word format to pages?

pages can read word format documents. POtentially some advanced formatting might get messed up, but it works mostly just fine. There is also open office and even a version of MS office for the mac if you wanted to go that way.

Welcome to macrumors and the mac. You've found a good resource here.

 

If you don't have iWork installed for Pages, TextEdit comes with your Mac and makes a reasonable job of opening most doc files. If they are in the new docx format re save them as doc or rtf format.

 

Another free program is NeoOffice....I find none of my spreed sheets look or are formatted in iwork like they were in MSoffice(PC) the only program that gets the sheets almost identical is Openoffice, and Neooffice. They still work the same with formulas, its the layout that does not fit like it used to..

 

Pages should convert and edit them just fine. However, you can get Microsoft Office for Mac, which I believe is even better than the PC version. It's well worth the investment.

 

I have found all my MS Office docs have opened just fine in NeoOffice; I used TextEdit for about a day when I first got the Mac but this wouldn't have suited me as anything other than a stopgap measure. As Cap 41 says, NeoOffice does a really good job of working with Excel too.

I am about to try the iWork trial too but since NoeOffice is free, it will have to be really good to convince me to get my wallet out!