Pages vs Open Office

[OldMarketMeg]

Has anyone used Apple's Pages word processor?

If so, how does it compare to Open Office's Write?

I am having issues with OO in Sierra, and am debating whether I should try to fix OO or ditch it for Pages.

Since I am in the middle of a project, I need to get this issue fixed ASAP!!

 

[Kissmyne]

Since you are in the middle of a project I recommend sticking with what you are used to for that project. OpenOffice is a robust suite of office applications and I have it installed for the few files/file types that the "iWork" suite has issues with. I use Pages predominately however when it comes to word processing.

 

[RedOrchestra]

JUST so you know ... Apple has NOT made all the features of Pages cross-platform between OS and iOS ... truly unbelievable that Apple has left their own software stranded.

 

[OldMarketMeg]

Since you are in the middle of a project I recommend sticking with what you are used to for that project. OpenOffice is a robust suite of office applications and I have it installed for the few files/file types that the "iWork" suite has issues with. I use Pages predominately however when it comes to word processing.

True, but I also have locked documents that I can't into, because apparently OpenOffice v4.2.3 requires Java 6.

Right now I'm felling pretty pissed about the whole thing. I was doing so well this weekend, and then OO started crashing, and then last night it started giving me the message "Either aanother instance of Open Iffice is accessing your...." and it says my file is locked...

 

[Kissmyne]

See my post in your other thread about Java. It should fix Open Office for you.

 

[Ulenspiegel]

I use Microsoft Office for word processing. Pages is not my cup of tea, at least the "new" version.
What concerns your problem. Just an idea, maybe it is worth trying Libre Office, hopefully it works better than OO. The roots are the same.

 

[OldMarketMeg]

I use Microsoft Office for word processing. Pages is not my cup of tea, at least the "new" version.
What concerns your problem. Just an idea, maybe it is worth trying Libre Office, hopefully it works better than OO. The roots are the same.

I would never use a Microsoft product on my Mac - what's the point?

What don't you like about the "new" version of Pages on Mac?

I have been happy with OpenOffice in the past, but I don't want any security issues on my new Mac.

Any security experts here?

 

[Ulenspiegel]

I would never use a Microsoft product on my Mac - what's the point?

What is the logical and practical relevance of this question?
You are good to solve your problem on your own.

 

[OldMarketMeg]

What is the logical and practical relevance of this question?
You are good to solve your problem on your own.

The purpose is to determine if Apple's office productivity suite would be an improvement over OpenOffice.

And I personally don't see the point of switching to Mac and then using Microsoft products - its a free world.

Don't be so sensitive...

 

[Kissmyne]

LibreOffice is a good alternative to OpenOffice if you are looking to switch.

Pages, Numbers, and Keynote all work great for me, and do recommend. As for as incomplete feature sets go.. Must not be a feature that I've ever used.. cause for me these three work great on ALL of my  devices.

MS Office is also a good alternative.. though I get your hesitation with it. Keep in mind.. not all MS products function like Windows, and Office for Mac is an excellent product in its own right.

 

[Ulenspiegel]

The purpose is to determine if Apple's office productivity suite would be an improvement over OpenOffice.

And I personally don't see the point of switching to Mac and then using Microsoft products - its a free world.

Don't be so sensitive...

It is common sense, not sensitivity.
I don't think that we started reflecting to your thread with a question: "What's the point using OpenOffice on a Mac?", did we?

P.S.: Kissmyne provided a solution to your OpenOffice/Java problem.

 

[OldMarketMeg]

LibreOffice is a good alternative to OpenOffice if you are looking to switch.

Okay.

Pages, Numbers, and Keynote all work great for me, and do recommend. As for as incomplete feature sets go.. Must not be a feature that I've ever used.. cause for me these three work great on ALL of my  devices.

What types of things do you do in each?

I don't think my requirements are that demanding. In OO Writer, I just need basic word processing and formatting. (Although a good Table of Contents and Styles features would be great for long documents.)

In OO Calc, again, I am just doing basic calculations and formatting. No pivot tables or vlookups or VBA.

MS Office is also a good alternative.. though I get your hesitation with it. Keep in mind.. not all MS products function like Windows, and Office for Mac is an excellent product in its own right.

I agree, but I left Microsoft because I was fed up with their approach to software. That, and Microsoft even screwed up Office when they went to the "ribbon" metaphor. Before that, nothing was better than MS Office.

What are the perceived or real features that are missing from Apple's office suite that can be found in OpenOffice, LibreOffice or MS Office?

Any power users out there?
[doublepost=1483383867][/doublepost]

It is common sense, not sensitivity.
I don't think that we started reflecting to your thread with a question: "What's the point using OpenOffice on a Mac?", did we?

And I told you why I don't use Microsoft on a Mac... 1.) I hate Microsoft, 2.) Microsoft has lacked security in the past, and 3.) I don't like how Microsoft changed MS Office either. (Prior to maybe 2003, MS Office was the single best application ever written!)

P.S.: Kissmyne provided a solution to your OpenOffice/Java problem.

Not necessarily. @Kissmyne offered where to get older versions of Java, but didn't respond to my concerns about Java's safety in the modern world.

When Googling "Mac security and Java" you see lots of alarming results. If I shouldn't be concerned about installing Java on my secure and virgin machine, then please help me understand why I shouldn't be concerned. I am here to learn!

 

[Meister]

For private projects I only use Pages.
I think it's more to the point and intuitive.

For work I use Word because computers at work only run Word.

Open office is there just in case.

 

[Weaselboy]

When Googling "Mac security and Java" you see lots of alarming results. If I shouldn't be concerned about installing Java on my secure and virgin machine, then please help me understand why I shouldn't be concerned. I am here to learn!

Read my post in your other thread. Most all of those security issues are related to the Java web plugin. You do not need the Java web plugin enabled to use OO. All you need is the Java runtime.

 

[OldMarketMeg]

For private projects I only use Pages.
I think it's more to the point and intuitive.

For work I use Word because computers at work only run Word.

Open office is there just in case.

What is the interoperability like between Pages, OO and Word?

I have been satisfied with sharing documents OO at home and Word at work. You make it sound like you can't save a Pages document as an MS Word doc and visa versa.

 

[Meister]

What is the interoperability like between Pages, OO and Word?

I have been satisfied with sharing documents OO at home and Word at work. You make it sound like you can't save a Pages document as an MS Word doc and visa versa.

I always get messages about parts of the document being incompatible when exporting from pages to word.
I hardly ever use open office. What would be the point?

 

[OldMarketMeg]

I always get messages about parts of the document being incompatible when exporting from pages to word.
I hardly ever use open office. What would be the point?

What would be the point of what?

 

[Meister]

What would be the point of what?

using open office

 

[OldMarketMeg]

using open office

You lost me. I chose OO 5 years ago because it seemed like a good substitute for MS Office, and there was decent compatibility between the two.

Yesterday I was having issues with OO on my new Mac, so I wondered if I should find a replacement.

To me, the best solution is one that you like, and one that is inter-operable with Pages, OO, and MS Word. If Pages works with both OO and MS Office, then maybe it would be easier to use.

That is what I was saying.

 

[Meister]

You lost me. I chose OO 5 years ago because it seemed like a good substitute for MS Office, and there was decent compatibility between the two.

Yesterday I was having issues with OO on my new Mac, so I wondered if I should find a replacement.

To me, the best solution is one that you like, and one that is inter-operable with Pages, OO, and MS Word. If Pages works with both OO and MS Office, then maybe it would be easier to use.

That is what I was saying.

I can highly recommend pages.
I like the layout, the intuitive menus, the icloud sync and it is mostly compatible with Word.

Word seems to have more capabilities though. It also appears to be the most stable of the three.
At work I have zero time for fiddeling around with text documents and thats why I just use word by default.

As far as I recall OpenOffice, Libre Office and the like aren't as compatible and stable. I see no reason to choose them.

 

[Apple 26.2]

I would never use a Microsoft product on my Mac - what's the point?

I find the functionality of Pages (and the interoperability between Pages and Word) to be lacking and I don't have the time to run down every little problem, so Microsoft Office it is.

 

[satcomer]

For private projects I only use Pages.
I think it's more to the point and intuitive.

For work I use Word because computers at work only run Word.

Open office is there just in case.

Open Office has been bought by the Corporation Oracle! So the original guys went their own way and made LibreOffice