Microsoft Word 2008 for Mac

beck · November 10, 2009, 06:45:07 AM

I'm trying to talk my wife into replacing our PC at home with a Mac. I'm just about there. One sticking point is Microsoft Word. There is no Calendar Wizard for the Mac.

She does some scheduling things for Church, and she uses Calendar Wizard on the PC. She hates the fact that she cannot create calendars on the Mac, without manually plugging the dates. She wants to keep it in Word, because a lot of the older ladies will freak it their calendars come in a different format - she doesn't want to re-train them all on how to see their calendars.

Ideas, anyone?

beck

G_Town · November 10, 2009, 07:34:58 AM

Quote from: beck on November 10, 2009, 06:45:07 AMI'm trying to talk my wife into replacing our PC at home with a Mac. I'm just about there. One sticking point is Microsoft Word. There is no Calendar Wizard for the Mac.

She does some scheduling things for Church, and she uses Calendar Wizard on the PC. She hates the fact that she cannot create calendars on the Mac, without manually plugging the dates. She wants to keep it in Word, because a lot of the older ladies will freak it their calendars come in a different format - she doesn't want to re-train them all on how to see their calendars.

Ideas, anyone?

beck

quit going to church?

j/k j/k

David · November 10, 2009, 08:07:24 AM

if you get the Mac version it will be a re-train anyway. The new version saves the files as .xlsx, .docx, etc.
I have a version on a Mac here at work and the guy that uses it says it isn't like the Word of old, it looks different and does different stuff. It's not compatible with some older Excel files and reformats older Word docs.
If you want to open a .docx file in an older version of Word, you have to download and install a converter (it's free).

still a PITA, it's MS.

You can always try Open Office, it's free and will open just about anything MS, but I'm not sure the Church Ladies will go for that.

Has she tried sending the Ladies a PDF file instead of an MS file?
Not too much training to open those guys.
Are all they're doing is looking at the calendars, or are they adding dates and events?

beck · November 10, 2009, 08:12:02 AM

What she's doing is scheduling the Lectors, so she just fills in the days people are reading. They like it that way so they can print them out & tape them to the refrigerator, I guess.

I suggested a PDF. My wife said she'd reluctantly try that if the Word thing is a bust.

We're talking about it here at work, and 1 idea was to just create a "Google Calendar"...viewable online, and they can print it if they want to.

If the Grammas can't figure that out, they probably shouldn't have a computer.

mwc · November 10, 2009, 10:03:45 AM

Yeah, Google Calendars would be my suggestion as well (and you COULD save then as PDF's if needed)
Also, http://NeoOffice.org is a great MS-Office option for for MAC users (based on OpenOffice)

Quote from: beck on November 10, 2009, 08:12:02 AMWhat she's doing is scheduling the Lectors, so she just fills in the days people are reading. They like it that way so they can print them out & tape them to the refrigerator, I guess.

I suggested a PDF. My wife said she'd reluctantly try that if the Word thing is a bust.

We're talking about it here at work, and 1 idea was to just create a "Google Calendar"...viewable online, and they can print it if they want to.

If the Grammas can't figure that out, they probably shouldn't have a computer.

Joe · November 10, 2009, 10:26:22 AM

She can do her calendar with iCal or Mozilla Sunbird on the Mac. Export as an ".ics" file and anyone else can open it with Mozilla Sunbird which is available for Mac, PC, Linux, etc...still requires people to learn something new though.

The other option is buy a Mac with 4 gb of RAM, download and install Sun's VirtualBox and install a copy of Windows in it. While it isn't an ideal solution for Prepress it works great for light office stuff like this in which she could keep using MS Office on the PC but on the Mac.

Chilbear · November 10, 2009, 11:51:12 AM

My suggestion is to buy a VM and let her run PC version of Word. Way too easy solution as I have ONE PC program I like and use Parallels to run it. You can get a trial license for Parallels good for 30 days. V5 is now out for Snow Leopard.

Best $80 bucks ever spent
http://www.parallels.com/products/desktop/

Best idea because if you already have Word (on PC) and XP then you need no new software for the Mac. I am still using Office 2001 on the Mac and 2003 in Parallels.

tapdn · November 10, 2009, 12:04:09 PM

I still like Virtual Box and it's free.

Joe · November 10, 2009, 12:32:38 PM

Quote from: tapdn on November 10, 2009, 12:04:09 PMI still like Virtual Box and it's free.

Agreed being the cheapskate that I am. And it also works in Snow Leopard.

I had Parallels but they never updated version 3 for Snow Leopard and I figure why keep paying $50 for upgrades when VB is free.

frailer · November 10, 2009, 05:39:58 PM

Quote from: Joe on November 10, 2009, 12:32:38 PM
Quote from: tapdn on November 10, 2009, 12:04:09 PMI still like Virtual Box and it's free.

Agreed being the cheapskate that I am. And it also works in Snow Leopard.

I had Parallels but they never updated version 3 for Snow Leopard and I figure why keep paying $50 for upgrades when VB is free.

I've downloaded VB last week, but now can't find my XP disk... :embarrassed: They'll turn up. BTW, when I find it, will I still have to register with MS? Feed in numbers etc?

Joe · November 11, 2009, 03:08:11 AM

XP and later you will need the product number and then you'll have to activate it again. If you are lucky the activation will take over the internet. If not you'll have to call them and be made to feel like a thieving criminal because if it won't activate you are are surely pirating it on 112 different PC's. :evil:

Nick Burns · November 11, 2009, 02:41:58 PM

frailer, hunt no further, download and run this on your pc http://www.winkeyfinder.com/winkeyfinder-news/win-keyfinder-1.73-rc2-5.php, it will give you both the product and activation keys for your xp that can be saved and printed

note - some antivirus like symantec will quarantine this file not because it has a virus, but because it is a "hacker tool", it is safe and I use it frequently, I just have to briefly disable my symantec endpoint protection before I download it

can't speak for virtual box, but my experience with parallels and vmware is that they can clone and virtualize your system and seem to eliminate deactivation routines, I haven't ever had to reactivate anything when using them

Nick Burns · November 11, 2009, 02:47:30 PM

Quote from: david on November 10, 2009, 08:07:24 AMif you get the Mac version it will be a re-train anyway. The new version saves the files as .xlsx, .docx, etc.
I have a version on a Mac here at work and the guy that uses it says it isn't like the Word of old, it looks different and does different stuff.

To be fair, this isn't a Mac thing, Windows Office 2007 saves the files as .xlsx, .docx, etc. and isn't like the Word of old, looks different, and does different stuff. You can also go into preferences on newer versions of Office and tell them to default save files to 2003 versions.

David · November 12, 2009, 08:03:52 AM

Quote from: Nick Burns on November 11, 2009, 02:47:30 PMYou can also go into preferences on newer versions of Office and tell them to default save files to 2003 versions.

yeah, but try to tell that to the secretary that makes the 80mb PowerPoint files for you to make 800 sets of color lasers on for a sales meeting in fifteen minutes.

you're lucky just to be able to open the file up.

Tracy · November 12, 2009, 08:50:41 AM

Get the Mac, keep the PC? Happy wife Happy life. :laugh:

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Microsoft Word 2008 for Mac