compatibility issues between Mac Word and MS Word on boss' PC

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Hello,

I work a lot from home for a legal firm. I send my files to my boss at the office who has to reformat almost all the legal documents I create in MacBookPro Word for Mac when he opens them on his PC MS Word? Anyone know what's up with the compatibility between the MS Word programs on these two platforms? These legal docs are very specific formatting and they are always messed up, so he wants to buy me a Windows machine :Angry-Tongue: (I've been using Macs since mid 1990's and don't want a Windows machine).

Does anyone know what the problems may be, and how to avoid them, and also, would Windows for Mac help and if so, then do I get MS Word for Windows to load on the Mac?

Mac OS X 10.6
Word for Mac 2011, Version 14.2.2
Confused. Thanks, Mamaglee
 

cwa107


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What version of Word is he using at the office? There are often minor differences in formatting even between different versions of Word for Windows, which is what prompted the adoption of PDF for documents that must maintain strict formatting integrity. If he's using an older version, you may find that even using the Windows version, there are minor variances.
 
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Good question. I will find out the version tomorrow. So would the best thing be to get pdf editing software in order to maintain integrity of formatting? Thanks for your prompt reply.
 

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Good question. I will find out the version tomorrow. So would the best thing be to get pdf editing software in order to maintain integrity of formatting? Thanks for your prompt reply.

Do the documents typically require editing at the office once you've finished your work at home? If not, I would just convert them to PDF to send to your boss.

PDF, by definition, is not an editable format. Yes, there is software that can allow you to make manipulations, but Adobe themselves recommend that you maintain an original in an editable format and convert only when the document is in a final form.

In terms of versions of Office, yes, typically when you've got equivalent versions (Office 2010 for Windows and Office 2011 for Mac), you stand a better chance of maintaining integrity.

Worst case scenario is you might load up a Windows virtual machine under VMWare Fusion/Parallels/Virtual Box and install the Windows version of Office on it.
 
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Yes, the documents always requiring editing at the office, and then sometimes they come back to me for editing and then back to them - for several iterations.

Where can I find an equivalent version table? Thank you so much for this help. The VMWare sounds like a foreign language to me. Would Windows for Mac provide the same result?
 

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Yes, the documents always requiring editing at the office, and then sometimes they come back to me for editing and then back to them - for several iterations.

In that case, you're going to want to keep them in Word format. Also, make sure you're saving the documents in the newer .docx format, and not the older .doc (used in versions of Office prior to 2007).

Where can I find an equivalent version table?

Generally, Office for Windows comes out first, then for Mac the subsequent year. So, Office 2003 for Windows is of the same generation and feature set as Office 2004 for Mac. Same goes for Office 2007 & Office 2008 - and finally Office 2010 & Office 2011.

Office 2013 will be debuting in a few months, and you can safely bet that Office 2014 for Mac will soon follow.

Thank you so much for this help. The VMWare sounds like a foreign language to me. Would Windows for Mac provide the same result?

There are many ways to run Windows and Windows software on your Mac. This thread is a good primer on the topic:

http://www.mac-forums.com/forums/ru...4239-running-windows-mac-switchers-guide.html

In short, your Mac is a PC like any other - it uses the same commodity hardware. The big difference is in the operating system and the software it runs. Virtualization products, Boot Camp and other tools help to bridge the gaps. There's no need to buy a Windows PC just to run Windows software. Your Mac can slum it with Windows if need be.
 

cwa107


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One other thought - are you using the same fonts across the two machines? Sometimes font spacing can through off formatting. And if there's not an equivalent font installed on the boss' machine, there may be some "mapping" at play here that throws the formatting off as well.
 
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all great info

thank you again. these are great replies and I'll take them to our office and we'll figure what's going on. I knew a bit about the font mapping but not the version equivalents. You're the best. Thanks so much again, mamaglee
 

cwa107


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thank you again. these are great replies and I'll take them to our office and we'll figure what's going on. I knew a bit about the font mapping but not the version equivalents. You're the best. Thanks so much again, mamaglee

Sure, hope it helps you out. Good luck.
 

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