Thinking of buying a macbook

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But I have a few concerns with compatibility issues.

2 years ago my roommate who owned a macbook would need to print things using my printer and he would have to post his documents on a forum so I could copy and paste it into a word document. For whatever reason my computer couldn't recognize simple word documents he was sending me.

Were we both ruhtards or are there issues like this typically? I have a PC desktop and it's important to me that I can use my desktop and transfer files to my macbook. I really only use MS word and power point and I'll probably get into excel eventually.
 

pigoo3

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I haven't had any Microsoft Office file (Word, Excel, Powerpoint) compatibility issues with current versions of Office between Mac's & Windows computers.

If we were talking 10+ years ago maybe...but not with current computers, and versions of Office since before Office 2004.

HTH,

- Nick
 
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both of our computers were brand new at the time

So in order for everything to work the way I want do I just need to buy a macbook and get MS office for it and I'm good to go?
 

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both of are computers were brand new at the time

So in order for everything to work the way I want do I just need to buy a macbook and get MS office for it and I'm good to go?

That's pretty much it. You need a MacBook & Microsoft Office for the Mac (I think the latest is the "2008" version).

I am a 100% Macintosh person...and my wife is mostly a Windows person (she uses a work supplied Windows laptop). Many times when she needs to print or work with a file at home (MS Word, Excel, or Powerpoint)...she just uses one of my computers...and prints as well.

She'll go from working with an MS Office file from a Windows computer, to a Mac computer, and back to a Windows computer with the same files. No compatibility issues.

HTH,

- Nick
 

pigoo3

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Awesome

I'm sold

kind of

What you don't trust me!!!;)

Is compatibility with Microsoft Office files from Windows computers the ONLY reason why you buying this MacBook?...if so...then buy a Windows laptop!!! If you have other reasons for purchasing a MacBook...then just buy it..and stop sweating the MS Office compatibility issues!:) It will be compatible.

- Nick
 
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What you don't trust me!!!;)

Is compatibility with Microsoft Office files from Windows computers the ONLY reason why you buying this MacBook?...if so...then buy a Windows laptop!!!

- Nick

No

it's the only reason I'm on the fence about buying a Mac

If I can use it seamlessly with all my PC files and my current PC desktop I want to buy a mac

If I'm going to run into headaches while starting a paper on my desktop and being unable to finish with my laptop then I don't know if that's a route I want to go down
 
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You don't need to buy Office. There are two fully compatible free options--OpenOffice and NeoOffice. Google works for finding both. I move files from my iMac to my WindowsXP laptop by thumb drive, email, web, and local network all the time and have no problems with it. I admit I'm not using the really complex Word functions, but I do have bullets, chapters, tables, images, etc, etc, plus Powerpoint presentations and Excel spreadsheets that I move back and forth.
 
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You don't need to buy Office. There are two fully compatible free options--OpenOffice and NeoOffice. Google works for finding both. I move files from my iMac to my WindowsXP laptop by thumb drive, email, web, and local network all the time and have no problems with it. I admit I'm not using the really complex Word functions, but I do have bullets, chapters, tables, images, etc, etc, plus Powerpoint presentations and Excel spreadsheets that I move back and forth.

Yeah that's all I need

The most complex thing I do is power point and research papers
 

pigoo3

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Yeah that's all I need

The most complex thing I do is power point and research papers

You mentioned MS Word & Powerpoint in your original posting...so I figured you were a "MS Office person"...and were most comfortable with it.

But there certainly are alternatives to MS Office programs (word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation).

Good luck,

- Nick
 
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I love my MacBook Pro but it would be as useful as a brick if I couldn't run Windows on it. The work I do is related to back office functionality and despite what many people would have you believe one of the largest software vendors in the world has assessed the market and has decided OS X is irrelevant (same for Unix in any form). Therefore running XP and 7 are both essential to my livelihood. OS X is just for my own personal fun.

With all that said I have absolutely no issue running everything I need on my MBP. There are some things I like better, some things that I don't like as much and some that are equal.

The only type of issue I ever really run into is when I want to do something like tether my blackberry or iPhone. This task is automatic and idiot proof in Windows but a PITA in OS X. I don't mind figuring stuff like this out but my degrees are in software engineering and math. Others might not find it quite so fun.
 
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I just bought my MacBook a few weeks ago. I would have converted long ago but found myself hesitating because of all the software I use in Windows that I can't find for Mac and so much of my business is done in Office. Well, 2 crashes and a virus in 1 month and I threw in the MS towel. I thought the switch would take me a long time to get used to but after about a day, I was up and running.
A big piece of the puzzle for me was that I give PowerPoint presentations almost weekly and work in it daily. I just got a subscription to templates and thought I was out of luck with them only being windows compatible but found that even they are compatible! The files are all in Zip format on the site but after a short conversation, the company (www.presentationpro.com) sent me a Flash drive with everything unzipped so I just browse and apply. Turns out they just relaunched all of their powerpoint templates on Flash drives specifically for Mac users... I ended up having to run virtualpc for some other programs but even that runs faster than my previous laptop.
 
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I use Open Office instead of MS Office. Open Office is free and does everything Office does. Also, it does not come with all of the annoying AutoFormat stuff turned on that tries to read your mind and ends up screwing up the format of your documents.
 
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I just bought my MacBook a few weeks ago. I would have converted long ago but found myself hesitating because of all the software I use in Windows that I can't find for Mac and so much of my business is done in Office. Well, 2 crashes and a virus in 1 month and I threw in the MS towel. I thought the switch would take me a long time to get used to but after about a day, I was up and running.
A big piece of the puzzle for me was that I give PowerPoint presentations almost weekly and work in it daily. I just got a subscription to templates and thought I was out of luck with them only being windows compatible but found that even they are compatible! The files are all in Zip format on the site but after a short conversation, the company (www.presentationpro.com) sent me a Flash drive with everything unzipped so I just browse and apply. Turns out they just relaunched all of their powerpoint templates on Flash drives specifically for Mac users... I ended up having to run virtualpc for some other programs but even that runs faster than my previous laptop.

Hi there,

If you need to "unzip" .zip files, then download and install Stuffit Expander. :) This will happily decompress .zip archives so that you can use the files on a mac (provided, of course, that the archive doesn't have .exe files inside, which the Mac can't use).

Hope this helps. :)
 
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Oh, I'm too late. Did you get a new one or a refurb? I saved a couple hundred dollars by ordering a refurb the other day. I should have it by the end of this week.
 
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Oh, I'm too late. Did you get a new one or a refurb? I saved a couple hundred dollars by ordering a refurb the other day. I should have it by the end of this week.

I bought the 13" macbook pro

My laptop before this was a HP Tx1000 which was probably the worst computer I've ever used. It was absolutely terrible

I love my macbook and I've been using a PC for 10 years but I am having no issues getting used to the different things. Except for right click, I miss right click :(
 

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