Help! Before I buy iwork 08 for $79 (in Canada). . .

Question

This is my first mac, and one of my biggest disappointments was that it did not come with a simple, non-commercial word processor. I recently switched from desktop pc to macbook w/ external keyboard and monitor when I broke my back and could no longer use a chair. I cannot afford to spend hundreds of dollars just to write personal letters, etc. I know this will sounds like a stupid question, but it seems, until I have mastered "macspeak," feeling stupid (however new and unfamiliar the experience) is something I'll have to get used to. Here is my question: Is iwork08 is a stand-alone program, or only an upgrade? A simple yes or no will do.

Answer 1

matisse,
Welcome to Apple discussions.
You asked for a simple yes or no answer. That's difficult because of the phrasing of your question, but I'll give it a shot.
No, technically iWork isn't a simple stand-alone program -- because it isn't a program. It's a suite of programs comprised of Pages (word processing/layout), Numbers (spreadsheet), and Keynote (presentation).
Is it an upgrade? Yes. But I think that may mean something different to you than it does to me, because you put it in contrast to it being a stand-alone program. It's an upgrade to iWork '06, but that doesn't mean you have to own '06 in order to use '08.
What's a non-commercial word processor? Is it one that the publisher doesn't charge money for? If you've got a new Mac, then you've got a copy of TextEdit on it, which is suitable for writing letters. And you've also got a demo version of iWork, so you can see for yourself if it's simple enough for your needs. Just look inside the Applications folder.
-Dennis