Microsoft Word/Pages

[Sniv]

Hello

Stupid question...but where can I buy Microsoft Office? (The student edition)

I thought I could on App Store but I can't find it - is it just me or have I gone blind?

Plus am I right in seeing that I can buy Pages separately i.e. I don't have to buy iWorks if I'm only interested in Pages...

Sorry if these questions have obvious answers...
But it's just that I'm planning to buy either Word or Pages. I only need it for university (notes and assignments) but I really want to try them out before I buy either one of them, because I will be using it a lot these next 12 months. Especially footnotes.

I've been using Word all my life but I'm thinking that maybe Pages are...better...

 

[Makosuke]

Stupid question...but where can I buy Microsoft Office? (The student edition)

Amazon carries it for $90, and since it's now the "home and student" version, really, pretty much anywhere that carries Mac software probably sells it. Apple Stores do (looks like only the family pack for $150), campus bookstores do, Staples does ($110), etc. Based on my two minute scan, Amazon seems to be the cheapest big-name retailer.

It is NOT, however, currently available on the App Store--only as a boxed retail copy.

Tip: Since you are a university student, a lot of schools actually have an even better deal with MS--mine (CSU) gets me Office for $10. Can't hurt to check your bookstore and see.

Plus am I right in seeing that I can buy Pages separately i.e. I don't have to buy iWorks if I'm only interested in Pages...

You are correct. In fact, there is no longer any discount for buying the whole iWork package--they're just three $20 apps on the app store. You can probably also find a boxed copy from stores that still have stock on hand, but Apple has gone pure-digital distribution.

Unrelated tip: While for a lot of uses (particularly desktop publishing in terms of making things look pretty) Pages is better than Word, if you're going to use it for heavy-duty work for classes (things like footnoting and bibliographies) Word might have better features. Not saying that for sure--you can try both free for 30 days to see for yourself.

 

[Sniv]

Thank you for your help!

I'm gonna try both Pages and Word before deciding. I just really wanted to go all Apple - if you know what I mean.
But I know Word and perhaps it's best to stick to what you know in this case...especially when next year I will be writing my thesis, which will probably feature a ton of footnotes and bibliographies..

But I will give Pages a try - and then perhaps get both

 

[swedefish]

Thank you for your help!

I'm gonna try both Pages and Word before deciding. I just really wanted to go all Apple - if you know what I mean.
But I know Word and perhaps it's best to stick to what you know in this case...especially when next year I will be writing my thesis, which will probably feature a ton of footnotes and bibliographies..

But I will give Pages a try - and then perhaps get both

It you're writing a thesis I really recommend you look into getting Scrivener. It's a great word processor for extended projects and allows you to organize your thoughts. I think Scrivener plus Word for formatting is a perfect solution for academic writers. Regarding the Word vs Pages question, one thing to keep in mind is whether or not your advisor will want you yo submit drafts for him/her to comment on. I know at the tertiary institutions where I have been, almost all academics expect drafts in MS Word format for them to comment on using Word's commentary function.

 

[Makosuke]

But I will give Pages a try - and then perhaps get both

Wise move--it's entirely possible you'll want both, and there's certainly no harm in trying the available options to see which (if either) you personally prefer. I probably should have mentioned that I have both, and frankly don't use either very often (I do most of my writing in either TextEdit, if I need basic formatting, or TextWrangler when it's web-targeted).

I know at the tertiary institutions where I have been, almost all academics expect drafts in MS Word format for them to comment on using Word's commentary function.

The comments and Track Changes feature of Word is, in my opinion, the only actually useful feature that it can boast of that most editors can't. Tends to be more useful in a multi-person editing environment (we use it to track revisions to edited documents at work), but it's quite possible professors might want to make use of it.

 

[Sniv]

It you're writing a thesis I really recommend you look into getting Scrivener. It's a great word processor for extended projects and allows you to organize your thoughts. I think Scrivener plus Word for formatting is a perfect solution for academic writers. Regarding the Word vs Pages question, one thing to keep in mind is whether or not your advisor will want you yo submit drafts for him/her to comment on. I know at the tertiary institutions where I have been, almost all academics expect drafts in MS Word format for them to comment on using Word's commentary function.

Thanks. I will look up Scrivener and maybe give that one a try as well...

Busy me...but it's all for the best!

 

[digger1985]

If you need "Save as" then Pages is a no go.