spread sheet (I never use any type of spread sheet), so I have no idea how it compares to Office Excel (or whatever it's called).

So, if you do use Office for Mac, why? What do you think Apple Works is lacking?

Just curious. Discuss!
 
I use AppleWorks 6 under OS X and have no problems with it. I have been using it for months without issue (m$ has finally just released office for OS X). I use the spreadsheet part most of the time, occasionally using the word processor part as well. I don't have a need to do powerpoint type presentations, so don't know how it compares.

You can't beat AppleWorks price. I originally got Claris Works 4.x with my first Mac system. I then updated to Appleworks version 5 (reduced rate). Finally, I was able to get a copy of AppleWorks 6 (came with a system). I have been using AW 6 ever since then.

AppleWorks actually does work, without causing any problems, how many times have people had issues with om$ office??? We have problems with it at work every week (just depends on how much each week we have to fix it). AppleWorks has never crashed my computer.

All in all, you get a much better value for your money with Appleworks, even if you get the retail version (under $100 for a full copy, not the update).
 
Re: Apple Works vs. Office for Mac

Originally posted by Pepzhez


1) Elegance/ease of use (M$ Word's horrid interface looks and feels as if it were designed by the Internal Revenue Service - big, unwieldy, unfriendly, non-intuitive and, well, just plain UGLY.)
2) Price - free or virtually free (compare cost to M$ Office for Mac -- ridiculous!)
3) Size - Compare to M$ Office for Mac - jeezuz, the textbook definition of bloatware!
4) Latest version of AW does a fabulous job of translating MS Word documents; certainly can't say the same for any M$ translation program. (I have NEVER gotten Word on a PC to translate anything properly, not even a document created on Office for Mac! Never mind a .cwk document ...)
5) Apple Works is not made by M$ ('nuff said)


[/B]
Click to expand...

I agree with all these points. It is a good program...and if I have to deal with auto format one more time...arrrrrrggggghhhhh!
 
Worst nightmare scenario:

I have to try lining up a column of roman numerals in M$ Word with auto format. Impossible task.

Not to mention M$ Word's asinine insistence that the word "which" is invariably grammatically incorrect whenever used in the English language!

A friend of mine, a linguistics professor, showed me a recent study which conclusively demonstrates the damage M$ Word's grammar check has wreaked on written language. It forces the user into an awkward, monolithic use of language, all the while insisting that Word's preference is the only "correct" usage. Scary to think about, actually - Bill Gates not only has an obscene business monopoly, his company is increasingly controlling the very way the English language is used!

Gates is living proof that evil truly does exist.

Auto format is living proof #2 that evil truly does exist.

And what about the M$ Word animated paperclip "office assistant"????! Proof #3 that evil truly does exist ...
 
Originally posted by Pepzhez
Bill Gates not only has an obscene business monopoly
Click to expand...

Yes he does, but he only has it because people have given it to him.

Gates is living proof that evil truly does exist.


And he is living proof that 95% of human beings are sheep- like, and will follow the herd.

I'm no great fan of his, in fact, I think he's an a$$hole, but I don't blame him for the problems he's caused with his Evil Empire- I blame the sheeple of the world.
 
On the other hand, even most Windows users seem to agree that M$ is an illegal monopoly and should be broken up, or, at the very least, reigned in. In that case, don't blame the will of the people, blame a corrupt US government whose representatives are more than happy to take Gates' money and allow HIM to dictate policy. The close ties between Micro$oft, the CIA, the Ashcroft-led Justice Dept., and the Bush Administration are well documented.
 
... and if you think that sounds too far-fetched or conspiracy-theory-laden, can you say .... Enron
 
Originally posted by Pepzhez
... Not to mention M$ Word's asinine insistence that the word "which" is invariably grammatically incorrect whenever used in the English language!

A friend of mine, a linguistics professor, showed me a recent study which conclusively demonstrates the damage M$ Word's grammar check has wreaked on written language. It forces the user into an awkward, monolithic use of language ...
Click to expand...


Testify, my man!!! I hate Word's grammar checking. Not only is it monolithic, it makes absolutely no allowance for creativity! Huh? Style? What's that? Looks wrong to me!

You're absolutely right, Word is shaping the language big time. People are so afraid of getting those little red underlines, or God forbid, a green one!!!

I do prefer Appleworks: it's more elegant, quicker, and I don't have to rely on a bunch of windows to do what I want. For awhile I used both, writing something in Appleworks, saving it in Word format, then loading it in Word to polish it. But it was too time-consuming, so I've just surrendered to the evil empire and have gone to Word.

Word v.X generously lets you use different grammar styles, but I've just turned the grammar check off completely. I wish more people would to that (although maybe that would only make things worse).
 
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