mac noob here. do i buy office 2004 or iwork?

[steveoh]

i've been told iwork is far more user friendly and visual appealing. its also cheaper, so thats another plus.

my question:

if i decide to buy iwork and become really good with numbers, pages, and keynote, will i be just as good with microsoft word, excel, and pp? i know the two are basically the same, but are the controls similar enough for an iwork pro to be a microsoft excel pro?

 

[bousozoku]

Here is a recent thread on the same subject.

 

[MK2007]

if i decide to buy iwork and become really good with numbers, pages, and keynote, will i be just as good with microsoft word, excel, and pp? i know the two are basically the same, but are the controls similar enough for an iwork pro to be a microsoft excel pro?

No, not at all. iWork is not in the same league as Microsoft Office. It has nowhere near the amount of functionality as Office. iWork is more for the casual user than the office professional. Potential employers will be impressed by someone who knows his or her way around Office, not iWork.

Use the trial version of each and see which one you like. But don't mistake ease of use for power. iWork won't ever catch up to Office.

By the way, the release of Office 2008 is due in January.