It's done - I ditched Apple iWork and switched to Office

[cavi]

since the new look of iWork introduced back in 2014 (or 2013?) I switched from Mellel, one if the best word processing apps out there, to Pages because, among others, I wanted the ability to access my files on my phone and tablet (back then I was a law student). over the time I waited and waited for basic features such as cross references, track changes in tables etc., to be introduced to Pages, but nothing really happens... at the same time I sent numerous feedback regarding bugs in the software but it's seems to me that nothing happens there. my frustration got even bigger after Apple released Pages 8.1 which came with some bugs in the typing engine.
after almost 6 months since 8.1 released, the bugs in the typing engine are still there. so, I purchased Office 365 subscription and I really glad I did it. Yes, the integration of Apple mail, Calendar, Pages, Reminders and Notes in macOS os better then Outlook, Word, MS To-Do and Onenote, but overall, MS' capabilities for businesses are much better and taking into account that I experience no bugs, I believe it was a good move.

 

[cmaier]

Yes, there is no doubt that Office has more features and flexibility. iWork instead emphasizes simplicity (and apple ecosystem integration). If you use this type of software professionally, it’s hard to choose Pages and Numbers over Word and Excel. Keynote, in my opinion, does give PowerPoint a run for its money, and I sometimes do use it when I don’t need to be compatible with other people.

 

[retta283]

iWork is yet another Apple software that was crippled and had functionality removed. I use Office on Mac full time, iWork was never enough for me but the gap has grown since 2011.

 

[Juicy Box]

I used to use iWork a lot. I used AppleWorks before it and ClarisWorks before that.

A few years back, there were some changes to the Mac version of iWork that I didn't like. It seemed like it was changed to be more like the mobile versions.

I switched Office and haven't looked back. I don't use Outlook on my Macs though.

 

[cavi]

The only thing that I wish to see in the future from Microsoft is a better integration of the applications in the system. For example, if I receive a date and time in a messaging app outlook will be opened and not an extension of Calendar

 

[sracer]

I can sympathize with the OP. Like @vertical smile, I used AppleWorks and ClarisWorks before that... but only the Windows versions on my Windows machines. There was nothing comparable to those on the Windows side... and it was AppleWorks that finally convinced me to switch to Macs.

The greatest benefit to iWork at this point in time is the near perfect consistency between iOS/macOS/web versions. Being very familiar with the functionality of the suite, I am confident that I can be anywhere with any device and be able to work equally comfortable on those iWork-based documents.

MS Office on the other hand, is a hot mess. The macOS version is different than the Windows version. The Android and iOS versions are LESS functional than Google Docs. The web version fall somewhere in between. But having said that, MS Office does have more native versions for operating systems than iWork.

Loading MS Office for Mac on a non-SSD system is painfully slow... and being bloated (2+GB each) means it pretty much takes over whatever system it's running on.

Google Docs excels at ubiquity. It is available on every platform. The collaboration tools are excellent. And although it too has limited functionality, the functions that ARE included can go beyond what might initially seem possible.

I use all of the above (and throw LibreOffice in as well). I use the suite that will allow me to create the documents I need, or run well on the devices that I have at hand. (for later formatting and distribution on a different system)

All of these solutions have their strengths and weaknesses. I've stopped trying to cram all of my documents needs into one solution...because none of them meet all my needs. That has made me more productive, since I don't have to fight with any particular app to overcome its limitation. I've also become more proficient in using them, by knowing the ins and outs of each of these tools.

 

[neutrino23]

OP: what sort of bugs do you see in the typing engine?

I use iWork a lot and am quite satisfied with it. I’ve reported some bugs and had them fixed. I agree that they dumbed down Pages a bit to be compatible with iOS. Mainly linked text boxes. They brought this back, but not as nice as it used to be.

I sometimes have to use Word for work and struggle with it. Text only is ok but layouts with lots of graphics are a pain. You type oneextra character and the format goes to hell. Control Z doesn’t bring back what was there earlier.

 

[yellow8]

What's being said in this topic is right. They 'simplified' Pages too much.
And in the business world, Office is leader.

 

[orbital~debris]

@cavi have you checked if the bugs you mentioned are fixed in the latest release? I've checked my Mac running Mojave and it has Pages 8.2.1.

Also, what exactly are the bugs?

 

[maflynn]

I've long gave up on iWork, the applications are just poorly designed from a UX perspective. I mean its so much easier to develop and enter an excel spreadsheet then how hard it is for apple's version. More so it lacks much of the forumulas and flexibility. Likewise the word processing, its Word is so much easier.

 

[spooklog]

I like to use both Windows and Mac computers (for desktop computing), and iPhones and iPads for mobile computing (with the occasional Android device). iWorks was interesting to me long ago, but for serious writing that's compatible with all platforms, I stuck with Microsoft Word for better or worse.

Word for MacOS still has a long way to go, however, and its size makes it painful and slow to use. It's pretty clear that Microsoft hasn't over-hauled the code in many, many years. Word for iOS has been thought out very carefully, I feel, and while it doesn't have desktop functionality, the overall experience is quite good.

Integration with MS cloud solutions like OneDrive is very smooth on Windows, iOS and Mac, and Microsoft's expertise with the cloud really shows.

I also think that Microsoft makes their Office products very accessible from a price standpoint via Office365, though I've never been a big fan of subscription services.

As sracer wisely says, familiarity with a variety of software (Office, LibreOffice, iWorks, and so on) is really important. There is no one perfect solution, and in general it's best to be comfortable using a variety of software.

 

[orbital~debris]

I've long gave up on iWork, the applications are just poorly designed from a UX perspective. I mean its so much easier to develop and enter an excel spreadsheet then how hard it is for apple's version. More so it lacks much of the forumulas and flexibility. Likewise the word processing, its Word is so much easier.

I think it totally depends on what type of spreadsheet you're constructing. Numbers, particularly if you're not well-versed on spreadsheet construction, allows a basic user to create documents that would be more taxing in Excel.

A lot of the relatively recent improvements to Word have been modelled on the flexibility and ease-of-use that Pages pioneered a while back.

 

[cavi]

OP: what sort of bugs do you see in the typing engine?

I type RTL language and tabs aren’t working as expected and the cursor is located at the wrong side (those 2 bugs convinced me to make the switch)...
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@cavi have you checked if the bugs you mentioned are fixed in the latest release? I've checked my Mac running Mojave and it has Pages 8.2.1.

Also, what exactly are the bugs?

There are a lot of small bugs which I already got used to, but the ones I mentioned above was too much for me... the bugs together with the fact that functionality like cross references, document comparison and track changes in tables (and other things) are not available in iWork convinced me to make the switch...
I honestly wanted to much for Apple to make iWork better, but its seems that they are aiming to high school users and not business/ academic users... if I’m reporting a bug for 2 years and nothing happens, it probably means something about how seriously a company is with its product
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I will just add that I wish that the integration of MS Office was more deep, like the native Mac / iOS apps. For example, adding an event from messages will bring outlook calendar, and the same with reminders.

 

[cavi]

ummmm ok... one step back...
So, after some time with all MS, I understand that there are some areas that it will be better to me to go back and use Apple's apps.
Outlook: although Outlook has more capabilities, but Apple mail + calendar works better for me. Simple, good looking applications.
I found myself using Pages when I needed a to create "simple" documents...

I think that the right workflow for me is to "blend" the apps I use depending on the kind of work...

 

[MacGizmo]

I've found use cases for both MS Office and Apple's (iWork) apps. I've found neither to be excellent nor horrible.

 

[BigMcGuire]

I made a point to move all of my Office most used documents (word/excel) to Pages and Numbers just to force myself to use them. While I got used to it, I definitely prefer Word and Excel. It probably doesn’t help that I’ve grown up with Windows and have used Office for .. well... since before Word 95...

While Pages and Numbers aren’t bad, I do like its ability to integrate with iCloud and that’s where all of my personal data is. Work = OneDrive.

I’m a lot more comfortable with document formatting on Word - the way it does headings, outlines, numbering, etc.

So I have both. I have an Office 365 subscription and I pay for iCloud and have Numbers/Pages on all my Apple devices. I wanted to get rid of my Office 365 subscription but I just can’t give up Excel and Word.

 

[calliex]

I have used Office since it first showed up on the Mac. I am big Excel user (started on lotus 123 orig) and Word. Never used power point much. I exclusively use Office for work. Did not not have much use at home.
Now that I am retired and do not have access to Office I am using Pages/Numbers for occasional use.

 

[BigMcGuire]

I have used Office since it first showed up on the Mac. I am big Excel user (started on lotus 123 orig) and Word. Never used power point much. I exclusively use Office for work. Did not not have much use at home.
Now that I am retired and do not have access to Office I am using Pages/Numbers for occasional use.

Does the numeric indentation drive you nuts in Pages like it does me?

I want:

— I guess I just have to get used to it. LOL.

 

[DanielDD]

Does the numeric indentation drive you nuts in Pages like it does me?

I want:

View attachment 897108

— I guess I just have to get used to it. LOL.

You can define up to eight indentation levels in Pages’ lists and use different markers for each. You are just using the default one

 

[Wowfunhappy]

iWorks was interesting to me long ago, but for serious writing that's compatible with all platforms, I stuck with Microsoft Word for better or worse.

I mean, for serious writing, the right tool is Scrivener.

 

[cavi]

I mean, for serious writing, the right tool is Scrivener.

During my university term I used Mellel, by far the best one out there... but there are disadvantages that are common to small software companies (no web version, no iOS app, etc.)

 

[randolorian]

It would be interesting to know if iWork meets the needs of Apple employees internally, or if they need the full feature set of Office like every other large company.

 

[BigMcGuire]

During my university term I used Mellel, by far the best one out there... but there are disadvantages that are common to small software companies (no web version, no iOS app, etc.)

I have never heard of this! Interesting! Is it Israeli made? Love these small word processors - GrowlyBird, Mariner Software, etc.

Edit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mellel COOL!

 

[Martyimac]

I'm old enough that I don't want to learn another productivity suite especially because most folks I deal with don't use macs. For those reasons, I am staying with MS Office.

 

[BigMcGuire]

I'm old enough that I don't want to learn another productivity suite especially because most folks I deal with don't use macs. For that reason, I am staying with MS Office.

Agreed. I tried to leave Office last month. I lasted 1 day. I cannot live without MS Office. That's going to be my primary office suite for life I think. It's a must for business.