06-25-2007, 12:30 AM

Hello,
I realize this may be a "silly" post, but I am desperate here folks. I recently made the big switch, and I am now realizing I have no way to use Photoshop or MS Office.
Is there anyone who can help me by suggesting other options besides the big expensive programs? Pleaseeee....help! Thanks so much!

06-25-2007, 12:37 AM

Hi again,
I recently posted about looking for a program comparable to MS Office. I stumbled upon Iwork. Does anyone know if this is any good? Does it stand up to MS OFfice? Also, are the files the same file extension as the MS Office documents, so say someone with Windows can open the file(s)? Any information would be helpful. Thanks.

06-25-2007, 12:55 AM

If you are looking for an MS Office replacement I would look at something in the ling of Open Office ( www.openoffice.org ).

It has some great reviews and it is a worthy competitor.


Best of all it's free!

06-25-2007, 01:29 AM

I'll give you a couple of tips:

GimpShop

Gimpshop is a Gimp modification that features menu layouts, dialogs and naming conventions similar to those found in Adobe Photoshop. Photoshop users should feel right at home using Gimpshop. The Gimp, on which Gimpshop is based, is a powerful, open source image editing application. For more info on the Gimp see this page. Gimpshop is essentially the same program with some cosmetic changes.

NeoOffice

NeoOffice is a full-featured set of office applications (including word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, and drawing programs) for Mac OS X. Based on the OpenOffice.org office suite, NeoOffice has integrated dozens of native Mac features and can import, edit, and exchange files with other popular office programs such as Microsoft Office.

.... they're both free and I'd forget the notion that you can aquire those other apps via this website directly or indirectly and you're 100% correct that asking how to get them without paying, is illegal.

06-25-2007, 01:37 AM

I'm with Pulse. Either try the free versions or somehow find a way to pay for the other ones.

We had some clown just a few days ago asking the same thing you are now. You can imagine what happened to him

06-25-2007, 01:39 AM

You should also check out NeoOffice. It's pretty much OpenOffice, but without the hassle of installing X11 and has a prettier interface.

I have iWork and use Pages on a regular basis. It's a very full featured word processor, and is compatible with Microsoft Word for the most part (heavy formatting may not transfer so well). Though for 100% compatibility, I just use my copy of Office 2004.

06-25-2007, 03:13 AM

I second Kash's suggestion.

Neo Office is wonderful.

Much better interface than openoffice, compatiable with all office formats, and its free! It has a version of excel, word, powerpoint, you name it. I'm a junior in college, an english major who writes a ton of papers, and this is a wonderful word processor.

06-25-2007, 03:38 AM

I am assuming you haven't seen / don't want MS Office 2003 for Mac....I have it and use it. I bring files home from work and it works fine. Small differences in the interface but otherwise its all good. But as they say Neo office is good also.

06-25-2007, 03:40 AM

The other option... It sounds like you already own those programs for windows. You could purchase Parallels and run them on your mac.

06-25-2007, 03:47 AM

iWork and MS Office server different purposes: iWork is great for publishing good-looking documents, flyers, stationary, layout stuff.

Word is widely used for taking notes, writing long text, and such stuff. I personally don't use word much, but I have both Office and iWork on my Mac.

Keynote definitely beats the wits out of Powerpoint, but he problem is not every computer has Keynote, so carrying around your presentation may be a problem. For this, Keynote lets you export the presentation as an interactive Quicktime movie or a DVD, which I've never tested, but should work quite well. It definitely looks a lot better than PPT.

As for Excel, well, there's no Apple equivalent, so you'll have to go with Office.

Personally, I say keep both. I use LaTeX for serious publishing (letters, papers, seminar notes) as well.

06-25-2007, 02:07 PM

here's another one for neo office. i LOVE that program... never again will i pay for that m$ office crap!

06-25-2007, 02:10 PM

Originally Posted by yogi

As for Excel, well, there's no Apple equivalent, so you'll have to go with Office.

neo office has a spreadsheet application that is almost identical to excel. and it costs 100% less!

06-25-2007, 02:12 PM

www.openoffice.org

06-25-2007, 07:06 PM

Instead of getting Gimpshop, just get The Gimp. Fore features and more stable( so I heard)

06-26-2007, 03:35 AM

Originally Posted by brooklyn431

Hello,
I realize this may be a "silly" post, but I am desperate here folks. I recently made the big switch, and I am now realizing I have no way to use Photoshop or MS Office.
Is there anyone who can help me by suggesting other options besides the big expensive programs? Pleaseeee....help! Thanks so much!

Another vote here for NeoOffice.