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crzdc0l0mbian · Aug 1, 2006, 12:11 AM

which one do u guys prefer

brachiator · Aug 1, 2006, 01:08 AM

Really for different purposes. Pages is not a full-featured word processor like Word, seems more like a desktop pub app. (I don't use either PowerPoint or Keynote.)

On the other hand, I am trying NeoOffice, a native OSX port of Open Office, and it is pretty cool...

Brass · Aug 1, 2006, 01:14 AM

I prefer iWork/Pages because it has all the features I need and lots more, it is FAAAAAAAR better than Work for page layout stuff (ie, anything to do with graphics, or positioning of things), and easier to use than Word.

MS Office/Word has more features, but none that I need, and is more cumbersome to use (although that is entirely subjective and a matter of opinion).

I've not used PowerPoint since the late 1980's, so can't make a good comparison. Keynote is excellent for my uses so far, and plays/saves PowerPoint files fine, if you need that compatibility.

brachiator · Aug 1, 2006, 01:25 AM

Thanks for the comments on KeyNote, Brass. I bought iWorks, so good to know KeyNote will fit the bill if/when I need to do presentations.

As for Word, over the past decade I've come to rely a lot on a wide variety of its features, so I'm looking for that breadth. But breadth is bloat if you don't need it all.

So I guess it depends just how much crzdc0l0mbian needs. And I am really digging NeoOffice for my personal stuff that won't need to go through the office system, and someday I'll bite the bullet and write some memos for work in Neo...

Chuckit · Aug 1, 2006, 01:43 AM

Keynote > Powerpoint
Pages for layout stuff > Word for layout stuff
Pages for business stuff < Word for business stuff
Mysterious absence of a spreadsheet app < Excel

crzdc0l0mbian · Aug 1, 2006, 03:42 PM

i just really need it for school to write papers and stuff and does iwork ahve an excel program because I am an accounting student so that is basically the most important program i need

brachiator · Aug 1, 2006, 04:16 PM

Nope -- iWork has no spreadsheet application.

For that, MS Office, OpenOffice or try NeoOffice. There may well be other spreadsheet apps (try versiontracker.com), although in my limited experience everyone seems to use Excel.

RevEvs · Aug 1, 2006, 04:47 PM

Try Neo Office first (2.0 aqua beta just out). If you have the money, get the student version of MS Office

Chuckit · Aug 1, 2006, 05:51 PM

Excel is the one really good program Microsoft makes for Mac.

TheoCryst · Aug 1, 2006, 10:52 PM

Originally Posted by Chuckit

Excel is the one really good program Microsoft makes for Mac.

Hmm, I don't really mind Office 2004 in general. Powerpoint is good, but nowhere near as powerful as Keynote. And Word is, well, Word. It does a lot of things, most of them very well. Some call this bloat, others call this full-featuredness. I guess it just depends on your needs.

Oh, and here's hoping for spreadsheets in iWork '07! Oh, and better word processing features in Pages.

Chuckit · Aug 2, 2006, 02:02 AM

Office 2004 is all right. Word is OK, if still bloated and annoying. PowerPoint is not all that great, but usable. Excel is the nicest spreadsheet app I've ever seen. Overall, it's the first version of Office in a while that doesn't make me want to kill something.

midwinter · Aug 2, 2006, 02:06 AM

Originally Posted by crzdc0l0mbian

i just really need it for school to write papers and stuff and does iwork ahve an excel program because I am an accounting student so that is basically the most important program i need

Get the MS Office for students. It's cheap and worth it, if only because you don't want to have problems with file exchanges.

VValdo · Aug 2, 2006, 03:56 AM

Another strong vote for Neooffice. Compatible with MS Office, free, and the beta is Aquafied so no more complaining that it's ugly.

W

Salty · Aug 2, 2006, 05:15 PM

I get by with Pages and Keynote for school. I didn't want to buy office, cause well I'm a purist. That said for an accounting student you need office since Excel has no iWork equivilant right now. The rumour is in January there'll be a spread sheet app, but there isn't right now.

Chuckit · Aug 2, 2006, 05:18 PM

There have been rumors of a spreadsheet app a few months down the pipe ever since iWork came out.

Cadaver · Aug 3, 2006, 09:51 PM

Originally Posted by VValdo

Another strong vote for Neooffice. Compatible with MS Office, free, and the beta is Aquafied so no more complaining that it's ugly.

W

I'm also using the Aquafied beta version now, and I must say I'm quite impressed.

Does very well with MS Office files. Even imports correctly documents that Pages and Nisus Writer Express fail to import correctly.

Its Intel-native (for my MBP) and feels faster than MS Office 2004 (doesn't have to load Rosetta first, seems to scroll faster, uses a much less RAM, etc.). There are only a few UI bugs (minor aquafication artifacts) in the current beta version, but otherwise seems to be very solid.

I'll continue to use NWX, Pages and Keynote for documents I produce, but I'll likely use NeoOffice for now to open Word/Excel files sent to me by others.

tboparis · Aug 7, 2006, 09:50 AM

I rarely use these but when i do i use MS office

tightsocks · Aug 9, 2006, 02:55 PM

Does anyone know if the MS Office 2004 Student/Teacher Edition allows for installation on more than one machine?

larrinski · Aug 9, 2006, 03:33 PM

You can install on another machine. 2 ways that I use, are obviously the DVD/CD and connecting via firewire and drag & drop the office folder to your applications folder... I just love that method better as it is a microsoft product and you could never do that on the windows side....

Chuckit · Aug 9, 2006, 03:36 PM

Originally Posted by tightsocks

Does anyone know if the MS Office 2004 Student/Teacher Edition allows for installation on more than one machine?

Yes. It includes three licenses.

tightsocks · Aug 9, 2006, 03:38 PM

Excellent, thanks.

Gossamer · Aug 9, 2006, 03:45 PM

If you're looking at doing presentations, Keynote >>>>> Powerpoint. By far. People are absolutely blown away when they see the stuff that keynote does on my iBook. The presentation my group did for a mechanical engineering design course was head and shoulders above the rest due to keynotes superior effects, graphics, and dual screen features.
If money is an issue, go with NeoOffice. You can share files with Office fairly easily, it's Intel native (if that's what you've got), and it works quite well, the spreadsheet program has all the same features. If you've got the cash, go ahead and get the student/teacher Office, as it feels a bit more refined (although I haven't had a chance to try out the Aqua-fied version of NeoOffice yet).