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macOS converting AppleWorks to Microsoft Word (Mac), 2011

G

gianas

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 9, 2013
3
0
Problem:
Converting thousands of AppleWorks files in to Microsoft Word for a Mac (2011).

I have a MacBook running 10.6.8, (so that AppleWorks will work).

Do you know anyone who might have a batch-file (?) program that can convert a thousand-plus, AppleWorks files into Microsoft Word (2011) for a Mac?

This conversion is vital because my livelihood is writing. I’ve tried to avoid using Microsoft Word since 1984 but can’t avoid it anymore. Apple no longer supports AppleWorks; if you’ve used it lately, that will become obvious.

Maybe you know someone in the Word division of Microsoft. If so, please ask that person if she or he knows someone who has written, or will write, such a conversion program. I live in Redmond, Washington, so I could meet such a person face to face and pay for the help.

Thanks,

Greg Gianas
Phone: 425-881-1776
Email: Gianas@earthlink.net
 
Why not use Pages? Apple stopped supporting AppleWorks because they replaced it with the iWork suite. (Pages for writing, Keynote for presentations, and Numbers for spreadsheets. They didn't make a painting, drawing, or database replacement, unfortunately.)

It's free with a new Mac, or you can buy it on the Mac App Store for $20 each. Unlike Microsoft Office, they also have fully supported equivalents online (you can reach it by going to iCloud.com) and on iOS through the iOS App Store.
 
ArtOfWarfare said:
Why not use Pages? Apple stopped supporting AppleWorks because they replaced it with the iWork suite. (Pages for writing, Keynote for presentations, and Numbers for spreadsheets. They didn't make a painting, drawing, or database replacement, unfortunately.)

It's free with a new Mac, or you can buy it on the Mac App Store for $20 each. Unlike Microsoft Office, they also have fully supported equivalents online (you can reach it by going to iCloud.com) and on iOS through the iOS App Store.
Click to expand...
Some fights are worth the time; some aren't. Pages is elegant in comparison to the clunky MSFT Word; but "Word's" the standard for editors, and I can't ignore what editors want; they pay my bills.

Sorry, I'm not that experienced with Pages. Does it have a precise, intended, and "sure" (dependable) way to convert hundreds of AppleWorks files to MSFT Word for Mac files?

I'm not the most computer literature person in the world. I often think writing can be forced to be better when you have less chances to change it, meaning I have nostalgia for typewriters and pens ... but still need a way to convert more than a thousand AppleWorks files into MS Word files for a Mac.

Who knows if "Magic Word Converter" works with my OS; I'll try. In the meantime, I'd sure like to have plan "B" and "C," if anyone has "B" or "C."

thanks,

greg
 
gianas said:
Some fights are worth the time; some aren't. Pages is elegant in comparison to the clunky MSFT Word; but "Word's" the standard for editors, and I can't ignore what editors want; they pay my bills.

Sorry, I'm not that experienced with Pages. Does it have a precise, intended, and "sure" (dependable) way to convert hundreds of AppleWorks files to MSFT Word for Mac files?

I'm not the most computer literature person in the world. I often think writing can be forced to be better when you have less chances to change it, meaning I have nostalgia for typewriters and pens ... but still need a way to convert more than a thousand AppleWorks files into MS Word files for a Mac.

Who knows if "Magic Word Converter" works with my OS; I'll try. In the meantime, I'd sure like to have plan "B" and "C," if anyone has "B" or "C."

thanks,

greg
Click to expand...

How about using AppleWorks to save all your files in a common format such as RTF (or perhaps an older Microsoft Word format) and then from there opening and saving them in Microsoft Word to convert them into Word .docx files? You should be able to come up with an Apple Script script to handle the conversion process with a little playing around.

The only concern with going that route is if you have fancy formatting in your AppleWorks files - some of it maybe lost in the conversion process.

Edit: I know what you mean though. I'm recent convert to Microsoft Office for much of the same reasons as you are. Sometimes you just can't fight against the fact that the majority of business is done using Microsoft Office.
 
gianas said:
Some fights are worth the time; some aren't. Pages is elegant in comparison to the clunky MSFT Word; but "Word's" the standard for editors, and I can't ignore what editors want; they pay my bills.

Sorry, I'm not that experienced with Pages. Does it have a precise, intended, and "sure" (dependable) way to convert hundreds of AppleWorks files to MSFT Word for Mac files?

I'm not the most computer literature person in the world. I often think writing can be forced to be better when you have less chances to change it, meaning I have nostalgia for typewriters and pens ... but still need a way to convert more than a thousand AppleWorks files into MS Word files for a Mac.

Who knows if "Magic Word Converter" works with my OS; I'll try. In the meantime, I'd sure like to have plan "B" and "C," if anyone has "B" or "C."

thanks,

greg
Click to expand...


Pages 09 can open AppleWorks files and Word files as well as export them. It doesn't seem like AppleWorks support is there in the new version (at least not yet). It also has Applescript support, so that seems like it could be an alternative plan B for you. Although it seems Apple have discontinued the old version you can still get it on optical media from Amazon and such.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3703

Supported formats in the new version:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4641
 
gianas said:
Some fights are worth the time; some aren't. Pages is elegant in comparison to the clunky MSFT Word; but "Word's" the standard for editors, and I can't ignore what editors want; they pay my bills.

Sorry, I'm not that experienced with Pages. Does it have a precise, intended, and "sure" (dependable) way to convert hundreds of AppleWorks files to MSFT Word for Mac files?

I'm not the most computer literature person in the world. I often think writing can be forced to be better when you have less chances to change it, meaning I have nostalgia for typewriters and pens ... but still need a way to convert more than a thousand AppleWorks files into MS Word files for a Mac.

Who knows if "Magic Word Converter" works with my OS; I'll try. In the meantime, I'd sure like to have plan "B" and "C," if anyone has "B" or "C."

thanks,

greg
Click to expand...

If you get iWork '09 on DVD (from, say, Amazon or Best Buy) then you can open up AppleWorks files in it and export to Microsoft Word. The latest version of Pages (from the Mac App Store) dropped support for opening AppleWork files... Apple abandoned AppleWorks nearly a decade ago after introducing Pages about 8 years ago so I'm surprised you were still using AppleWorks.
 
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