iWork or Microsoft?

[Klew721]

Would you recommend iWork or Microsoft Office for my MacBook Pro? Or is there a better option for word processing/spreadsheets/publication applications?

 

[pigoo3]

For starters…there's a big difference in price.

- Nick

 

[Klew721]

For starters…there's a big difference in price.

- Nick

Price isn't a factor, but I wasn't sure if one is better than the other. And is it worth getting Microsoft if there are rumors of a new version being released sometime in the near future.

 

[vansmith]

The answer to this depends on what you need to do with your office suite. What are you using it for and how important is Office compatibility?

 

[Klew721]

The answer to this depends on what you need to do with your office suite. What are you using it for and how important is Office compatibility?

For the most part, just typical word processing as well as spreadsheets. I do an occasional "newsletter" type document.

 

[chscag]

Price isn't a factor, but I wasn't sure if one is better than the other. And is it worth getting Microsoft if there are rumors of a new version being released sometime in the near future.

Hold off on Microsoft Office for awhile. MS has promised Office 2014 will be available sometime this Fall. They just recently made Office available for iOS. New CEO of Microsoft understands that Mac users are a good cash cow.

In the meantime if you have a new Mac, you can download the iWork apps and iPhoto for free from the Mac App store. If no new Mac, download the free LibreOffice suite and use it in the interim.

 

[pigoo3]

Price isn't a factor, but I wasn't sure if one is better than the other. And is it worth getting Microsoft if there are rumors of a new version being released sometime in the near future.

If price isn't a factor…then MS Office is the defacto gold-standard…and will have the most tools & best compatibility when sharing with the rest of the world.

- Nick

 

[harryb2448]

And keep an eye on the Office 2014 release announcements. In the past, Microsoft have offered free update to the net suite for folks purchasing Office in the few months before release.

 

[vansmith]

You could also go with an Office 365 account which will give you Office now, upgrades in the future and a few other benefits.

 

[Sawday]

My two pennyworth...
1) If Office 2014 is going to be anything like the latest PC version buy 2011 now while still available. The PC product is pants.
2) Much as I like iWork and the Open Office/Libre Office products (I have them all), if you (a) plan to send any document to an MS Office user (b) plan to do mail merge (c) plan to use standard labels (eg Avery), then stick with the MS product. The others all throw up too many problems or are just too time consuming to work with. If you will only EVER work on documents for yourself then go with the cheapest or one you can most productively work with.

 

[chscag]

PC World recommended not buying Office 2013 (Windows version) if you already had Office 2010 (Windows version) as the 2013 version had few improvements. We'll see what MS does with Office 2014. New CEO of MS is a savvy guy and appears to be doing right since Steve Ballmer left.

 

[harryb2448]

Lol Charlie some would say ANYONE would do better!