Which is the better Word processor - Pages or AppleWorks

[Ceroc Addict]

Haven't had much chance to use Pages and just wondering what people thought of it so far (and in particular, what features are badly needed for Pages 1.1).

Kap

 

[Qion]

I really don't have a ton of experience in AppleWorks, but I think that's because I thought it was too much of a hassle to mess around with, and also why I'm voting for Pages. Pages is a great program, in fact I'm using it right now. I love the professional looking templates.

I think that you should also include TextEdit in this poll. It's a really overlooked app, but it is extremely fast and easy and really gets the job done. I have wrote numerous reports in TextEdit.

 

[Viro]

You could add MS Word there. I'm keen to see how people feel it compares towards Pages.

 

[Ceroc Addict]

I'd be happy for any moderators around to alter the poll.

However, I suspect I already know the result of adding Word to the poll i.e. "Yes, Word is significantly more powerful (even with it's bugs), but most Mac users would give their right arm to be able to move away from MS and embrace a powerful Apple word processor (and even better, a whole Apple office suite)".

Kap

 

[fryke]

I think this poll doesn't need MS Word. We can one day do a more complete one. But I'm interested in _this_ poll. I personally voted for Pages, but I guess it depends on what you exactly use it for. People who've been using MacWrite, MacWrite II, MacWrite Pro, ClarisWorks and later AppleWorks might have issues with Pages, I guess. Some things, Pages just can't do yet AFAIK. I personally only use Pages for actual writing two or three page stories (Poetry Slam texts). Nothing fancy, so I could also use just TextEdit. But Pages looks good and gives me a bit better controls for layout.

One feature that's SORELY missed in pages is a way to have Shift-Return work. In a justified text block, I should be able to create a line-break without it justifying the last line. A full return should - as it does - give a new paragraph, but a Shift-Return should make the last line 'left' instead of 'justified'.

 

[AdmiralAK]

The last time I used "applework" it was called "clariswork version 2" lol
I tried using it again on some of the iBooks that we have at work, but I could not get into it. I prefer MS office (for more complex stuff) or TextEdit (for simple stuff). I have not bought pages. MS office is free for me (work pays for it), so I opt for using something free rather than buy the apple alternative

My JOb did buy me Keynote as a testing version. I use it when I do not have to share my presentations (not often) but when I collaborate with others, I use PPT

 

[Mikuro]

I'd rather not have extra options added to this poll. I was about to make a thread myself asking how Pages compares to AppleWorks. IS Pages a full-featured word processor? Or is it just TextEdit + fancy templates?

I've been using AppleWorks for over a decade (of course, back then it was called ClarisWorks). It's served me very well, and it's a still a fine program — but Apple just won't update the damned thing! I mean, OS X's been out for, what, 5 years now? And AppleWorks hasn't been given anything but an obligatory carbonization! It still uses QuickDraw (read: butt-ugly) text antialiasing. Bleh.

I really want to know if Pages a true and complete successor to AppleWorks, or more of a sister program.

 

[fryke]

Well, it's clear by now that AppleWorks will die once iWork is complete. But I, too, think Apple should've spent a little more time fulfilling the task of having an OS X ready office suite instead of creating nice templates. But now, I guess, it's Pages that will become the 'real thing' over time. Until then, users of AppleWorks that need some of the features not present yet in iWork, will have to use the old thing...

 

[Mikuro]

users of AppleWorks that need some of the features not present yet in iWork, will have to use the old thing...

Can you give some examples of some of these features? You mentioned something about shift-return, but I'm not sure what that means (I tried hitting shift-return in AW with a variety of differently-justified lines, but I didn't notice any effect).

And what exactly are the advantages (besides aesthetics) of moving from AppleWorks to Pages?

For now I feel like I'm probably better off sticking with AW, but...something inside me keeps pointing to Pages and shouting "shiny! New! Me want!"

 

[fryke]

Hm. As I've said, I'm only using it for typing my stories. I've created a template that works for me, and I'm not looking for the really important features like serial letters (dunno what they're called in English) or even large documents etc.

The Shift-Return issue is the following (and I don't know whether AppleWorks does this correctly...):

If you have a paragraph like this one (but justified), the last line of it is usually "left" not "justified". Applications like InDesign give you full control about this, you can have the last line "centered" or "right" or "full justified".
Now what I'm doing here is: I've created a new line inside the same paragraph. The above line that ends in ("full justified".) should be "left", not "justified" in Pages. But it is, if you put a Shift-Return there. (Only a "Return" creates a new paragraph, a "Shift-Return" creates a new line in the same paragraph.) It's a simple bug in Pages that should be solved - but isn't yet.

 

[Canada-Man]

Good old Mariner Write is the best. Much more than AppleWorks, Pages and MS-Word.

 

[ApeintheShell]

I use Pages to create newsletters and send them out to the family. I think the application ignites that spark of creativity that Appleworks did not. I've only used Keynote a couple times for presentations. I think there was the potential to make templates and use them but it never caught on with the mainstream crowd. I have not yet written papers in Pages so I could not tell you my experience.
Appleworks is great for reports except for the missing grammar check. Otherwise, both iWork and Appleworks compliment each other.
I would also like to see Apple create another drawing/painting program of there own similar to Adobe Photoshop Elements or Corel Draw.

 

[RacerX]

Well, I've been using TextEdit as my primary word processor for quite a few years now, and with all the third party services that I have added, it does pretty much everything I need.

Of course where it comes up short, Pages picks up... but I, personally, don't use Pages. When I need more than TextEdit I turn to Create (a couple weeks ago I wrote a 77 page document which I typed out in TextEdit and then put into Create for layout with table of contents, chapters, etc.).

As for AppleWorks... I don't really use it, but I also wouldn't want to go without it on my systems just yet either.

 

[RacerX]

I would also like to see Apple create another drawing/painting program of there own similar to Adobe Photoshop Elements or Corel Draw.

Apple has told Andrew Stone that they don't plan on getting that far into that type of software. Before Apple released Pages they assured him that it was no substitute for Create.

And Create is a great page layout, illustration and web design app based on Apple's APIs. And Stone Design just released iMaginator which is based on Apple's CoreImage APIs.

I'd rather Apple not get too involved in areas where there are already great third party solutions. As long as they are making an environment were these apps can be easily made (and are being made) then Apple is doing a great job.

 

[mindbend]

The answer to this thread's question is easy: Appleworks.

Appleworks is more of a true word processor, where Pages is more of a page layout app. Yes, there is overlap, but each one is better than the other in those areas.

My limited use of Pages tells me it's really just a niche application. It's page layout for idots, my apologies to all the idiots.

Personally, I wouldn't use either (Appleworks or Pages)for word processing OR page layout, but I'm an egotistical jerk who scoffs at anything short of InDesign for layout. And since I don't do any real word processing, Word is plenty good for me. So would Appleworks be I guess, but I actually like Office in general.

 

[lurk]

One funny thing with all the people knocking pages as a word processor. If you just load up the blank template you basically have a Word clone with none of the annoying junk (although there is some new junk). I use it to write all sorts of boring Word documents daily with more retained sanity than normally would be expected. What would you want it to doe that it doesn't?

 

[Qion]

My limited use of Pages tells me it's really just a niche application. It's page layout for idots, my apologies to all the idiots.

That's a little far. I'm good at designing layouts (I use Illustrator 10 and Quark), but sometimes when it's school-related or it's just not really that important to be "original", I would use Pages. It's not layout for idiots, it's time saving for people who want it done.

 

[pds]

I think (little late in the game) that another option is needed, Pages is significantly different than Appleworks.

I have used Appleworks from time to time, but never really relied on it. Still Pages is a different animal, more geared for the fancy stuff like the family newsletter and other design-type bells and whistles - to spark creativity as someone put it above. But the few times I went to use it for that, I had to abandon ship and go to Indesign (for rotated text boxes and the like - maybe learning curve). So I haven't really been overly taken with Pages either.

One thing I'd like in Pages 1.1 (probably 2.0) is less reliance on pallettes. My iBook struggles with horizontal space and I'd like to have more of the formatting tools as part of the main document window.

So I stick with NeoOffice.

 

[karavite]

I'm really confused here. I used to use ClarisWorks and went kicking and screaming to Office. ClarisWorks had something even Word or any other office suite can't touch today - integration between types of documents. Text, tables and graphics in a single document without all the hassle. It just worked. I have Pages and I am not impressed, because it seems really immature and limited. However, they are on the right track if they continue with an app that can do it all with ease. I never used AppleWorks, but I always assumed it was ClarisWorks with a new name. Maybe its not?

FYI, if you want to try a writing tool that is really unique, check out Copywrite. It is not a document editor like Pages, Word... it is a writing tool or organizer. Only $29.99! If you are a writer, researcher, student... it may be very useful to you http://www.bartastechnologies.com/products/copywrite/

 

[Viro]

You can insert Excel charts/graphs into a Word document. I don't see how ClarisWorks or AppleWorks could be significantly different in that regard.