Pages in more detail

So since I am currently banging on about Pages and why it is the only word processor you need, I thought maybe I should address some of the top reasons people don’t.

Other people (Word users) cannot read my documents.

This is true, but very easy to get around. On my own Mac and for my own use, I leave them in Pages format. But as an avid user – and someone who often interacts with Word users  – I make sure that my documents are always in PDF or Word before sending them on.

Saving them in PDF format assures that they can be opened by anyone on any platform. This format is particularly useful if I don’t want or need the target audience to change my document in anyway. (which is 99% of the time)

However, if it needs to be in Word format the process is identical and just as easy.

Imagine you have a document open and some poor soul with Word wants a copy.

Click on the File menu and choose Export To and then choose Word.

Here, you can choose if you want to password protect it or make it an older type of Word document (.doc) but honestly, I would just leave it at .docx.

Click on Next and choose where you’d like to save it.

Or….

You can export it to Word and attach it to an email all in one go if thats your poison.

Click on the Share menu and choose Send a Copy and choose Mail.

Here you can choose Word.

Click on Next and an email will be generated.

The aforementioned PDF format is done in the same way and in fact you would have noticed by now that this is the area where you can choose TEXT or RTF formats to name but a few.

I cannot open Word documents

You most assuredly can!

If you don’t have Word installed, likely double clicking on the Word document will open Pages automatically.

If you have both you can open it in Pages in a number of ways and once you take the plunge and delete Word this issue will disappear.

But until then, this is how you can ensure Word is opened in Pages.

The quick method

Right mouse (or press the Control key and click) on the document in question. 

Choose Pages

The permanent method 

Right mouse (or press the Control key and click) on the document in question.

Choose Get Info

Under the Open With… menu choose Pages and then click on the Change All… button. From this moment on all you need do is double click Word documents and they will open in Pages.

When I open Word or save as Word the formatting is not the same

This is true, but not always and it isn’t something that would bother me enough to pay $99 a year to use Word.

It also depends on the age of the document as Word has improved its cross platformisms over the years.

It also depends on the fonts used by the creator. You see Word comes with its own fonts and if they are used instead of standard ones funky stuff can ensue when they are viewed on another machine. It can also happen between Word for Windows and Word for Mac.

Here is it opened in Word for Mac

Here is the same document opened in Pages.

It is very simple, not many features

This is of course very subjective. I, for example, think it has good features, indeed enough features. By contrast Word is a busy interface that often leaves people spending more time searching something rather than getting on with writing.

Many of the more often used functions are in the main menu bar, which if course can be customised to suit your needs.

Other features can be found using the Paintbrush icon that opens up a pallet of formatting tools – more than most will need.

It is not for everyone

I would say that 99% of people could use Pages without any issue at all and save a whole heap of money and stay secure to boot.

If you were writing the great Australian novel then perhaps you’d require the complexity of Word? But then again, maybe not. One of my clients is a prolific author and he uses Pages!