Word processing software:  Appleworks, NeoOffice / saving as Word.doc

I would love some advice on word processing software.
My daughter is a college student who sometimes needs to e-mail her papers to a teacher (in Word). She does not have Word, and we're not buying it. In the past, she's used the school computers, but that's not always practical. She has a Mac, with Appleworks on it. If she works in Appleworks and saves a paper in Word format, will it really open okay in Word, with footnotes, images, etc. intact? (Obviously, she doesn't want to get a lower grade for something so silly and avoidable.) I think I have seen on this forum somewhere a mention of trouble with footworks in Appleworks docs saved in Word format.
Also, if she were to save as a Word doc, which format would be the best to use: Word Mac 6; Word Mac 98; Word Windows 6; Word Windows 97, 2000, XP 2002?
She also needs to do simple tables sometimes, which it looks like Appleworks can do. Do these translate well?
Also, I have looked at NeoOffice and OpenOffice online. It looks like one of those would be a possibility for her, too. Apparently, documents can be saved as Word files in those programs. Does anyone know if they are any better than Appleworks for this purpose? (For instance, with footnotes?)
From the NeoOffice Website: "You can exchange documents with Microsoft Office and OpenOffice.org users, even on other platforms!" Does that mean a Word file will open and display okay, if you get one e-mailed to you? And that your own Word file will open and display okay on the other end? (I know this is not about Appleworks, but someone might know. . .)
Looking through this forum, I have seen software for opening Word documents (icWord), but my daughter needs to be able to (reliably) go both ways--saving and opening.
Thanks much in advance!
Christina
Powerbook G4; Intel iMac 20inch Core Duo   Mac OS X (10.4.5)  

Overall, I'd concur with Ken.
AppleWorks/Word conversion does have difficulties with tables and footnotes.
Neo Office has better compatibility with MS Office, and runs without installing additional software on your Mac. But it's a Java implementation of an earlier version of OpenOffice.org, and is missing a few recent improvements. It's also a bit slow, although in some uses this is not a problem.
OpenOffice.org runs in an Xwindow (no relation to MS Windows), and requires installation of X11, Apple's Xwindow implementation. I haven't used it, but expect that it is a more compatible implementation than NeoOffice.
Both are free to download and use. If nothing else, one or the other is useful to see how successful the AppleWorks > Word translation of a particular file has been.
The closest compatibility will be achieved with MS Windows (Mac), of course. If your reasons for not purchasing MS Windows are strictly economic, you mmight want to rethink them. As a student, your daughter is elegible to purchase the Teacher and Student edition at a much lower price than the retail version. This version is operationally identical to the retail one. The largest difference is a licencing one—student/teacher licencees are not eligible for reduced price upgrades to the next version. They are, though, eligible to purchase the next Student & Teacher edition provided they still qualify at that time.
Regards,
Barry

Similar Messages

  • Word Processing Software for iMac OS X-5

    I have an iMac OS x-5 - Leopard installed. What is the best Word Processing software for this older machine?  I need to create text boxes, I need to place columns within pages and I need to be able to re-size graphics within pages. Anything on the market is for newer machines. Any books or web sites to suggest where I might get advise. Any help is appreciated. I cannot upgrade at this time. Thanks.

    Check out these freeware apps.
    NeoOffice http://download.neooffice.org/neojava/en/index.php
    AbiWord http://www.abiword.com/
    NeoOffice is equivalent to Microsoft Office. It can open Excel files, Word files & PowerPoint files. You can also create these types of files that can be opened by PC users. AbiWord is just a wordprocessor.
     Cheers, Tom

  • Word Processing Software for brand new MacBook Pro

    Is it possible that my new MacBook Pro doesn't come with any word processing software? I never thought to ask about this before making my purchase.  I'm new to Apple--just came over from the PC darkside--and would love some help on this.  Thanks!

    Ronda mentions TextEdit and whilst it is not as sophisticated as some high end word processing software, it does have more ability than a lot of people realize. Most people have not taken the time to explore it.
    Peruse some of its features in the following link. It may be enough to suit your needs.
    The case for using TextEdit as your word processor, Part 1

  • HT5071 Can I create a book using the IBooks Author word processing software, save it as a PDF, then have it professionally printed by an offset press to sale in brick and mortar stores? If so, is this procedure free me from any IBooks restrictions?

    Can I create a book using the IBooks Author word processing software, save it as a PDF, then have it professionally printed on an offset press to sale in brick and mortar stores? If so, is this procedure free from any IBooks restrictions?

    It's your content, under your control.
    If you output as an .ibooks file, and you want to sell it, the store is the only outlet, otherwise, you can do as you wish.

  • How can I load word processing software onto my Apple Mac?

    Hi
    Is it possible to install word processing software on a new Apple Mac? I've found something called 'Pages' but I can't work out how to buy it or install it.

    Welcome to Apple Support Communities
    There are different word processing apps you can use in your Mac:
    Microsoft Word for Mac. Included in Office for Mac, it provides full compatibility with Microsoft Office for Windows and it's probably the app with more features > http://www.microsoft.com/mac
    Apple Pages. You can buy it on the Mac App Store, but you can download it for free if you have got a new Mac (open the App Store and go to Purchases). It has got a new interface, but some users have complained about its lack of features. As it's free, you can give it a try.
    LibreOffice. Free and open-source, one of the most recommended applications > http://www.libreoffice.org

  • Question on word processing software Preinstalled on MacBook Air.

    Does the word processing program pre installed on the newest gen MacBook product line allow you to open, save, and compose your documents in Word?  I thought it does but saw this at Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Office-Mac-Home-Student-2011/dp/B003YCOJA8/ref=sr_1_1?s=so ftware&ie=UTF8&qid=1343322115&sr=1-1&keywords=microsoft+word+for+mac
    Why would you need that if you can save your files in Word format and read Word docs right from the start?

    The app TextEdit which comes preinstalled can open and save Word format.  But it is no substitute for Word or a Word clone like OpenOffice.

  • My Word docs are NOT saving as PDF files.

    I go to "File, Print, PDF, Save as PDF, save doc to my desktop, click Save"...it "processes" then chimes alerting me it's completed, but the PDF is NO WHERE on my desktop (or anywhere on my laptop for that matter!!)
    The interesting thing about this problem ONLY happens when I CREATE that particular Word document. If someone emails me a Word doc and I download it and then open it up in Word, I am then ABLE to save it as a PDF. Soo, I tried emailing the file I created to myself...downloaded it, and tried to save as a PDF, same thing happens as before....no where to be found.
    Helpppp. I am SO frustrated. THANKS

    Okay - could be a bad file or a document with a goofy format, size, or table of contents snafu.
    I had issues with Acrobat 9.x with Word 2010 (Windows).  I stopped using Acrobat and just started doing what you're doing - saving direct from Word > PDF - and haven't had an issue since (other than bloated file sizes even saving as "minimum").
    So my advice is to look at your document.  It could be a TOC thing, or a large image, or something else messing up the engine.
    Remember, Office 2007, 2010, and 2011 all save DOCX as XML files.  So the "converter" (save-as-PDF) is rendering XML > PDF.

  • Word docs opening only in AppleWorks

    Tiger came with Microsoft Test Drive software installed.
    So, when I went to open an old Word doc, instead of launching my version of Word 2000, it launched Word 2005 (the test drive). I went to the Get Info panel and toggled it to select my version Word 2000 as the default application for all Word docs, but it kept reverting back to the new Test Drive version. I could tell by the new logo. Anyway, I finally trashed the entire Test Drive folder, but it still tried to revert to Word 2005. In exasperation, I toggled to Appleworks and set it as the default Application hoping to then switch to Word 2000. But now all Word docs are opening in Appleworks and when I switch the default to Word 2000, it won't "take".
    I've tried every possible way to switch this within the Get Info pane, so I'm wondering is there some re-set somewhere or, better yet, some other way of setting a default application?
    Any suggestions greatly appreciated. Thanks much!
    P.S. I can INDIVIDUALLY set Word docs to open in Word 2000, but I have hundreds of Word docs and don't want to have to set their permissions individually.

    Try instead of trashing Word reinstalling the test drive from the restore disks, and then running the uninstaller that comes in the Microsoft Office folder of the test drive.

  • I have an MS word doc saved from a Macbook in my flash drive. Now i want to print this from an IBM compatible laptop. problem is -- I can't access the file. Please help.

    I have an MS word doc saved from a Macbook Pro on m flash drive. Now i want to print
    th same doc from an IBM Compatible laptop. Problem is, I can't access the file. Please help.

    I suggest you post your question on Microsofts own forums for their Mac products as it's their software you're having issues with:
    http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/mac

  • I have my Mac with Mountain Lion and my IPad synched and have Pages on both. I have doc in Word on my Mac I want to access on my IPad while I am away travelling. But I can't locate them. Where should I look to find my previously saved Word docs?

    I have my Mac with Mountain Lion and my IPad synched and have Pages on both. I have doc in Word on my Mac I want to access on my IPad while I am away travelling. But I can't locate them. Where should I look to find my previously saved Word docs?

    Welcome to the Apple Support Communities
    It looks like you haven't got them on iCloud. On your Mac, open Pages and drag the Word documents to the iCloud window

  • Is there a difference between saving a word doc with images as a pdf or printing to pdf?

    Is there a difference between saving a word doc with images as a pdf or printing to pdf. Images are sometimes missing when the document is  saved as a pdf or they are visible to the document owner but seem to disappear when viewed after submission to grants.gov. and proposal Central.
    Using Acrobat 9.5.5 and Office 2010 and Office 2011 Mac

    Is there a difference between saving a word doc with images as a pdf or printing to pdf. Images are sometimes missing when the document is  saved as a pdf or they are visible to the document owner but seem to disappear when viewed after submission to grants.gov. and proposal Central.
    Using Acrobat 9.5.5 and Office 2010 and Office 2011 Mac

  • Trouble opening documents in word that were created in pages (even though i saved as word doc)

    I know how to save documents in pages to word format, I've seen the tutorials and read things over and over again about this. However, I am creating some documents in pages, saving them as word docs, emailing them to other people who are opening up on PC with word, but the formatting and the paragraphs are all messed up. I really need help so I can get my work done and my documents I create at home in pages will open up correctly in word by others.
    Thanks.

    So, an update of sorts.
    Turns out it's not a total hang—if I leave the ball spinning (for 30+ minutes), the open dialogue finally pops up... but it's in an empty home folder.
    We seem to have some sort of corruption of the home folder file hierarchy (there's an odd folder called "99" that appeared on the root of the server's main drive—I can't get access to it, and I don't want to monkey with the permissions until I can figure out what it is) that dates from the same time that our problem popped up. The only thing that I can think of that I changed at around that time was to add a new group home folder. Might I have mucked up the file system? (Shouldn't be that easy, should it? But hey, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing!)
    Any thoughts or suggestions? Could the problems (the phantom folder and the spinning ball of almost-doom) be related? Or am I simply dealing with a pair of peculiarities that are unrelated, or that are both symptoms of yet another problem, rather than cause and effect?
    Thanks to everyone who's chimed in so far for you input!
    But, to reiterate, help!

  • Problem saving Word doc as PDF - Vista?

    I have a pc with Vista and Word 2007. I have adobe Reader 9 or 9.1. Some free download or add on thing allows me to save word docs as PDFs. This worked fine to start with but then I found I couldn't move the PDFs I have created from one file to another or delete them. Next I found I couldn't move other PDFs I have downloaded from websites. Then I found I couldn't open the PDFs I had created but I could still open website PDFs I had downloaded. I can still open, move and delte PDFs created on a mac and sent to me by email or memory stick. What is going on? Please help!

    So you're saving them from Word using "Save as", correct?
    If so, what happens if you use File>Save as>Adobe PDF?

  • MS office Word doc to Appleworks

    I have had MS Office on my Emac for the past two years. I have decided I want to go to AppleWorks. I can't seem to find information on how to do this.
    Jim

    Peggy,
    Thanks.
    Since my earlier post I've answered my own question. Yes, indeed, you can persuade the earlier MacLink AW translators to open a Word document regardless of its parentage: Give the file a new identity as a "Microsoft Word Mac 98 Document."
    ResEdit is a handy tool, if you don't mind fooling around with basic file attributes. Until you get the hang of it, make a copy of the Word doc and work on the copy. Or just play it prudently and always make a copy first.
    Launch ResEdit (freeware at http://www.tgtsoft.com/prod_rb.php) and open the file. It will ask if you want to create a resource file, and it's a good idea to say yes.
    Go to File|Get Info for ... (this file) to open the attributes dialog.
    Probably the Type will be WDBN and the Creator MSWD.
    Change Type to W8BN, File|Save, Close, and presto! it's a "Microsoft Word Mac 98 document." Launch AppleWorks, File|Open All Available, and open the file.
    Save it as Appleworks, or whatever. My version of MacLinks AW will save it as Word 6 (and earlier) for Mac, and WordWin 7.0 (and earlier). I don't have MS Office for Mac, so I can't test the result.
    You may need to do some reformatting. My docs looked pretty clean in Appleworks.
    Harvey

  • Pages5:Saving Docs as Word docs?

    Pages '09 didn't force you to save your doc in Pages format. You could choose to save it as a Word, or whatever. Now, in the new Pages, it seems you are forced to save your doc in Pages format; you can only obtain a Word copy by exporting the doc after you've saved it, so you end up with two copies - one in Pages, one in .docx. Most of my clients can't open a Pages doc, so now I have two copies of everything unless I want to manually trash the Pages originals. Is there a way to just save any doc you're working on in another format besides Pages, without exporting?

    Actually in Pages '09 it was Save a copy as Word:
    You created both a .pages document and exported a .doc copy.
    Which is a good thing because not keeping a .pages version was bound to lead to trouble because the export is not perfect.
    Real if you want to work in .doc, use Word or a Word clone. Even TextEdit will open and save in Word .doc if you don't have complex formatting.
    Pages is not a Word substitute if you have to constantly transfer files back and forth.
    Peter

Maybe you are looking for