Okay, I'm buying an AIr. Reason for Apple Air? Lightweight, size (especially thinness) and backlit keyboard, dependability.

All I use it for is writing. My submissions are in MS Word, or I might go the e-book route, from time to time, under certain circumstances.

I have read where Pages is easily converted, but ... Is it? What about formatting? Will I have to go through an entire 300 page novel to check that my page breaks and indents, spacing and fonts, are correct? Not possible.

Or, should I load Word for Apple?

Or, I have a licensed Window 7. I could install that with Office.

Anyone else writing and publishing on a Mac? How?

For me I certainly wouldn't load Windows onto your Mac just to be able to use Word. Get used to the Mac OS which doesn't take long. I'm no computer whizz and it didn't take me long and it's great.

I can't comment on Pages so I would just get MS word for the Mac.

I am more than happy with Office 2011 for Mac although Outlook is a real resource hog, even compared to the PC version (Outlook 2010).

The Mac version of Office is long overdue for an update but then, in saying that, Pages and the iWork suite is even further overdue for any kind of improvement.

I've had issues with formatting on documents that are only a few pages. I would suggest just doing it in Word. I do prefer Pages mainly because the picture masks save me loads of time changing pictures within the same document multiple time a week.

Edited September 21, 201213 yr by ubonrthai

I've had Pages on my Macbook for a while but never used it. I just stick to what I know (Word) although I wonder what Open Office is like on Mac.

If you have to deliver MS word docs, rather than PDF or ebooks, using MS Word / Mac is probably your best bet.

If you can do without delivering actual Word docs, Pages is nicer and way cheaper.

Apparently, word is, when Office 2013 is released then Office 2011 for Mac will recieve some sort of update to keep it in line.

http://www.electronista.com/articles/12/07/18/ms.to.offer.mac.users.software.update.for.office.for.mac.2011/

Pages isn't a Word substitute. Forget Pages.

Office for Mac sucks also. If you want 100% compatible, then as many Mac users do, you load windows in your Mac just to use Office. MS isn't going to make a 100% compatible Office for Mac. They want you to use Windows of course.

You can try free office. I have LibreOffice on my Mac. You can save in Word 2007-2010 .docx formats. You can also just save it as an RTF file and Word will open it just fine. If you use the drawing toolbar to draw stars or circles, then you have to save it as rtf.

Office for Mac is too expensive. I'd rather just use the free one.

^ MS office for Mac works fine for me. I use my Windows laptop offshore and when I get home do stuff on the Mac. Never had any problems with documents switching between the two. I only use Word & Excel and don't use any of the other office stuff though.

Using Windows on a Mac sucks though. What's the point in buying a Mac and using Windows for the everyday average user? As the OP says he only uses Word for writing books. MS Word for the Mac will be more than adequate.

Edited September 24, 201213 yr by DMC1

Pages isn't a Word substitute. Forget Pages.

Office for Mac sucks also. If you want 100% compatible, then as many Mac users do, you load windows in your Mac just to use Office. MS isn't going to make a 100% compatible Office for Mac. They want you to use Windows of course.

You can try free office. I have LibreOffice on my Mac. You can save in Word 2007-2010 .docx formats. You can also just save it as an RTF file and Word will open it just fine. If you use the drawing toolbar to draw stars or circles, then you have to save it as rtf.

Office for Mac is too expensive. I'd rather just use the free one.

What's not "100% compatible" about Word for Mac vs. Word for Windows? We exchange complex Word documents within our organisation all the time using both OSX and Windows.

Same goes for Excel, now that MS kindly put macros back in to the Mac version.

Regarding Pages, I much prefer it to Word. It is a real word processor, and I find it easier to use, more intuitive, and far less bloated than MS Word. You can import or export to Word format and PDF. Plus it's far less expensive.

Pages isn't a Word substitute. Forget Pages.

Office for Mac sucks also. If you want 100% compatible, then as many Mac users do, you load windows in your Mac just to use Office. MS isn't going to make a 100% compatible Office for Mac. They want you to use Windows of course.

You can try free office. I have LibreOffice on my Mac. You can save in Word 2007-2010 .docx formats. You can also just save it as an RTF file and Word will open it just fine. If you use the drawing toolbar to draw stars or circles, then you have to save it as rtf.

Office for Mac is too expensive. I'd rather just use the free one.

What's not "100% compatible" about Word for Mac vs. Word for Windows? We exchange complex Word documents within our organisation all the time using both OSX and Windows.

Same goes for Excel, now that MS kindly put macros back in to the Mac version.

You're right. It's amazing. That's why it has a 2 1/2 rating at the apple store.

Edited September 25, 201213 yr by thaicruze

Regarding Pages, I much prefer it to Word. It is a real word processor, and I find it easier to use, more intuitive, and far less bloated than MS Word. You can import or export to Word format and PDF. Plus it's far less expensive.

This is Simple, Free AND it opens .docx

Really, I mean, if you don't NEED Office, it is an overblown and really overpriced piece of software.

6,340 baht for Word, Excel and PowerPoint with a 2 1/2 star rating from users. Just try the free option first. LibreOffice.

Really, I mean, if you don't NEED Office, it is an overblown and really overpriced piece of software.

6,340 baht for Word, Excel and PowerPoint with a 2 1/2 star rating from users. Just try the free option first. LibreOffice.

LibreOffice looks interesting, I'll have to read up on it a little. I use a combo of OpenOffice Writer and Google Docs -- loaded on both an old Acer Aspire with Win 7 and a new (yippee, bday present to self) MacBook air. No problem working with Word Docs brought home from work, but I don't publish in any professional sense either.

I open a .doc with LibreOffice on the Mac and it opens perfectly. Preserves the margins and all that.

Just make sure you set it in Windows to save as .doc.

Here is one of the files a little kid saved in word here. I put a table from another document and formatted the margins wide 1" top and bottom and 2" left and right. It opened it exactly the same. It's a quick simple example, but still... Save a document as .doc and I can open it here, take a screenshot so you can see if it works or not.

Edited September 25, 201213 yr by thaicruze