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Word vs. Pages

post #1 of 17
10/5/10 at 1:52pm
Thread Starter 
I use Word as a powerful word processor rather than a page layout app. I'm a novelist so working with large amounts of text and want to be able to type, edit and format easily but without the need for complicated page layout. I've considered before purchasing the iPad for use in the library (where I write) as it would be lighter and easier, with a separate keyboard, than my laptop. Until recently this wasn't an option as I couldn't print from an iPad or sync to my idisk but I understand I can now do the latter and with iOS 4.2 will be able to use AirPrint too. I'm seriously considering it.

My issue is with Pages vs. Word - especially as early reviews for Word 2011 sound great. This may sound stupid but I've never been able to figure out how to open Pages on my laptop so that I can type continuous pages of text, I always have to add new text boxes on new pages. Is it really that compliacted? Can I never open Pages and it work for start as a simple text entry program as with Word? Again, if the latter wasn't an issue it would be a big help.

Where do you all sit on Word vs. Pages for simple text entry? Would iPad, keyboard and Pages be up to this now?
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post #2 of 17
10/5/10 at 2:24pm
How simple is "simple"?

I do all my coding in TextEdit.

I do document creation in the iWork suite.

Office has more features, iWork is leagues more beautiful. It's personal preference and workspace desires, really.
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PhilBoogie
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post #3 of 17
10/5/10 at 2:30pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post

How simple is "simple"?

I do all my coding in TextEdit.

I do document creation in the iWork suite.

Office has more features, iWork is leagues more beautiful. It's personal preference and workspace desires, really.

Thanks for your reply. I'd need headers and footers, a title page with alignment, double line spacing and a thesaurus, dictionary and spell checker as good as Word's. I have tried Pages and found it good for letterheads and page layout. I just wish it was more intuitive (for me at least) and easier to change so I could just open it start typing and it would automatically go onto a new page rather than my having to create text boxes all the time. Is there a way of using a template or opening new documents that just start with a cursor so one can go?
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post #4 of 17
10/5/10 at 4:07pm
Pages Mac has both a word processing function and a layout function. The former will automatically slip to a new page.

I have Pages on my iPad so that I can write, like you, away from home/office. There are some things that the iPad version can't do (yet? as they are updating it from time to time), but once you know the few pluses and minuses and figure out work-arounds that fit your work style, it works great. As I suggested, Pages on the iPad just recently got quite a bit better and I expect they will continue to improve it. That, along with the upcoming iOS 4 update, it's a nice little package.

There is a dictionary on the iPad... select a word and a pop up menu comes up that allows you to open the dictionary. Several dictionaries exist on the iPad that feature search and such. These will of course be much more useful for writers once multitasking arrives.

 

Your = the possessive of you, as in, "Your name is Tom, right?" or "What is your name?"

 

You're = a contraction of YOU + ARE as in, "You are right" --> "You're right."

 

 

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Your = the possessive of you, as in, "Your name is Tom, right?" or "What is your name?"

 

You're = a contraction of YOU + ARE as in, "You are right" --> "You're right."

 

 

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post #5 of 17
10/5/10 at 11:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mpw_amherst View Post

Thanks for your reply. I'd need headers and footers, a title page with alignment, double line spacing and a thesaurus, dictionary and spell checker as good as Word's. I have tried Pages and found it good for letterheads and page layout. I just wish it was more intuitive (for me at least) and easier to change so I could just open it start typing and it would automatically go onto a new page rather than my having to create text boxes all the time. Is there a way of using a template or opening new documents that just start with a cursor so one can go?

Pages has everything you've cited. The dictionary that Pages uses is just the one that comes with OS X ("Dictionary" app). I personally prefer Pages to Word (including the new 2011, which I've used), because it just feels more elegant and streamlined. I've used every version of iWork since it came out and I think the first version of Pages might have been geared more towards page layout than word processing, but that's not the case with '09. I know Word is more feature rich than Pages, but for what you describe I don't see any objective benefit of Word. I think you can get free trials of both though...?
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post #6 of 17
10/6/10 at 8:22am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bergermeister View Post

Pages Mac has both a word processing function and a layout function. The former will automatically slip to a new page.

Right, this is the first thing a new user should understand about Pages. I think adding this modality (not in the first version of Pages) was a mistake, but users seemed confused by a word processor that could do layouts so Apple separated the functions by creating the modes.

It's easy to skip the template picker by selecting a default template in Preferences. Before doing that, I'd urge any new Pages user to figure out two things first: (1) the custom template creation function and (2) creating and modifying styles. They are both quite easy, although the first is somewhat buried in the menus. Once you've created a custom template with the styles you like to use, set that as the new document default, and you're off to the races with Pages.
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post #7 of 17
10/6/10 at 9:36am
When I edit, I need to point out errors and use the Word tracking system comment balloons.
Does pages have a tracking system like Word has?
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post #8 of 17
10/6/10 at 10:12am
Quote:
Originally Posted by sequitur View Post

When I edit, I need to point out errors and use the Word tracking system comment balloons.
Does pages have a tracking system like Word has?

Yes, Pages supports the track changes feature used by Word.
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post #9 of 17
10/6/10 at 10:16am
Thread Starter 
Thank you for all this. Following Bergermeister's post I checked Pages yesterday and felt an absolute fool. I'd never really noticed the different options for word processing and page layout, only the options on the right and clicked blank page and assume this must have been the page layout option.

I may well give Pages a full test trial now as a replacement for Word. Or should I wait until the new, imminent version comes out so as to acclimatise only once?
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post #10 of 17
10/6/10 at 10:42am
New versions are alway imminent, but the changes aren't generally radical, so I'd give it a good look now. You will feel like you're a visitor in a foreign country for a time. The approach is not at all like Word, which irritates some people and pleases others.
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post #11 of 17
10/7/10 at 9:56am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dr Millmoss View Post

New versions are alway imminent, but the changes aren't generally radical, so I'd give it a good look now. You will feel like you're a visitor in a foreign country for a time. The approach is not at all like Word, which irritates some people and pleases others.

And in terms of using Pages and an iPad to replace my Macbook and Word, can I yet save things from the iPad to my iDisk or will this only come with iOS 4.2?

Many thanks again for the help
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post #12 of 17
10/7/10 at 10:08am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mpw_amherst View Post

And in terms of using Pages and an iPad to replace my Macbook and Word, can I yet save things from the iPad to my iDisk or will this only come with iOS 4.2?

Many thanks again for the help

Yes, the current version of Pages for the iPad allows saving documents to iDisk.
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post #13 of 17
10/7/10 at 10:21am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dr Millmoss View Post

Yes, the current version of Pages for the iPad allows saving documents to iDisk.

Thank you. Sorry I don't mean to be disbelieving but I know that wasn't the case when it launched and I was told today at an Apple Centre that it still doesn't and they hope it will with iOS 4.2 However if that's wrong and you're doing it now I'd be thrilled as I'd then be good to go on an iPad.
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post #14 of 17
10/7/10 at 10:47am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mpw_amherst View Post

Thank you. Sorry I don't mean to be disbelieving but I know that wasn't the case when it launched and I was told today at an Apple Centre that it still doesn't and they hope it will with iOS 4.2 However if that's wrong and you're doing it now I'd be thrilled as I'd then be good to go on an iPad.

I'd ask them again. The iDisk support feature was added with the most recent update to iWork for the iPad, I believe. You can also copy documents to a WebDAV server.
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post #15 of 17
10/8/10 at 3:10am
It was added in version 1.2 which just came out recently.

I think somebody needs to check the iTunes Store page for Pages.

 

Your = the possessive of you, as in, "Your name is Tom, right?" or "What is your name?"

 

You're = a contraction of YOU + ARE as in, "You are right" --> "You're right."

 

 

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Your = the possessive of you, as in, "Your name is Tom, right?" or "What is your name?"

 

You're = a contraction of YOU + ARE as in, "You are right" --> "You're right."

 

 

Reply
post #16 of 17
10/10/10 at 6:03am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dr Millmoss View Post

Yes, Pages supports the track changes feature used by Word.

Can you give me some details on how this works? When I use Pages on iPad (latest version) to open Word documents containing tracked changes, Pages does not show the additions/deletions of the tracked changes - rather, it simply accepts all changes. It also does not show comments created in Word. What am I doing wrong - because I'd love to use the tracked changes/comments features of Word on my iPad.

Thanks
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post #17 of 17
10/10/10 at 8:31am
Quote:
Originally Posted by deaddog View Post

Can you give me some details on how this works? When I use Pages on iPad (latest version) to open Word documents containing tracked changes, Pages does not show the additions/deletions of the tracked changes - rather, it simply accepts all changes. It also does not show comments created in Word. What am I doing wrong - because I'd love to use the tracked changes/comments features of Word on my iPad.

Thanks

Pages on the Mac, not on the iPad. Sorry to have confused that issue.
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