Pages for iPad

[Crill]

I'm just wondering how many people actually use the app for writing documents, etc. I prefer it than Microsoft Word, although I'm not entirely sure if it's possible to load Word documents on Pages.

 

[twerppoet]

To be honest, I have played with it, but never used it for a serious document. I have Pages on my iMac, and since I am almost always home when I need to create a document I use that.

I've imported a few Word documents on the OS X version, and they come out ok, with minor style differences. Can't say how the iPad would be.

I do use Numbers now and then. I kept a gas log on it before I started using the Droid X instead.

 

[Tim SPRACKLEN]

I'm just wondering how many people actually use the app for writing documents, etc. I prefer it than Microsoft Word, although I'm not entirely sure if it's possible to load Word documents on Pages.

Pages can read .doc and .docx Microsoft Word documents, where you can then edit them and save them in either native Pages format, .doc or PDF format. From Pages you can directly print the document (if you have the latest version of the iPad operating system), email it or upload it to the Apple MobileMe server (from where you can download it to a PC) or sync it to a PC with iTunes.

Pages for the iPad is a stripped down version of the Mac program so, if your Word document has complex formatting, it can struggle (read as 'not always get it quite right'), but generally it works fine and supports all the 'usual' formatting, embedded pictures and graphics as well as tables. The supported fonts are not as extensive as Word, footnotes and endnotes are displayed but cannot be created (though there are ugly 'workarounds').

If you want to see what Pages is capable of, Apple has a helpful website devoted to Pages and their other Office products

http://help.apple.com/iwork/1.3/mobile/interface/index.html#tan724868a9

Tim
Scotland

 

[Wakawaka]

I found that pages and numbers are basic versions. They can get you by in the field. But I would never ever rely on em for serious use like a desktop system.

 

[SBHOKC]

I have it and use it on the fly in the field when needed. It does everything I need it to for a word processor. I type pretty fast on the iPads keyboard as well if not faster than a normal keyboard.

 

[Philia]

So you think Pages iPad app is good enough for me to get down sudden ideas for say dialogue then transfer into the document I'm working on in my desktop Pages? Appreciate help.

 

[Tim SPRACKLEN]

Yes, it's fine for that. You can set up formatting, styles, fonts etc, insert pictures, headers, footers, tables and so on. Multi-column format too is OK. Some formatting options are bizarrely not available - Pages can display superscript and subscript but there's no way to insert them (there is a workaround if you really need to do this), similarly it can display footnotes and endnotes, but there's no way to insert them. It can import .doc and .docx and export in .doc (but not .docx) and .pdf format (but it can't import .pdf).

For basic documents it's OK. I have a Bluetooth keyboard and it's great for getting the bulk of a document into Word format and then exporting it to my PC for tidying up and any complex formatting (say, Table of Contents, for example) that Pages can't handle.

Tim
Scotland

 

[zorah]

I already have Docs to Go, (regular version), and it does basic word processing. I don't tend to have to type a lot of docs on my iPad, but if I wanted to, Docs to Go would be fine. I have no reason to get Pages, but just curious about people's experiences who might have both and which they think handles basic word processing better.

 

[Bob Maxey]

I found that pages and numbers are basic versions. They can get you by in the field. But I would never ever rely on em for serious use like a desktop system.

Well, it depends on what you need to do and what you mean by 'serious work.' I am a freelance writer and I have not touched my laptop for a week. Well, except to deal with a few things here and there.

I can see writing a book with Pages.

I wrote several proposals, a few articles, some technical documents, and the like. Works well for me.

Your needs will dictate what works best for you. I love MS Word, but Pages lets me get work done and I find most of the time, I do not require complex formatting.

Pages will not handle complex Word documents containing certain styles and lots of embedded images, or TOC creation. and I cannot send documents out unless I first export to Word and l can see how Pages changed things. For me, it works quite well.

Bob Maxey