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MS Office on a Mac - opinions?


Thunderbird
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It would seem that the new iPhone iOS isn't compatible with my current version of Mac OS (Mojave), added to which my old (2011) copies of Word and Excel (which I currently use for work) won't work on the new Mac OS Catalina. So, should I buy Office 2019 or go the Office 365 route?

Opinions on that welcome please. I only use Word and Excel. 

OR: should I explore cross-compatibility with Pages and Numbers (which so far I haven't taken the time to do) and dump office? 

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55 minutes ago, Thunderbird said:

 .... should I explore cross-compatibility with Pages and Numbers (which so far I haven't taken the time to do) and dump office? 

Dump Office - I did years ago.

Pages and Numbers are much better, always free upgrades and cross compatability is easy - just open the existing Excel or Word file.

The only downside is some people can't open the Mac files sent by email - so always export back to Excel or Word to your desktop and attach those files.

Take the leap!

 

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office 365 - look for cheap licenses (Argos seems to have them come round regularly) and you can share the subscription with people - I got my 72 year old mum set up last night. Full cross platform compatibility as well.

You can stack multiple licenses as well (up to 3 seems to come to mind). Also there used to be a hack - don't know if it is still going

it was buy the lowest version (multiples off) and activate them on your account - then upgrade to the next level for a minimal cost

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I had a similar problem - and went Office 365 route.  Like you I only really use Word and Excel.  I did (briefly) try Pages and Numbers (the Mac equivalents) and found them awful - really awful.

Open Office was OK, but had enough 'differences' that I went the 365 route and haven't been disappointed.

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5 hours ago, Thunderbird said:

It would seem that the new iPhone iOS isn't compatible with my current version of Mac OS (Mojave), added to which my old (2011) copies of Word and Excel (which I currently use for work) won't work on the new Mac OS Catalina. So, should I buy Office 2019 or go the Office 365 route?

Opinions on that welcome please. I only use Word and Excel. 

OR: should I explore cross-compatibility with Pages and Numbers (which so far I haven't taken the time to do) and dump office? 

Is it only me or did that whole post just zip way over someone else's head too. 

Feeling very old.

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I am not a Microsoft fan by any stretch, however I found i could not get by professionally without using the Office suite on my Mac.

I have used Pages and Numbers, i’ve used Open Office and Star Office and Google Docs and Sheet, frustratingly however the majority of the business world work with MS Office.

If you are mostly providing final documents authored by you then you will get by with anything, however if you are working in the client’s world and amending their documents or providing working doc’s for them to use then the few quid a month for the O365 subscription is way less pain.

O365 works fine with MacOS and iOS, just opt for the subscription level that lets you install it locally too.  Working in a browser is a ball ache

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I use pages and numbers, though occasionally do need excel for more complex stuff. 

 

I tried the google stuff but to but to be honest found it far too unreliable as a result of needing a rock solid internet connection making it hopeless for work on the go, or even using things for reference in the garage etc... if you use a desktop only in one place it’s probably fine. 

 

 

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