IWORKS works?

[zeroge]

Hello everyone

New to the Apple scene I was so proud of my brand new 27" IMAC but a few days later this changed to frustration.

According to IWORKS, I should be able to open Windows documents in "Pages" and Spreadsheets in "Numbers" but all I get is error notices that the document could not be opened. I use(d) the Office Dinosaur 2003 but most my clients use even 2007.

Now I need to go back to load some Windows application onto a brand new, latest technology equipped IMAC to be able to work with my 13,000 and more files on the IMAC ...

UNLESS someone could tell me that I got it completely wrong, however! (but I follow the HELP instructions and just drag the file I want to open onto the numbers/pages application thumbnail ... that's what it says I should do!

I have nothing against knowing from the beginning that I need to load Office onto the IMAC, but getting told I wouldn't need and that IWORKS can open those documents I mentioned before and then I find out ... NO - THAT's NOT TRUE ... this is a bit embarrassing to the APPLE family!

Best regards

 

[dsnort]

Not too sure about the latest version of iWorks, but my version doesn't always do so well with MS formats.

Try NeoOffice. It's free, and I've found it to have much better compatibility with Office, though nothing is perfect. ( It's almost as if MS doesn't want you to access your data with any program other than theirs!)

 

[AdeFowler]

What are their file extensions?

iWork will open .doc .ppt and .xcl as well as most common text files, but MS Works is a different ball game. Try changing the file extension.

 

[alvindarkness]

I agree with dsnort. I use iWork when creating documents for myself, or that I will only be sharing with fellow mac users, and prefer it to anything else for what I do. But when handling anything made by MS Office I dont bother with iWork and go straight to OpenOffice (what NeoOffice is based on). Unless you need to handle vbscript or macros in excel, it should do the job well.

Both OpenOffice (openoffice.org) and NeoOffice are both free, give them a go.

(PS: NeoOffice uses OpenOffice code and adds some mac optimisations and additions. But it can be a version or two behind the current OpenOffice code. Ever since OpenOffice became a native aqua apps I've tended to just use that).

 

[chrono1081]

Hm thats odd. I use Office 2003 and iWork together all the time. I never get errors and rarely do I ever get a formatting issue.

As others have stated maybe you will have better luck with Open or Neo Office. Both are nice.

 

[Stonefly]

There is also MS Office 2008 for Mac, that should work fine.

 

[Mr Bow]

I agree with chrono - it is odd. I use Mac Office 2008 and iWork at home and Office 2007 at work and bounce files between the three of them. I get the occasional formatting irregularity but no show stoppers.

The only difference I can see is that I dont open them in the same way as you (I right click/open with, or open from the iWork app), but that surely can't make much of a difference?