The powerful Mac app for notes. Ulysses also positions images in a sidebar that can also display a word count, mini notes and other information at a glance. If you want to break away from.
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Every major tech company out there is offering their version of the productivity suite. Apple provides iWork suite of productivity apps. Google’s G Suite is fiercely popular. While Microsoft’s Office 365 bundle is considered as Gold standard among all.
Cloud storage solution providers such as Dropbox and Box are providing word-processing software such as Dropbox Paper and Box Notes for seamless sharing and collaboration. Newcomers such as Notion, Coda, and Airtable are trying to change the game with modular approach, but nothing beats a native experience.
Microsoft is steadily improving Word experience with more features. Recently, Apple pushed a big update to iWork apps, including Apple Pages. Google is slow in this regard, but it’s getting there with small additions.
We have already covered a detailed comparison of Microsoft Word to Google Docs, and in this post, we will pit Microsoft Word against Apple Pages. The comparison will focus on interface, features, sharing, collaboration, price, and more. Let’s get started.
Availability
After becoming CEO of Microsoft, Satya Nadella laid out ‘Mobile First, Cloud First’ vision. And as a result, Microsoft Word is available everywhere. You can access the software on iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, iPad, and even Web.
As its case with every Apple software, Apple Pages is limited to iOS, Mac, and iPad. The comparison below focuses on the Mac version.
Templates and User Interface
Both Microsoft and Apple offer plenty of default templates. After comparing them side by side, I found Word’s template list was richer and versatile. Apple Pages provides generic and basic ones such as Business Letter, Resume, Invoice, etc.
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Nevertheless, you can always use third-party templates from the web.
Let’s talk about User Interface for a bit. If you have used a past version of Microsoft Word before, then you will feel right at home with 2019 Word look.
The familiar toolbox is at the top with relevant sections. I felt Microsoft Word’s interface was a bit outdated compared to today’s standards. However, it’s understandable why Microsoft doesn't want a drastic shift from interface since millions of its enterprise customers use the same software.
In comparison, Apple Pages look better. The editing options are at the right side and the ability to add table, charts, media, are at the top. It’s not cluttered like Word.
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Read MoreFunctions That Matter
Apple Pages perfectly gets the basics. You can add images, videos, tables, integrate stats, shapes, and more.
One can set a password to access a page for extra security. The default editing options remain straightforward. I recommend you master keyboard shortcuts for Word to fly through functionalities.
Microsoft Word is full of features yet the media add-on remains same as Apple Pages. The company has integrated other services such as Microsoft Translate and LinkedIn Resume Assistant. The assistant will guide you to make compelling resume edits.
There is also a researcher function which gets all the relevant information of the selected word from the web. Thesaurus features let you find the synonyms of a word to increase vocabulary.
You can also add a password to document, add equations, format pages with color, border, and add watermarks.
Storing Documents
You can save a document offline on Microsoft Word and Apple Pages. But that’s the thing of past, isn’t it?
Apple Pages is tightly integrated with iCloud. Once you hit the save button, the software will save it in the default iCloud folder. You can generate a sharable link and send a link to others. With iOS 13 and the upcoming Mac Catalina update, user can send the entire folders to others.
Microsoft Word is all about options. It’s not limited OneDrive only. You can save documents to Dropbox and Box too. The trick remains the same. Save a document to cloud, open it on other device, and start making edits again.
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Read MoreSharing and Collaboration
Sharing and real-time collaboration are essential in 2019. Microsoft has had online sharing since 2013 (With the help of OneDrive). Apple was a bit late to the sharing party.
Microsoft Word gives three options for sharing. You can send a copy to others using email. Upload a file to OneDrive and generate a sharable link from there. One can also invite others to make edits. You will see the real-time changes and the author’s name along with it.
Apple Pages takes advantage of Apple’s ecosystem. You can directly share a document using mail and iMessage. One can also send a document using Airdrop. It works seamlessly across Apple devices.
Of course, you can make permission changes and see the real-time edits made by others.
Export
Microsoft Word gives a few options here. You can export a doc as pdf and HTML file. The software also lets you make a basic layout of the document and export it as a template. Using default reduce file size function, one can decrease the file size by compressing added images before exporting or sending it to others.
Similar to Microsoft Word, you can export a page as pdf, Word file, EPUB file, plain text, and rich text bearing fancy elements. Apple also allows you to share the documents to Apple Books platforms from the app.
As always, you can save a page as a template for quick edits. This function is useful for making letterheads and default business letter style for your company.
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Apple Pages is completely free to use. The documents get stored on iCloud, which only offers 5GB of storage for free. You can buy additional space for $1/month.
Microsoft’s productivity suite of apps, including Word, is free for screen size less than 9-inch. Meaning, you can use the software for free on mobiles and tablets. To use the software on a laptop, one need to purchase Office 365 Personal, which costs $5/month. You also get 1TB of OneDrive storage for free with the bundle.
Choose the Best One
As you can see from the above comparison, Apple Pages weights on simplicity and basic functions. Of course, the functionalities aren’t as rich as MS Word, but it gets the job done.
Microsoft Word is universally available, more flexible on storage options, and offers more features out of the box. But at the same time, some may find it bloated. In that case, I would advise going for Pages and if that’s not the case with you, then go with Microsoft Word.
Next up: You can also edit images using Microsoft Word software. Read the post below to find out more.
The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. However, it does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.Read NextHow to Edit Images Using Microsoft Word 2016Also See#productivity #apple
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Pages is a powerful word processor that lets you create stunning documents, and comes included with most Apple devices. And with real-time collaboration, your team can work together from anywhere, whether they’re on Mac, iPad, iPhone, or using a PC.
From the start, Pages places you in the perfect creative environment. It puts all the right tools in all the right places, so it’s easy to choose a look, customize fonts, personalize text styles, and add beautiful graphics. And everyone collaborating on a document has access to the same powerful features.
Start with something beautiful.
Choose from over 70 beautiful Apple‑designed templates, and customize your reports, letters, and other documents any way you like. And, if you’ve ever dreamed of writing a book or fairy tale, it’s easy to create interactive stories right inside Pages.
Make progress you can see.
Track changes, add highlights, and have threaded conversations with your team. Your edits are saved automatically.
Stunning results. Effortlessly.
Liven up your text by filling it with color gradients or images. And, take the entire page to the next level by adding photos, galleries, audio clips, video, math equations, charts, or more than 700 customizable shapes.
What’s new in Pages.
Skim through in style.
Now, on your iPhone and iPad, you can read through your document, zoom in and out, and interact with it — without accidentally changing anything.
Play videos right in your documents.
Play YouTube and Vimeo videos right in Pages, without the need to open a web browser. Simply add a link, and play your web video inside your document or book.
Captions and titles stick with objects.
Easily add text to images, videos, and shapes. Your words will automatically stay with objects — if and when you move them.
You don’t work in one place on just one device. The same goes for Pages. Work seamlessly across all your Apple devices. The documents you create using a Mac or iPad will look the same on an iPhone or web browser — and vice versa.
You can also work on documents stored on iCloud or Box using a PC.
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Work together in the same document, from across town or across the world. You can see your team’s edits as they make them — and they can watch as you make yours, too. Just click the Collaborate button and invite people to join.
Use Apple Pencil on your iPad to sketch, illustrate, and create documents. Draw and fine-tune your idea, then press play to watch each stroke animate onto the page. Plus, with Smart Annotation, your edits stay with the marked-up text, making it easy for you and your team to incorporate changes.
Teaming up with someone who uses Microsoft Word? Pages makes it simple. You can save Pages documents as Word files. Or import and edit Word documents right in Pages.
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