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hesse · Aug 5, 2005, 03:37 AM

I've decided to make the switch to Mac, after being a PC user for more than 8 years. However I am completely new to all things Macintosh. Which of these two pieces of software would you recommend:
IWorks
Appleworks.

Appleworks has a feature which lets you see MS Word and MS Excel, I think.

All positive advice welcomed.

Thanks.

PurpleGiant · Aug 5, 2005, 03:47 AM

Definitely iWork instead of Appleworks. iWork can import and export Word documents, and AppleWorks hasn't been updated in years.

The other option is to actually buy Microsoft Office for Mac. If compatibility with MS Office for Windows is really important to you, then I'd recommend this.

If you just want a good word processor/layout app, with the ability to import the occasional word doc, Pages/iWork is a winner.

Randman · Aug 5, 2005, 04:06 AM

IWork is a good alternative though I'd get M$ Office anyway. It's better on a Mac. Apple's built-in TextEdit (in Tiger) has compatibility with Word documents and it has a basic cells feature though nothing to replace Excel ... yet.

hesse · Aug 5, 2005, 07:13 AM

Thank you for getting back to me. MS Office is a bit pricey for Mac, IWork would do for a while, and I have checked the Applications tread for other software which could be useful. Is there any indication that Applework will be updated soon?

TETENAL · Aug 5, 2005, 07:22 AM

AppleWorks will not be updated any more; iWork will replace it. Currently iWork only has components for word processing and presentation, but it is expected that other components will be added in future versions. If you need a spreadsheet you will have to look for other application for now (Mariner Calc or MS Office for example). I wouldn't bother with AppleWorks any more. It sort of always sucked on OS X and really shows its age.

hesse · Aug 5, 2005, 07:53 AM

Great. I've have a look at Mariner Calc. I've only ever used Outlook or Outlook express, how does Apple Mail application measure up?

Big Mac · Aug 5, 2005, 08:27 AM

I'm a big fan of Mariner Software (primarily Mariner Write). A smaller word processor can really suffice nowadays, especially when you have NeoOfficeJ installed to handle Office documents. Mail is a capable client that gets better with each major release of OS X; I have been using it as my primary client since OS X came out. But if you're used to using Outlook on the PC, Mail may lack the features you desire. GraphicConverter is a staple of the Mac world.

NeXTLoop · Aug 5, 2005, 08:28 AM

Another option is NeoOffice. I'm sure you've heard of OpenOffice.org, which has full MS compatibility. NeoOffice is OpenOffice.org on the Mac side. Very mature suite of programs. Since its written in Java its a little slow to open, but once it does its very responsive. And best of all its free.

hesse · Aug 5, 2005, 08:40 AM

I've download a copy of NeoOffice, thanks for the heads up. To save me bombarding all of you with questions, is there an online guide to using Tiger OSX including Mail and Safari?

Randman · Aug 5, 2005, 09:08 AM

Check out Apple.com. They have a decent 101 series.

hesse · Aug 5, 2005, 09:24 AM

Thanks again:

I was thinking of something like this but more specific to using Mail and other apple applications:

http://www.notebookforums.com/showth...arned+love+mac

Randman · Aug 5, 2005, 09:50 AM

http://www.apple.com/support/mac101/

Did you even check it out? And if you have .mac, you can get even more detailed info.

Philip J. Fry · Aug 5, 2005, 11:43 AM

Originally Posted by hesse

Thank you for getting back to me. MS Office is a bit pricey for Mac, IWork would do for a while, and I have checked the Applications tread for other software which could be useful. Is there any indication that Applework will be updated soon?

If you have anyone in the household that is school, you can get the education discount for $149, plus I believe Apple is offering a promo on Office to save $50.

hesse · Aug 8, 2005, 06:56 AM

Thanks Randman for the link it was exactly what I was looking for.

budster101 · Aug 8, 2005, 07:07 AM

iWork is $49.00 if a student (College or Teacher) orders it online with their discount at the education store.

Office is $149 plus a $50 mail-in rebate so it's really $99.00 in the end.

Also, FREE iPod mini, FREE Printer if you buy a system, other than the 12" or mini mac.
Not to mention you will get from $50 to $300 off of a computer for educational discount if you qualify.

(Russian) Is good deal.