Word alternatives?

Posted:
in Mac Software edited January 2014
Sometimes clients send me documents created in Word. I do not have Word, therefore, I am looking for Word alternatives.



a) Should I go with Thinkfree Office?

b) Should I wait for StarOffice?

c) I happen to have AppleWorks 6.1.2. Should I just get Daviz's MacLinkPlus Deluxe?

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 6
    This AW thing surprises me. I thought it was able to handle Word.doc documents. Just tried it me self and it can't. Can someone please shed some light on this. Wasn't AppleWorks meant to be Office compatible?



    [ 03-21-2002: Message edited by: Intelligent Dandy ]</p>
  • Reply 2 of 6
    emaneman Posts: 7,204member
    [quote]Originally posted by Intelligent Dandy:

    <strong>This AW thing surprises me. I thought it was able to handle Word.doc documents. Just tried it me self and it can't. Can someone please shed some light on this. Wasn't AppleWorks meant to be Office compatible?



    [ 03-21-2002: Message edited by: Intelligent Dandy ]</strong><hr></blockquote>



    Maybe when Apple said that they meant only that it could save files in Word format?
  • Reply 3 of 6
    [quote]Originally posted by EmAn:

    <strong>



    Maybe when Apple said that they meant only that it could save files in Word format?</strong><hr></blockquote>



    I tried the ThinkFree Office demo. It opened the word doc just fine. The doc had a graphic in it that ThinkFree Office could not be translated at all. Therefore, I guess the doc having an embedded graphic is the reason that AppleWorks could not open it. I guess AW with MaclinkPlus Deluxe would be able to open the graphic fine. Guess that I am going with MacLinkPlus Deluxe.
  • Reply 4 of 6
    If you need 100% compatibility with client documents, there's no substitute for MS Word. The problem is, suppose something (like the aforementioned graphic) drops out during translation. According to Murphy's Law, Volume 7, section XII, subparagraph (b), (and I quote), "Should the user decide to buy a 'mostly compatible' alternative to the software he really should have bought in the first place, then he must begin receiving documents containing critical pieces of information which cannot be translated, but must be dropped out altogether, causing a general confusion between the said user and his client, and the appearance that said user is not capable of performing said work to said client's satisfaction." :eek:



    Last time I used it, MacLink only translated text, not graphics, and even then is only "mostly compatible". <img src="graemlins/oyvey.gif" border="0" alt="[No]" />
  • Reply 5 of 6
    kelibkelib Posts: 740member
    This is from Apple.com:



    [quote]Sharing documents is also a breeze with AppleWorks 6.2. With the built-in DataViz translators* , viewing and modifying Microsoft Word and Excel files from other students and colleagues is incredibly easy ? regardless of platform.<hr></blockquote>



    Then the small letters



    [quote]* Microsoft Word and Excel compatibility provided by MacLinkPlus®, a product of DataViz, Inc. <a href="http://www.dataviz.com."; target="_blank">www.dataviz.com.</a> <hr></blockquote>
  • Reply 6 of 6
    Give Mariner Write a try. It does a basic job of importing Word files, it saves as pdf (Mac OS X), plus many other features. It's for Mac OS X and for 9 and earlier.



    <a href="http://www.marinersoftware.com/"; target="_blank">http://www.marinersoftware.com/</a>;
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