Comparable Product

Which software available for Apple Macs is comparable and compatible with Microsoft Office?

Want to purchase an Apple Mac, but all existing documents are all in Office format.

You can run office for mac, open office under X11 or neo-office. All of them handle MS office formats.
I've found that text edit on os x can read most word documents.

BobJones said:

You can run office for mac, open office under X11 or neo-office. All of them handle MS office formats.
I've found that text edit on os x can read most word documents.

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Thanks BobJones. I think buying Office for Mac would be the better option. On the subject of compatible programs, when it comes to cross platform compatibility, are the graphics formats on Mac compatible with Windows based programs?

Remember that Office for Mac 2007 has been announced, and is due in the second half of this year. The main reason a lot of people use office on windows is for outlook, but on the mac Mail, Calendar and Stickies do a more than adequate job - though you'll find people who swear by Entourage ("Outlook for Mac") and other clients.
Why not wait for Office 2007 since 2004 runs under rosetta (not yet Universal Binary). Try Neo-office in the mean time, you don't have to worry about running X11 like you do for OO.

Most files are cross compatible between mac and windows - .jpg, .gif, .tiff, etc. Executibles aren't, and you will probably have to find a windows archiver that can handle .dmg disk images.
Proprietary file formats of windows only or mac only proggies obviously don't work, but that is not always the case.
The print service on mac allows you to write PDF's from any program, so sending data to other platforms is a snap.

BTW - I read somewhere that there way be some issues with Win Office 2007 XML files and Office for Mac 2004, but you can always have those sent to you in 2003 format.

BobJones said:

Remember that Office for Mac 2007 has been announced, and is due in the second half of this year. The main reason a lot of people use office on windows is for outlook, but on the mac Mail, Calendar and Stickies do a more than adequate job - though you'll find people who swear by Entourage ("Outlook for Mac") and other clients.
Why not wait for Office 2007 since 2004 runs under rosetta (not yet Universal Binary). Try Neo-office in the mean time

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Actually . . . Office 2008 for Mac But yeah, it will supposedly be released in the 2nd half of the year http://www.macworld.com/news/2007/01/09/msftoffice/index.php