MS Office 2008 vs iWork 08

[chipandegg]

I was just wondering...

On iWork 08 can you export Pages files as .doc format. This is because for my current college course they want all of the assignments sent as .doc format, no excuses, as the system will only take .doc format. I use the Mac most of the time, so really do hate having to use Word/PC just for the assignments.

I was looking into purchasing Office 2008, but have read some reviews on it. Most of them slated it! So am looking into iWork.

Apple say that it is a seamless transition to .doc format, though some reviews differ from that.

Many thanks

 

[Diaresi]

You can, but depending on the type of document Pages can mess it up quite a bit.

Do you have iWork '08 yet? If so it's just File > Export > Doc. Have a play around with how these will turn out when in .doc format so you can make your decision with if it's good enough.

If not you can get a free trial for iWork '08 here

The only way you'll be getting near-exact compatibility is through Office 2008 unfortunately, which in its current state is really slow and not especially brilliant.

 

[72930]

I love Pages, but if you need formatting perfect compatibility, I recommend NeoOffice, or even the OpenOffice beta.

 

[richard.mac]

for me exported Pages .doc files are seamless with Microsoft Word on the Uni computers.

heres an excellent write up of Office 2008 vs iWork 08 on the Australian Mac form MacTalk.

 

[chipandegg]

*I don't need to import Word files into Pages. Just Pages to .doc format for now

 

[.adam]

My impression is that for a basic document (essay etc.) transition from .pages to .doc is relatively seamless. When complex formatting (columns, strange margins etc.) are used, the conversion is more problematic. Use the iWork demo, have it convert one of your essays to .doc and see if it does the job for you. Throughtout my time with uni I never had any problems but I had a bit of a problem when I typed out my CV and converted to .doc.

 

[omfintrepid]

Having used both in a uni environment, half a year iWork 08 and half a year MS 08 i would have to give the edge to office 08.

The virtual "notepad" layout option and the ability to record lectures and link speech the notes that you type make for a better learning experience.

While i do admire the simplicity of iWork in looks, and while it can perform many of the same functions as office i just don't see that as being sufficient grounds alone to place it in the top position.

Office 08's interface can be set to be minimalist, very much like iWork's and includes the program entourage which encompasses mail, calendar and address book. While Apple's stand alone applications are great, personally i just prefer an integrated experience with those applications.

To put it simply both programs, iWork and Office are worth their price points, if you think office is too expensive for what it is then iWork is your obvious choice. However if you can afford the extra cost of office, it is well worth the purchase. Both applications will suit most needs perfectly, you are just paying more for extra features and increased compatibility.

 

[IJ Reilly]

http://guides.macrumors.com/iWork_vs_Microsoft_Office

 

[Achiever]

I have used iWork '08 to export Pages created documents as a .doc file in a few cases for work (I much prefer to work in Pages than Word) and have had no issues. That said, I merely utilize text, so I haven't had to convert any pictures, clip art, formatted text boxes, etc. Not sure if that would throw things off at all in the conversion.

As has been said elsewhere on here, NeoOffice and OpenOffice Beta are also viable alternatives you can consider, but I personally much prefer Pages/iWork and have not yet encountered any issues exporting from Pages to .doc format.