New iWork Pages (v5+) doesn't support non-contiguous text selection. Is there a way to run Pages '09 on future versions of macOS?

[darnocs1]

Since Pages '09 (v4.3) ended, Pages 5–current version hasn't supported non-contiguous text selection (see a picture here on Dropbox if you're not sure what this means). As anyone who regularly edits word processing documents (especially long ones) knows, this is a big inconvenience.

There are tons of reports of this being a problem for many people. And I am sure there are other features from Pages '09 that didn't get imported.

However, after literally years of submitting feedback reports to Apple on this and seeing exactly nothing change, I am wondering if anyone knows a way that might be possible to run macOS Mojave (the last version that supports Pages '09) in some kind of virtual machine on macOS versions going forward. I know the popular Windows VM apps like Parallels Desktop and VMWareFusion support modes where you can run a Windows app as if it were its own macOS app, which is really handy, as opposed to having to visibly boot the entire Windows machine and operate within that.

Does anyone know of a good method like this that we could use for running macOS in a VM so I could run Pages '09 on future versions of macOS? I know VirtualBox supports macOS booting, but I believe it only supports it in the traditional "boot into the whole OS and not a specific app" mode.

Or is there some way to like put the Pages '09 app into some kind of container that will let it run? I know Catalina officially killed support for 32-bit apps, which is why I haven't upgraded to that either.

I am planning to just stick to Mojave on my current machines for as long as physically (softwarily?) possible, but I'm not sure these will last another 6–8 years.

Responses to Common "Solutions":

"Just use Microsoft Word" — No. Microsoft Word sucks in its own ways and is generally very slow, no matter what Mac I have used. Pages '09 is the fastest solution that is both simple to use but advanced enough in what I need to do.

"Just use the new Pages" — No; it lacks features I need, as said in this post.

"Submit feedback to Apple" — Yep, been doing that for literally years, sometimes every single day for a period of a few weeks. No results so far.

 

[mikzn]

The last time I was able to use Pages '09 was back in Sierra - I see that you somehow have been able to get working in Mojave ( Cool - I was not able to ) - Strangely iWeb still works on my Mojave MBP

I really liked Pages 09 - but I think it was re-written from the ground up to be able to sync with the iOS versions and also use of iCloud - There were many features dropped in the newer Pages App and many of these "features" have never been brought back -

If your Pages '09 version works with Mojave cool - I don't see why Mojave won't stay relevant for at least a few years - I have 2 MBP's one on Mojave and One on Big Sur and am not planning to upgrade the Mojave Macbook any time soon

One option (if you have a Working Pages 09 version in Mojave) - is to create a partition with Mojave (if your new Mac will run Mojave) and you can boot from that partition and use Pages '09?

Another (Probably silly suggestion but works for me) - I use Keynote sometimes in Portrait mode and created several templates to use as a document / and not as a presentation

 

[darnocs1]

The last time I was able to use Pages '09 was back in Sierra - I see that you somehow have been able to get working in Mojave ( Cool - I was not able to ) - Strangely iWeb still works on my Mojave MBP

I really liked Pages 09 - but I think it was re-written from the ground up to be able to sync with the iOS versions and also use of iCloud - There were many features dropped in the newer Pages App and many of these "features" have never been brought back -

If your Pages '09 version works with Mojave cool - I don't see why Mojave won't stay relevant for at least a few years - I have 2 MBP's one on Mojave and One on Big Sur and am not planning to upgrade the Mojave Macbook any time soon

One option (if you have a Working Pages 09 version in Mojave) - is to create a partition with Mojave (if your new Mac will run Mojave) and you can boot from that partition and use Pages '09?

Another (Probably silly suggestion but works for me) - I use Keynote sometimes in Portrait mode and created several templates to use as a document / and not as a presentation

Yeah, haven't had any issues in Mojave. I've just kept the installation package file and then install the 4.3 update on top of that and it works fine. (If you want/need a copy, I'd be happy to share.)

I'll definitely plan on sticking with Mojave for as long as possible. I'm just realizing that at some point, I may need to get a new computer and would like to figure out a way to keep Pages '09 working (unless Apple fixes new Pages). As far as Keynote goes, does Keynote support non-contiguous text selection? Kind of a janky solution, like you said, but could be worth considering, haha.

 

[James_C]

I may need to get a new computer and would like to figure out a way to keep Pages '09 working

Your problem is that all of the iWork 09 Apps are 32bit apps. From Catalina onwards all Apps have to be 64bit. So you will not be able to get Pages '09 working in a new Mac. You will have no other option other than to buy a used Mac that supports a Mac OS version that can run Pages 09 or find an acceptable alternative to Pages 09.

Other than that hopefully Apple will add the functionality back to the current version of Pages at some point in the future.

 

[darnocs1]

Your problem is that all of the iWork 09 Apps are 32bit apps. From Catalina onwards all Apps have to be 64bit. So you will not be able to get Pages '09 working in a new Mac. You will have no other option other than to buy a used Mac that supports a Mac OS version that can run Pages 09 or find an acceptable alternative to Pages 09.

Other than that hopefully Apple will add the functionality back to the current version of Pages at some point in the future.

Right, that's exactly what I'm thinking I may have to do. Fortunately, I think non-16" MBPs still support downgrading to Mojave, so assuming Apple doesn't somehow make that impossible to do in the future, I could always buy a 2019 model Mac (I prefer 13" anyways) and downgrade.

I admittedly don't know enough about how 32 vs 64 bit apps work, but obviously since there's a way to virtualize 32 bit apps by running a virtual machine of an older OS on like Catalina, for example, it would SEEM that there would theoretically be some way to run a 32-bit app in a 64-bit emulation layer, but I just don't know anything that would do that without booting an entire virtual machine, which seems inefficient/not very seamless.

 

[Stuporman]

Hi there!


You sound like I did when I lost Pages '09 for the first time with some of the early updates of Mojave

The new Pages is nothing but s*it and I'm writing it as a really experienced user of Apple Pages as well as MS Word or even Nisus Writer. I'm using various text processors every day and nothing compares to Pages '09, period.

Unfortunately, there is no solution for us, except stuck with macOS Mojave as long as it's possible. You will not run Pages '09 in any virtual machine because Apple does not provide an API for 2D/3D acceleration support in macOS guest operating systems (installed inside the virtual machine). It will not work with Parallels Desktop, VMware or any other machine. Don't try it. Don't waste months like I did.

So, what we can do now is to complain about the new Pages that it's like the Paint compared to the Photoshop or try to write our own word processor

 

[s66]

iWork '09 is 32 bit. Not supported on current versions of macOS anymore.

I too deplore the loss of features we had in iWork '09 - sadly they're gone forever. I suggest to learn to live with it or seek another solution that fits your needs.