Word processing, alternatives?

I have Appleworks installed on my PB. It works for everything I need to use it for. I will be purchasing iWork soon for the Keynote feature for my public programs. However, the GOV Agency I work for uses MS XP for all the work computers. What I need is a word processing program that I can use to generate text documents on my PB that I can save on a CD or flash drive in .doc format that XP will read and print so I can do work away from the office. I don't want to spend $350+ on Office:mac. I have heard about NeoOffice. Any thoughts on that program. All I need is the word processing component. Any other alternatives? El P

Hi, El Perdido.
All third-party alternatives to MS Word have strengths and weaknesses. If you need true Word compatibility, you should get Word. If you need true Office compatibility, get Office. All alternatives are approximations to one degree or another. The more complex your documents, the more the approximations become problems for those reading documents in Office that you created in alternatives. Sharing those documents as PDFs, rather than source .doc or .ppt files can help.
TextEdit, bundled with Mac OS X, is very basic. While it can create Word-compatible documents, and use the typography features of Mac OS X, it lacks basic functions, such as page numbering. Tables generated in TextEdit don't translate well to Word, and vice-versa.
More robust solutions that are neither as expensive nor as bulky as Word include, in alphabetical order:
- AppleWorks
- Mariner Write
- Mellel
- Nissius Writer Express
- Pages, part of Apple's new iWork bundle.
- Ulysses
These applications are frequently mentioned in discussions of MS Word alternatives. They each have their adherents and fans. AppleWorks obviously does more than word processing, so on a pure price comparison, it has features the others do not (drawing, etc.). iWork includes Keynote for presentations.
Some additional "office suite" alternatives that are regularly mentioned include:
-ThinkFree Office
-NeoOffice: a free prototype of a port of OpenOffice to Mac OS X.
You must compare your requirements against the features of each package to determine the one that best meets your needs.
Good luck!
Dr. Smoke
Author: Troubleshooting Mac® OS X

Similar Messages

What is a good word processing program?

Can someone suggest a good word processing app for Mac?

You can purchase Office 2011 - Mactopia - if you want the best. Or you can try the freeware suite, Libre Office, that is functionally similar to Office 2007 for Windows except it works on Lion.
You may want to consider as well:
TextEdit is included with OS X. It is not a high level word processor but it may be adequate.
A good free alternative to TextEdit with more features is Bean 3.2.5.
These two suites are similar to Libre Office but not as current or as well-supported:
NeoOffice
Open Office
And, then there is Apple's iWork suite:
Pages - word processing and layout
Keynote - presentation
Numbers - spreadsheet
Each can open and save Office compatible files. They may be purchased separately via the Mac App Store for $19.99 each.
(Access to the Mac App Store requires Snow Leopard 10.6.6 or higher and an Apple ID.)

Best word processing app for i-mac?

As a 'newie' to the wonderful world of i-mac's can anyone recommend a good word processing app. Currently going round and round in circles trying to find one thats compatible with i-mac. Don't want to go down the Microsoft word option due to compatability issues.

Word is not that incompatible. But I do recommend looking at this listing of alternative products:
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-6941
and this list:
http://www.roaringapps.com/
The real problem people face with Word are font conflicts with some applications, macros that can cause files to misbehave, and using a version that hasn't been updated for their operating system. Version 2008 and 2011 are able to run on the latest operating systems, though some people have mentioned the installers have trouble on version 2008 on Mac OS X 10.7 and later.

Best word processing app without a sync feature?

Hi there. My Grandpa received an iPad for his birthday for use while working on the job. Here is an explanation of the situation:
My Grandpa goes into paper mills and checks their machinery to make sure they are working properly. His traditional way to document this was by hand, writing out data into a checklist every week. Then, my Grandma would later re-type all of this data into Microsoft Word documents their computer. We figured the iPad could help save my grandparents a lot of time if used in place of this system. For one, files could be transferred over to their computer from the iPad, eliminating the need for entering the data by hand into the computer. Second, instead of rewriting out a new checklist every week, my Grandpa could simply open, edit, and re-save the file from the previous week while on the job, since much of the data rarely ever changes.
We eventually got a system set up but we have had a few difficulties in the process. Since the iPad doesn't support an actual Microsoft Word app, we knew we had to find another app that could open and save Word files. We first tried iWork Pages for iPad. The problem with this app is that files can't be saved by hand. They are automatically saved by Pages. This eliminated the use of the 'save as' option, where my Grandpa could edit a previous file and 'save as' with a new name. Pages also had trouble formatting documents previously made on my grandparents' PC. By the time the documents were transferred back to the computer, the formatting was messed up and it was not worth spending the time to correct this problem. Their current app is Documents To Go, which has worked a lot better. There is both a 'save' and 'save as' option, and document formatting is kept the same on both the computer and the iPad. However, we've run into one main problem with Documents To Go, and that is the Syncing feature.
I've never been a big fan of syncing myself, simply because it's really easy to make a mistake and not be able to fix it. It is 'convenient', but you have very little control the process. I much prefer a drag and drop process because it allows you to know exactly what's going on during your file transfer because everything is being done by hand. Syncing works fine if you know how to use it. Unfortunately, my Grandpa is not a very tech savvy person, but he was more than willing to learn the basics of the iPad if it could help him with his work. The main thing he has trouble with in word processing is the difference between 'save' and 'save as'. Since he is always opening up files from previous weeks to edit them and save them as a new file, it is critical that he uses 'save as' in order to give the document a new name. However, sometimes he forgets, and clicks 'save' instead. This overwrites the old file on the iPad. This would not be that big of a deal, except for the sync feature. Since my Grandma always syncs the documents each time my Grandpa comes home from work, the new files are synced to the computer. However, since the sync is a two-way system, any changes made on the iPad are transferred to the corresponding document on the computer. So if my Grandpa accidentally hits 'save' instead of 'save as' on the iPad and overwrites the previous week's data, the corresponding file with the same name is also overwritten on the computer, and therefore, all data from the previous week is lost. This would not be so with a drag and drop system, where a pop-up would notify my Grandma that two files have the same name, and she could rename the newest one accordingly, without losing any data.
So basically, I need to find a word processing app that uses a drag and drop system rather than a syncing system in order to simplify the process for my grandparents. The app also needs to be capable of keeping the document formatting the same in the transfer process, as well as have 'save' and 'save as' options. I know there are other apps out there, but there no trial versions, which means to test each one out, we have to purchase them, and we have gone through two purchased apps already.
If anyone out there has any advice on what we should do, we would very much appreciate your help on this issue. Thank you.

Word is not that incompatible. But I do recommend looking at this listing of alternative products:
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-6941
and this list:
http://www.roaringapps.com/
The real problem people face with Word are font conflicts with some applications, macros that can cause files to misbehave, and using a version that hasn't been updated for their operating system. Version 2008 and 2011 are able to run on the latest operating systems, though some people have mentioned the installers have trouble on version 2008 on Mac OS X 10.7 and later.

I am copying and pasting into a new, Pages document (from the word processing menu), and I paste in text that is longer than one page, it doesn't continue onto the next page. I can't see the end. How do I get it to show everything I paste in?

I want to copy an extensive amount of text from a web page into a Pages word processing document, but it seems to chop it up into text boxes, some of which aren't long enough to show all of the lines of text. I can't get hold of a bottom edge of the boxes to drag them to make them longer. I tried several times starting over with a new, blank page (and I made sure to choose from the Word Processing part of the dropdown menu, since I read about a similar problem that said not to use the layout menu. It keeps doing the same thing. What do I have to do to get long text pasted to multiple pages, instead of it trying to be all on one page?
In the long run, what I want is to create this as an ePub book. Is there a better way to go about this?

Hi Ellen,
Copying from web pages can include some weird formatting. Instead of Paste, use Paste and Match Style (Edit Menu).
Regards,
Ian.

How to Scan a Paper Doc & Convert It with OCR to a Word Processing Format

In an effort to save others with a similar need some time, I am posting a simple method of using he iPhone to scan a document and convert it, using optical character resolution, to an editable word processing format, usable on computers or iPhones and Android smartphones - all with free apps. I found no free one-stop-shopping apps that did the job themselves.
To begin, use the DocScan app to scan the paper document. this results in an Acrobat file (pdf). If the document is already in pdf form, move on to the next step.
Next, upload the pdf file to your Google Drive workspace, which automatically puts it through an OCR conversion, Google Drive automatically recognizes the text within pdf files uploaded from iPhones.
Then open the file within Google Drive, select Open In and choose the Able2Extract app.
Select the pdf file in Able2Extract and convert it to an MS Word (docx) file, which can be opened by Pages, Word or other word processing programs. It can also be converted to a spreadsheet or presentation MS Office format.
Finally, transfer the new docx file to the Documents app, the Dropbox app or another storage app, from which a word processing program can access it for editing.
Many apps, including Able2Extract, convert all types of files into pdf format when going the reverse direction.

Good day Larry,
Are you referring to CreatePDF's ability to export existing PDF files to Word? I want to confirm as Adobe CreatePDF doesn't have any sort of interface with scanners.
Let me know a bit more about how you're creating your PDF files and then how you're using the CreatePDF service and I may be able to answer your question (or at least try!)
Kind regards,
David

Can I mix Pages page layout and word processing together in one document?

Hello there ! I am quite new to Pages and I am desperate to learn as i want to get rid of everything being Microsoft
As you all know when you open Pages you can choose between page layout and word processing !
the thing is i thought that after using a page layout you could just go with word processing easily... well no, you can't, but i'm sure i'm missing something...
For exemple i really like the catalogue brochure and it would be perfect for me to start a project... but after a few pages, i can just add blank pages and if i want to type text, i have to add text boxes... i don't want that, I want word processing... and another thing in this brochure i can't add table of content because it is not by default in the template...
So my question is quite basic here, can we link Page layout and word processing without having to use text boxes and everything ?
Thanks in advance !
Have a good day

Alexander,
Welcome to Apple discussions.
The simple answer is no. What differentiates page layout from word processing mode is that the PL mode has no text layer. So everything that goes on the page must be an object of some kind. And any pages you add to a PL document must also be PL. You can't mix the two modes. One way around it is to start with a blank page, insert a text box, then stretch the box so that it covers the entire page. You can the type in it as if it were a text layer in a WP file. You can even capture that page so that you can add it automatically when you need it, or save it as a template.
As for building a Table of Contents, it appears that Pages only sees text styles that are on the text layer, which means it won't see styles that are in objects -- which means it won't work with a PL document. From being a long-time reader of this discussion group, I've noticed it's rare that someone wants to add a ToC to a PL document.
If you find that you're going to be mixing text and graphics, start with a word processing template. If you really like the Catalog Brochure, you could always copy some or all of its elements over to a blank WP template.
Hope this helps.
-Dennis

FBL5N & Word processing functionality

Hi All,
It's my first time in this forum and I need some information about FBL5N functionality.
My issue is related to "word processing" coming from LIST button (in the toolbar).
Let's say. I execute FBL5N in order to display all open items for a customer. I would like to create a ".doc" account statement for sending it to the customer.
So, I click on LIST button ==> EXPORT ==> WORD PROCESSING ==> form letter processing with MS word. Now a window pops up: USE MAIL MERGE FIELD FOR "new Word document" - ASSIGN PASSWORD: "no password" ==> click on green button (V button). A word document is going to be created: for a while I can see the grid containing invoices list but, in a while, it disappears and into the file ".doc" (that has been opened) will appear the following script: "Insert the mail merge fields".
How can I solve this issue? Does it depend on OS or MS version? (obviously OS is regular -licenced WIN XP- and Microsoft Office 2003 is licensed too). What have I to know (or to do) to solve my issue?
I underline that I don't want to use spreadsheet, local file or RTF format functionalities: ".doc" (word processing) only!
Thank you for you appreciated help!
Have a nice day,
Stefano

Hi,
But still you can get the word document....
Go to menu item List->Export->Word Processing...
Choose Create document radio button and select check boxes like Include Colors< & Start MS word...
And then specify the folder and the file name to save the .doc file in your local PC.
Thats it...
You will see all the data in your word doc as same as your SAP screen FBL5N.
There you can change the page settings like LandScape to see all the data.
This will solve your issue.
Thanks,
Srinu

How to insert blank page into pages document when using word processing mode?

I've recently created a 50+ page document using Pages '09. I started the document using word processing mode. Now, when I view in thumbnail mode and try to insert a blank page somehwere in the middle of the document, it won't allow me to select where I want. It just selects all the pages, as thought they are one section. I believe this is because I am in word processing mode. My question is, can I convert the document to layout mode so that each page represents it's own section, without losing what work I've already done? And if so, how?
The document is entirely text boxes and images, so I don't have any need for word processing space. I just need new pages to act as blank templates for the text boxes and images I create.
Is it possible to keep all my work as is, and convert the document to layout mode vs. word processing mode?
Thanks!

It just selects all the pages, as thought they are one section.
That's because they are one section. You must insert section breaks to separate them. There is no need to use page layout which does make each page a separate section. You have to manually add each page & use text boxes or other containers for the text & link the text boxes.

How do make a watermark appear on each page in a word processing document?

I got a watermark to show up on my first page that says in a big font, "Draft copy". How do I go about having this appear on every page? I'm using the word processing mode of Pages.
Thank you.

PS,
Select your watermark and Format > Advanced > Move Object to Section Master.
If your document already has more than one Sections, you will have to Copy this object and paste it into each Section. Being a "Section Master" mean that it will appear on each page of the section you insert it into.
Jerry

Hi there, I have a Macbook Pro and I have been using Libre Office but I am not happy with it. I need a good word processing package to produce a manuscript and don't know if I have to get Word for Mac and how to put my documents into it.

Hi there and hello everybody.
I am writing a book and have been using Libre Office and would like a better word processing package.
I have heard that Pages 5 is better than the latest one. I need to be able to put my Libre Office documents
into Pages. Anyone know how to do this please?

magathon wrote:
Thanks. So would you say Word is the best processing package? And how do I choose which package 'opens' them.
This is a basic computer skill you might want to learn. You can always control which application opens any document, and the steps below apply to any Mac or Windows computer you use:
Method 1: Drag the document icon on top of the application (Word, Pages, LibreOffice...) icon and release. The system will open the document in the application you dragged it to.
Method 2: Go into the application (Word, Pages, LibreOffice...) and choose File/Open. Locate and select the document, and click the Open or OK button.
Method 3: Select the document icon and choose File/Open With, then choose the application you want to open the document with.
The only time these don't work is when the application cannot open that type of document. For example, you usually can't make a photo editor open a text file. But Word, Pages, and LibreOffice all know how to open text files, RTF files, and Word files.
But if it is important that the document formatting is exactly preserved when exchanging with other Word users, you really should use Word. If you can't afford to pay the retail price for a copy, Microsoft now lets you use Office for $6.99 a month or $69.99 a year.

Word Processing on the iPad Retina Display

Hi There,
I've been browsing the forums for a while and have seen various threads about the WP possibilities with iPad. I've looked at ipages and iworks, and also a couple of others which are paid apps and claim to do mostly the same things (I really only want basic word processing which I can then save and email).
Many of the apps I've tried out are SO slow to load that it's really not worth the hassle. In particular, those which rely on iCloud, Google Drive, DropBox or Sky Drive. On the other hand, a few of the free apps seem to have no possibility to save anywhere which is daft. Some autosave, but woe betide you if you log off before it's done that.
I used Polaris with my Samsung Note to very good effect, it allows export in both word or PDF (or other) formats and also allows direct export from the app if you want to do that. It's pretty basic but sufficed for my needs however there doesn't appear to be a version for the iPad sadly.
If you were about to buy an app PURELY for word processing, and required something which allowed you to email from the app, to convert to pdf (I have a pdf converting app) AND allowed you either to store the doc on the iPad (is this even possible? I'm guessing it is as the Note allows for this and has the same memory size) or uses iCloud or Google Docs - don't really mind which.
I can't seem to find any overall opinion on which is best. Many seem to say iPages but I'm unsure how malleable it is and I don't have an Apple computer, only a PC so I need it to be fully compatible.
Thanks for any advice, help or experience anyone feels like sharing.

Yes, I was wondering about using the Notes app too. Hmm, I've just been looking at some of the links on another similar question and the real problem is, the reviews are terrible for many of the Office Pro type apps. They cost around the same as Pages and claim to do all kinds of things but Documents to Go and Doc to Go Premium are simply slated in the review sections.
Thanks very much. I shall probably try Pages first.

I am considering buying a MBA but i need to do word processing, making power point presentations, and also to use publisher for work, does the MBA have the ability to do these things, if so will I be able to continue with work done on a MBA with a PC?

I am considering buying a mac book air and I was wondering if I can still do word processing, make powerpoint presentations and use publisher like i would on a PC? Also if I can then would I be able to continue with work done on the mac book on a PC and all the computers at school are not macs ?

I am using the 11" MBA with Office 2011 (with latest updates). The form factor is great for travel.
Powerpoint presentations work well, but there are some issues with creating a presentation under OSX then continuing editing under Windows (Powerpoint 2010). I've experienced problems with custom backgrounds not rendering correctly while editing slides under Windows when the original presentation was created under OSX. If you stick with the "standard" themes I imagine you'll be OK.
Also, there is a major drawback in that there is no IR port on the new MBA(s). Therefore, you cannot use an Apple Remote to control a slide show. Yes, there is an app for the iPhone that can control a Keynote slide presentation using Bluetooth, but since I haven't tried it, I cannot say if that app will work for Mac Powerpoint 2011.
What is really needed is an "Apple Bluetooth Remote". (please, if anyone from Apple is listening...)
Your only option to run Publisher is to run Windows in a virtual machine (e.g. Fusion or Parallels) with Publisher installed as there is no Mac version.
I run Fusion with Windows Server 2008 R2 x64 configured as a workstation and Office 2010 as my main travel machine and it is very responsive. Even using Windows Aero Theme which is knowned to be graphics intensive.

Hello,is there a way to make a word processing document in pages with 1" margins because at the top of page it has more than 1", and can the box at the top be deleted

hello, is there a way to make a word processing document in pages with !" inch margins? i ask this because there is a box where you can write text and the you start your document, but it takes more than 1 inch from the top, can that box be removed? and why whatever you write in the box appears in every page of the paper? is there a way to avoid this? sorry I do not use computers very often and i just want to write an essay for my english clss, thanks for your help.

The box is called Headers and is used for thing that will be repeated on several pages like page numbering and names etc.. You can uncheck it in the Inspector > Document tab

Can you make a mail merge from a page layout? I can successfully do so from the word processing section of pages

I am trying to mailmerge to a form and need to center certain sections on the same line. Impossible to accomplish in the word processing portion because it wants to center the entire line. I would like to use the page layout section but the "enter merge field" is gray.
I have been able to accomplish the task using Filemaker but some of my constituents do not have Filemaker and I would like to make a template for them to use with numbers, excel,etc.

Can't see what Layout mode could possibly offer that you don't have in Word Processing mode.
Tried using centre tabs? You are using tabs, and not just hammering away at the spacebar?
Peter

Word processing, alternatives?

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