This concerns the word processor Pages. I threw the iWork folder away because I was not planning on purchasing the software; however, I failed to remember I had documents written in Pages. Now that I've uninstalled Pages, I am unable to open those documents. Does anyone know of an alternate word processor that can open Pages files, or of a free preview download of the software? Thanks
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Opening Pages documents without Pages...
- Thread starter potolicious
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dpaanlka
macrumors 601
No, you need Pages. Pages files are complex page-layout type deals. A simple word processor would have a tough time opening them - since Pages is not a word processor.
IJ Reilly
macrumors P6
Pages is a word processor. The file format is proprietary, just like the Word file format is proprietary. I've got hundreds of old documents created in WriteNow which can't be opened with any other application, and not because WriteNow isn't a word processor.
But you probably knew you'd get me to comment on that remark! 😉
dpaanlka
macrumors 601
True, but the nature of Pages files should make it more complex for third parties to make translators.
And I disagree - Pages it isn't a word processor!!!
EDIT: But seriously, Pages is really far too complex to be classified a word processor.
IJ Reilly
macrumors P6
Possibly, I really don't know. What I do know is that even after much effort by many motivated programmers over many years, no application but Word can reliably and accurately open a Word file. So they must be fairly complex too.
I honestly have no idea why anybody would think or say this, let alone be so adamant about it. I mean, is there some secret definition of "word processor" that I have not been let in on yet?
dpaanlka
macrumors 601
It sounds derogatory to my ear. Pages can do so much more than word process. Technically you could use InDesign to have the same results as a word processor. Is that a word processor?
Like if I'm trying to convince someone to try Pages instead of Word, there is nothing Word does poorly as a word processor. But it sucks at page layout-type stuff.
IJ Reilly
macrumors P6
I see your meaning. You don't want to scare people off, though. A lot of people see those fancy templates and automatically think Pages is only good for laying out brochures and newsletters.
MisterMe
macrumors G4
What can you do in Pages that you cannot do in a full-fledged Mac word processor of yore such as FullWrite Pro/FullWrite or Nisus Writer?
dpaanlka
macrumors 601
MisterMe
macrumors G4
dpaanlka
macrumors 601
Ok, how about live dragging objects around text and seeing how the re-wrapping will look in real time? Do those do that?
EDIT: I've never used either of those, but I can hardly believe they're the equivalent to Pages, if that's what you're saying.
MisterMe
macrumors G4
Therein lies the problem -- it wouldn't work on an Intel Mac, unlike Pages.
I've used just about every Mac word processor going back to the original MacWrite. My favorite was WriteNow -- and I sorely wish somebody would resurrect it. I use Word today -- largely b/c just about every publisher expects a Word document.
Father Jack
macrumors 68020
dpaanlka
macrumors 601
Ok... how about run in OS X? There's something it can't do. Run on Intel Macs? There's another. How about do various image adjustments from within the program (exposure, levels adjustment, temperature, tint, sharpness, etc) - and do it all with an easy to use slider-based tool palette? How about rotating, borders, outlines, shadows, opacity, reflections (of images)? Can those do that with extreme ease? How about iLife integration? Can you browse your iPhoto album and iTunes library from within those apps, and select files to place into the document? How about the ability to save as PDF and Word documents, in addition to RTF and Pages format? How about the ability to make stunning 3D graphs, that can be rotated and manipulated in all sorts of ways? Do either of those programs give you a handy side-pane with a preview of every page of the document, for easy navigating? I never use FullWrite or NisusWriter, so you'll have to fill me in on whether or not they can do these things, and which features they share with Pages...
Recommending someone use a word processor that requires classic would be just about the last thing I would do.
IJ Reilly
macrumors P6
Let's hear it for WriteNow. Intuitive, fast and amazingly light (348 Kb for the last version!).
As for Word, you would not catch me using any application on a daily basis because it's what other people expect. I output .doc files from Pages when needed, and nobody is the wiser.
Eraserhead
macrumors G4
Draw vector fields and solve differential equations? I'm not sure I'm understanding the point totally though. I am pretty tired TBH.
It's not so much what I output but what my editors do to my files that necessitates Word. They like to use Word's markup features.
Fortunately, my institution provides me with a site license for MS Office.
IJ Reilly
macrumors P6
Yuk. I truly dislike the markup feature in Word. That said, it's just about the only major feature difference between Word and Pages, so I hope Apple includes it in the next version of Pages.
MisterMe
macrumors G4
Let's get down to cases. This began with your assertion that owing to its functionality, Pages is not a wordprocessor. I gave you examples of two non-Microsoft wordprocessors which can do just about everything that Pages can do and more. What is more, they date back to System 6 and System 7. The logic is that if they were considered to be wordprocessors back in the 1980's and early 1990's, then their functionality is wordprocessor functionality now. Back then, there there several full-featured wordprocessors--Microsoft Word, MacWrite II, FullWrite Pro, WordPerfect, and Nisus Writer (now Nisus Writer Classic)--as well as the elegant lightweight WriteNow and the granddaddy of Mac wordprocessors, MacWrite. Nowhere in this thread have I recommended anything--yet. Except for Word afterall, the titles mentioned above are no longer in development. It would be silly to recommend a product that you can't buy and that you cannot use even if you did buy it. The full-featured wordprocessor seems to be Word or dead--until recently.
To its credit, Nisus Software is reviving Nisus Writer as Nisus Writer Pro. It will use the Nisus Writer Express engine. This company has been a stalwart Mac-only developer for about two decades. It is virtually a foregone conclusiont hat NWP will be a great product. For the first time in this thread, I recommend Nisus Writer Pro when it is released.
Shadow
macrumors 68000
In all honesty, Pages is one of my favorite apps I've ever used. It's simple, looks good, produces stunning results (just look at my DT folder-mostly made in Pages with a template and everything-lovley!). It's really flexible-can open & export multiple file types, etc. Its one of those apps you just love to work with. I do have 2 issues though-its rather slow when there are loads of objects in a document and the file type it creates-they are incredibly prone to corruption!