Mom switching to Mac... How to transfer excel and word CHEAPLY

[1rottenapple]

So I am giving to my mom my iMac (800mgz, 15in, 60gb hd); I will be buying an ibook.

So she has important excel and word files on our PC desktop that need to be transferred to the iMac. I called 1 800 MY APPLE and they quoted me $129 for the basic virtual PC, but heres the question...

1). is virtual PC the only path?
I've read on various Mac forums that virtual PC emulates the PC environment, but is there away to convert those Excel files into the applescript spreadsheet and word processing?

2). how stable is virtual pc?

3). any problems with data being lost due to the transfer?

4). any cheap alternatives to virtual PC that work well?

5). any extra tips when I do the transfer/convert the data?

Thanks
Jezreel

 

[cyks]

The easiest method I see would be to just buy Office for the iMac...
If you're a student- it would cost the same $129 for the full office suite (otherwise $350)... Granted, it's not the cheapest alternative- but I'd think it'd work better then faking it with VPC.

 

[grapes911]

Personally, I would spend the money and buy ms office for mac. It is a great program and there would be no conversion.

ahh, you beat me too it!!

 

[gekko513]

I thought Text Edit could open most .doc files. Also, OpenOffice from openoffice.org is an alternative ... be sure to install X11 first though. OpenOffice is free. Click here to download X11 for Mac OSX, and here to download OpenOffice.

 

[FriarTuck]

Your mom will not like virtual PC.
Your mom will like having MS Office on her Mac.

Make mom happy.

Get her MS Office student & teacher edition (no verification required) from Amazon $125.99 with free shipping.

 

[Horrortaxi]

AppleWorks is good, and cheap--but falls down on conversions sometimes. Your best bet is to get Office for the Mac. It pains me to say that buying a Microsoft product is the best solution but in this case it might just be.

Virtual PC is a last resort for programs that you just can't find on the Mac. When you're truly desperate, there's VPC. Besides, doesn't the $129 VPC come without an operating system?

 

[goodwill]

I would have to agree with every person that has recommended Mac Office over Virtual PC. I was in the same boat/transition period when I bought my Powerbook. I thought I was never going to figure out a Macintosh. I was at the Apple Store and told them I wanted Virtual PC. Not only was that the most embarrassing thing I've ever done, it was also the most foolish and brainless. I would have regretted that decision every day now. Virtual PC will only slow down the imac, but it defeats the purpose of owning a Mac altogether. Your mom will be much much more please with Mac Office for the purpose that youre seeking in converting the files. Get her Mac Office and youll get better Christmas presents surely.

 

[Grimace]

yup, just to reiterate:

you make a Word (.doc) file on a PC - that same file opens with Mac Word.
you make an Excel (.xls) file on a PC - that same file opens with Mac Excel.

That is the easiest way to do it. If she buys MS OFFICE now, she gets a free upgrade to Office 2004 when it ships.

 

[gekko513]

yup, just to reiterate:

you make a Word (.doc) file on a PC - that same file opens with Mac Word.
you make an Excel (.xls) file on a PC - that same file opens with Mac Excel.

That is the easiest way to do it. If she buys MS OFFICE now, she gets a free upgrade to Office 2004 when it ships.

Also

you make a Word (.doc) file on a PC - that same file opens with OpenOffice on both Mac and PC.
you make an Excel (.xls) file on a PC - that same file opens with OpenOffice on both Mac and PC.

That is the cheapest way to do it, since OpenOffice is free. However, OpenOffice uses X11, so the look and feel of the application is more Linux/Windows like than OSX-like.