iWork '08 comparable to MS Word?

[gamerz]

Hey guys,

I will be ordering my new imac soon, but first I need to know if iwork 08 is comparable to Microsoft word. The main thing that I will be using it for is word processing, or maybe making some slideshow's. So, is iWork 08 simple to use, and has the same features as MS word.

Also, another quick question, I will be using my mac with-out connection to peripherals. There is a printer on our wireless network, but will my mac be able to send it files wireless and the printer to be able to print them?

Thanks for the help.

 

[0007776]

if you are making slideshows then Keynote is excelent, IMO it is worth the cost of the entire package by itself. For what I use it for the latest version of pages is able to replace Word since I don't use any of the many features that word has that pages does not, so when you get your Mac use the trial and see if it meets your needs.

 

[lordwm]

I use Pages 08 at home and transfer teh documents to be used on Word at work. So far no real issues, even with some fairly complex documents. The only issues I have run into are with Borders, they're pretty much toast when I import to Pages and some of teh Bullets I use in Word don't transfer either. Other than those two minor issues, so far so good.

As for no peripherals, I tried that with my new iMac as well. It didn't exactly pan out. I had hoped to attach a USB hub to my Airport Extreme and thus only have the power cord connected to my iMac. The first issue was the keyboard; it would not work (I have the wired keyboard). The printer worked fine, but the Utilities program to check and clean the print heads could not find the printer. USB Flash drives didn't work either. Alas, I unplugged teh USB Hub from teh Airport Extreme and plugged it into the iMac. All works beautifully now.

 

[MK2007]

Hey guys,

I will be ordering my new imac soon, but first I need to know if iwork 08 is comparable to Microsoft word. The main thing that I will be using it for is word processing, or maybe making some slideshow's. So, is iWork 08 simple to use, and has the same features as MS word.

Pages is not even close to MS Word. It has so few features, you won't believe it. I got rid of iWork immediately and went back to using MS Office. iWork '08 is a waste of money when you're used to having great functionality.

For casual use iWork '08 can be fine. You might fit into that category. Try the demo version and see if it is for you.

As for the import/export issue, let's just say that I had trouble going either direction with even the simplest of documents that had almost nothing on their first page. I think the whole import/export feature is nothing more than false advertising.

I suggest you visit the Apple Discussions forum and read the many complaints about iWork '08. It leaves a lot to be desired. Think of it as another upgrade to the old AppleWorks. But as for coming close to MS Office, iWork won't reach that stage for AT LEAST another 5 years.

 

[pianoman]

for basic word processing, Pages has replaced Word for me. i don't know what advanced features other people use, but i like having something where i can just write a report or a letter without the fuss.

Keynote has replaced my need for PowerPoint.

 

[kiwi-in-uk]

Pages is not even close to MS Word. It has so few features, you won't believe it. I got rid of iWork immediately and went back to using MS Office. iWork '08 is a waste of money when you're used to having great functionality.

For casual use iWork '08 can be fine. You might fit into that category. Try the demo version and see if it is for you.

As for the import/export issue, let's just say that I had trouble going either direction with even the simplest of documents that had almost nothing on their first page. I think the whole import/export feature is nothing more than false advertising.

I suggest you visit the Apple Discussions forum and read the many complaints about iWork '08. It leaves a lot to be desired. Think of it as another upgrade to the old AppleWorks. But as for coming close to MS Office, iWork won't reach that stage for AT LEAST another 5 years.

Well, there are many people who DO use iWork for more than just casual use (I'm one of them).

I regularly import/export .doc and .ppt files without problems - to my copies of Office for Mac and Office for Windows. They work well for me IF I remember not to use the Pages and Keynote features that have no Office equivalents. Those exports and imports are exchanged with large coporate clients so reliability is important, and I have only had problems where there is a feature mismatch.

Yes there are features in Word and Powerpoint that are not available in iWork, but the converse is also true. It depends on the type of work you do, and how you use the applications.

As MK2007 said, try the demo versions of both iWork and Office for Mac (they will both be on your new iMac).

OP: About your printer. We print from 2 Macs and an XP laptop to a Brother laser connected to an airport express (I don't know whether this would work with a printer connected to a different brand router - someone here might be able to help). We also print from the Macs to a Canon printer connected to the XP laptop (although this is not as reliable and sometimes requires an XP restart). Bonjour and Bonjour for Windows are quite good but do not support all printer brands/models. If you are still in doubt perhaps someone here could help if you posted the printer model and how it is connected to the wireless lan.

 

[Cave Man]

Pages is not even close to MS Word.

Agreed. Can't even set a default font, let alone use reference managers. It is a nice drag-and-drop app and better in many ways, but missing many essentials for that 20% or so of us who need them.

For casual use iWork '08 can be fine. You might fit into that category.

Right now, Keynote kicks Power Point's @$$. It is substantially superior. Numbers is a nice start and I'll be giving it a hard use over the next few months, but from what I can tell on paper it will do nicely for my purposes.

As for the import/export issue, let's just say that I had trouble going either direction with even the simplest of documents that had almost nothing on their first page. I think the whole import/export feature is nothing more than false advertising.

Importing has been 100% successful for me (other than certain things that aren't supported by Pages), even for tracking, but what really annoys me is that if I open a Word .doc file Pages cannot save changes as a Word file - you have to go through the export process. What a pain.

 

[gamerz]

I would be using Iwork for mostly school work, so I'm not sure if that affects anything. I don't know what these advanced features are that ms Word has, but All I need is the basics: font size, colour, underline, bold, etc.

Also, for the printer, I am not very tech savvy so could somebody please dumb it down for me? Right now, we have a wireless network, 2 computers, one good printer. Only one computer has wireless internet, the other as a connected router. My imac will have wireless (airport).

Correct me if I said something wrong.

Anyways, thanks for the help so far.

 

[MK2007]

Printing should not be a problem. Either your driver is already within OS X or you can install it.

Now here is another issue I noticed. I had some very basic clip art, a simple photo really, that I put into a blank MS Word document. It looked and printed perfectly from Word for Mac. When I printed the artwork in a new, blank Pages document the colors looked slightly different and printed incorrectly. The contrast was higher, for example. This experience pushed me over the edge and convinced me not to waste anymore time with iWork '08. I gave it a fair try, yet even simple operations are missing or have problems.

Since you're not tech savvy, as you pointed out, then Pages might work well enough for you. It wouldn't be a bad start. Office 2008 won't be released for months yet anyway.

I have worked with Word for over a dozen years, and for me there is no comparison between that application and Pages. I know my way around Word extremely well and would not give up its many features. The same could be said about other applications within MS Office -- you can do anything you want as long as you have the knowledge. Demos of iWork '08 show a nice product, but someone who knows MS Office can do a lot more.