Using pages and word

  1. AppleInsider.ru

  2. Темы

  3. Советы и трюки

21.07.2014,

обновлено 22.07.2014

Если вы являетесь владельцем не только Mac, но и компьютера на Windows, то наверняка сталкивались с проблемой открытия документов формата .Pages в программе Microsoft Word. Как правило, пользователи решают ее по-разному, однако есть один универсальный способ, реализация которого займет у вас не больше нескольких минут.

Office 365

Для начала создайте копию вашего документа — вдруг что-либо пойдет не так. После этого перенесите его на компьютер Windows (если вы не хотите открывать его в Word на Mac).

Кликните правой кнопкой мыши по файлу и нажмите «Переименовать». Здесь вы увидите то самое расширение «.pages». Не меняя название документа, измените расширение на «.zip». Нет, архивом после этого ваш файл не станет.

Расширение

Обязательно сохраните файл с новым расширением! Теперь вы можете зайти в Microsoft Word и в меню «Файл-Открыть» выбрать нужный вам документ. Таким образом, его не придется конвертировать из .pages в .doc или .docx.

Следует отметить, что если файл содержит таблицы или иные изыски форматирования, с их открытием могут наблюдаться проблемы. В то же время с ними можно столкнуться и при конвертации документа при помощи стороннего приложения.

С другой стороны, конвертирование файла Word из Pages напрямую для многих может оказаться проще. Для этого зайдите в меню «Файл» и выберите «Экспортировать».

По материалам osxdaily.com

Как открыть файлы Pages в Microsoft Word. Фото.

Microsoft OfficeСоветы по работе с Apple

Pages

The Pages app is the Mac word processor similar to Microsoft Word on the Windows side of things, and by default any Pages document is saved as a Pages format file with with a “.pages” file extension. Typically that’s invisible to Mac users, but if you send a Pages file to someone on a Windows computer, the .pages extension is visible and the file format is unreadable by default by most Windows apps and by Microsoft Office. At first glance that may seem like Windows can’t use the file, but that’s not the case.


Fortunately there’s a super simple trick to open the .Pages format from Microsoft apps in Windows, including Word, and it involves convincing the PC that the pages file is not pages format, but rather a zip (yes, like a zip archive). This is done with a simple file extension modification from the Windows file system, and though it’s not an ideal solution (a better method would be to simply re-save the pages file to be compatible with word from the get-go), it does work:

Opening a Pages Format File from Mac in Microsoft Windows

Be sure to save the Pages file somewhere easily accessible to Windows Explorer, then do the following:

  1. Make a copy of the .pages file just in case you mess something up
  2. Right-click on the .pages file and choose “Rename”
  3. Delete the “.pages” extension and replace it with “.zip” extension*, then hit the Enter key to save the extension change
  4. Open the newly renamed .zip file to be able to open and access the Pages format content within Microsoft Word, Office, or WordPad

* Note that you may need to have file extensions visible in Windows to be able to properly change the extension of the pages document. They may need to be made visible first through the Folder Options > View > Uncheck ‘Hide extensions for known file types’ – You can safely ignore any file extension warning change warning.

That’s pretty easy and it works when you don’t have another option to either convert the file from pages to .doc, or to re-save it as a compatible file format ahead of time.

Note: There can be some formatting issues with this approach if the pages doc is particularly complex, so it’s best used as a last resort when there’s no other choice but to work with the file from Windows. This will not work to force open a pages file that has been password protected, however, in that situation, the file would need to be unlocked first.

This great solution for modifying the file extensions for Pages documents was found on the Microsoft Community, so try it out the next time you or someone you know is struggling in Windows to work with a Pages formatted file created from a Mac. It’s usually easier than returning to a Mac to change the saved file output, though you can certainly do that too and directly save a Pages file as a Word DOCX file if needed.

Alternative Solutions for Opening Pages Docs in Windows

Finally, another option worth considering is using iCloud to open Pages files on Windows, because icloud.com has a web based version of the Pages app available which can be loaded on any web browser on just about any computer or PC, whether it’s a Windows PC, Linux, Mac, or whatever else. The primary downside to the iCloud.com approach is that it requires an Apple ID login (however, anyone can create an Apple ID for free at any time), but the plus side to using iCloud.com is it’s widely versatile and you can export directly from the Pages iCloud.com app to a Windows compatible format like Microsoft Office and Word DOC / DOCX file formats.

And it may be worth mentioning there are online converter tools as well, but if you’re going to use an online tool anyway then using iCloud is probably better as it’s at least a trustworthy service, whereas some third party conversion tools may have uncertain privacy practices with whatever documents are being converted.

If you know of another method or a better way of opening Pages files on a Windows PC, let us know in the comments below!

If you use Microsoft Word on your Mac, you can save the documents you create and open them in Pages, Apple’s word processor. It’s a handy feature to use in case you can’t access Microsoft’s apps.

Every Mac comes with Apple’s iWork apps: Pages (word processor), Numbers (spreadsheet), and Keynote (presentations). And these apps can import Office documents. Here’s how you can open Word documents in Pages, as well as export Pages documents for use in Word.

This procedure works with .docx and .doc file formats. You can also import .rtf and .txt files.

  1. Launch Pages (it’s in the Applications folder of your Mac).
  2. In the window that automatically opens when you launch the app, navigate to the location of your Word file. For example, if it’s in Documents, click on the Documents folder in the left sidebar. (You can also click on the File menu and select Open, then navigate to your document.)
    pages open file IDG
  3. Once you’ve located your file, select it and click Open.
    word import in progess IDG
  4. A window may appear, explaining any changes that were made during the import process. The more complicate your Word document (formatting, tables, image placement, etc.), the higher the possibility that a change had to be made. The simpler the document, the more your file will resemble what you created in Word.
  5. That’s it. The Word file should open in Pages.

Before you start working on your document, look it over carefully. Formatting may have changed and you may have to fix it. There’s always a chance that so much happened during the import that you can’t use your document.

How to export Apple Pages files as Microsoft Word documents

If you’ve been working in Pages and will eventually return to Word, you can export your document as a Word file. Here’s how.

  1. In Pages, click on the File menu and move your cursor to “Export to”.
  2. A pop-up menu will appear. Select Word.
    pages export to word IDG
  3. In the Export Your Document window that appears next, you can opt to include a summary worksheet and require a password. Click on the Advanced Options, and you can select between .docx and .doc file formats. Click Next when you have finished selecting your options.
    pages export your document IDG
  4. Choose where you want to save the file and name it.
  5. When you click Export, this will save the file.

Roman has covered technology since the early 1990s. His career started at MacUser, and he’s worked for MacAddict, Mac|Life, and TechTV.

Apple Pages Can Replace Word

You have a Macbook Air or Pro and need a reliable word processor. What’s the best choice for you? It’s often Apple Pages or Word for Mac.

It’s an easy decision if you don’t want to spend a lot of money. The biggest advantage of Apple Pages over Microsoft Word is that Pages is free for a Mac user.

But can Pages, the Apple version of Word, do everything you want to do for your writing needs?

Read on for a comparison of these two writing programs.

Apple Pages word processor

I have used every version of Pages, the Apple word processor app since Apple released it in 2009.

The iWork 09 version worked perfectly. But at that time, it cost $79.00 for the suite of Pages, Numbers, and Keynote.

Later, in 2014, Apple released a new version. The pricing dropped to $19.99 for each app on a Mac and $9.99 for an iOS device.

At the same time, the release of iWork for iCloud became available.

However, you could get the apps for free when you bought a new Mac computer.

Then in 2017, Apple finally made all three apps free on the Mac App Store for Mac, iPad, and iPhone.

Apple Pages works on all Apple devices and computers

I have never found much use for the Pages app for iOS on an iPhone. But Apple Pages on an iPad is great for a quick edit or writing when you are traveling.

I have used Pages documents and Numbers for Mac almost every day for over ten years on my Apple laptops.

The number one advantage is that because the apps are designed for Mac, they work fast and integrate with all your other Apple tools.

Microsoft Office for Mac

Yes, I use Pages and Word for Mac too.

The current version of Office I have installed is Office for Mac 2011, which works with versions up to macOS Sierra.

But this version is not supported on Macs using macOS High Sierra, Mojave, or new versions.

If you want to use Word or other Office apps on a MacBook, it will cost a lot of money to upgrade to Office 2016 or Office 2019.

I have Word for Mac on three laptops. But I’m not sure I will install it on my new computers in the future.

Subscription or purchase?

The price to upgrade is expensive, depending on which versions of Word you select.

Microsoft Office for Mac subscription prices and purchase price

A one-time purchase of the Office 2019 software for PC or Mac operating systems will cost over $350.00.

A yearly personal Office 365 for Mac subscription will cost me 3 cents short of $180.00. The price depends on which country you are in and which version of Office 365 you can choose.

However, if you want to try Office on your Mac, you can get a one-month free trial version.

There is also this question to answer with subscription software.

What happens to your data and files if you decide to cancel your subscription?

On top of that, do you need all the Office products? I would only use Word and perhaps Excel from time to time and never use the other apps in the suite.

Apple Pages is free

If you are a Mac user like me and your primary requirement is for word processing programs, can Pages reliably replace Microsoft Word?

The short answer is yes, it definitely can.

In some ways, it is even better than Word.

Apple Pages is like having Microsoft Word for Mac but without the cost.

Writing without Word

If all you need is an Apple word processor, Mac Pages can handle everything you will probably ever need to do.

Like Word in Office for Mac, you can start with a blank document or use the template chooser.

The word processing in the page layout document view is easy to work with. All the text formatting, fonts, outline styles, and writing tools are easy to find and use.

There is a spell checker, word and page count, auto table of contents, and track change with an add comments option.

It is difficult to think of a standard function in Word that is not available in Pages documents.

There are a few minor areas of incompatibility, but they are mostly very advanced features of Word compared to Pages and Excel compared to Numbers.

Most issues are related to the compatibility of macros. You will only need to consider it if you are an advanced user.

Apple has a list of compatibility issues between Office and iWork apps.

You might consider this if you are using complex charts, tables, and macros. But there are no aspects that would concern an author, content writer, or blogger.

You can write, format, make columns, import, export, and print in precisely the same way as you do with Word.

It’s easy to use Pages

Pages is a great word processor, and it has had a lot of stability improvements over the years to make it extremely reliable and robust.

Becoming familiar with the menus, options, and text styles only takes half an hour or so. You will find that Pages is very easy to use.

Page layout view of the Apple Pages word processor

The sidebar menu is intuitive and changes depending on what you are doing or where you place your cursor.

For most users, every tool you want to use is visible when you need it.

One big plus with Pages is that you never need to bother saving because it automatically saves as you work.

This is a huge bonus and a time saver. You never have to worry about losing one single word of your work.

Everyday tasks like styling drop caps, inserting headers and footers, text boxes, or adding page numbers are all simple.

The image galleries make adding and adjusting images and pictures quick and easy.

Images in Apple Pages

Working with images is one area where Pages really shines. There is so much more control over images compared to Word.

You can scan a document using an iPad app and then drop your photo or scan it into a document.

Equally as easy, you can add an existing image from your hard drive.

For authors working with paperback covers, it is easy to drop in a high-resolution cover image, make your adjustments, and then export it directly to pdf.

Working with images and book covers in Apple Pages

One minor image feature missing in Pages compared to Word is adding a hyperlink to an image.

You would probably rarely need to do this. But if you do, there is this workaround on Apple Discussions. It works by simply overlaying a text box and then making it invisible.

Epub for ebook authors

One other big plus for Pages is that authors can export directly to Epub without the hassle of converting the file with another program.

How to export epub ebook files in Apple Pages

If you publish ebooks, this is a massive time saver when you want to format an ebook.

There are not a lot of options compared to what you get with Calibre.

But it is more than enough to export a perfectly acceptable epub file directly from Pages ready for publishing with Amazon KDP, Smashwords, or Draft2Digital.

Publish to Apple Books

Publish ebooks directly to iBooks

Another massive advantage of Pages is that you can publish your ebook directly to Apple Books.

Previously, you needed to use iAuthor software to publish with Apple. But now, you can publish to Apple straight from your Pages manuscript of your ebook.

You can also make changes or update your ebook from Pages after it goes on sale.

Take a look at how easy it is to publish from Pages to Apple Books.

Working with Word files in Pages

You will undoubtedly have times when you need to collaborate on documents and work with Word users. But converting Pages to Word or Word to Pages is quick and easy.

It would be rare that authors and writers need real-time collaboration tools.

Generally, the real need is to open Word documents or to send Pages documents in doc or docx file format.

To open a Word file, open it with a double click or right-click open file as usual. If you do not have Word installed on your computer, it will open automatically in Pages.

When you need to send a Word file, you can do a quick export of Pages files.

Export documents to Word doc and docx files

You can choose either .doc or .docx file format, save your document, and send it to any Word user.

Advantages of Apple Pages vs. Word

If you want to move away from the expense of Microsoft Word for Mac, you have two logical choices.

You could opt for Google Docs, which is also free.

However, it requires an Internet connection and only works in a web browser. But there is a way to access and edit files offline with a Chrome extension.

The Apple Pages word processor is a much better option for Mac users.

It autosaves directly to your computer hard drive or, more likely, to your iCloud drive when you are online.

On top of that, you can get the full suite of tools for free.

So you get Pages along with the other iWork apps, Numbers, and Keynote as a bonus.

If you are a Mac user, all you need is your Apple ID to download Pages for Mac and iOS from the Mac App Store.

If you are creating documents and want to work on the move with an iOS device, you can use Pages on your iPhone or iPad.

It can also use Apple Pencil, which is a cool tool for adding smart annotation.

There is no version of Pages for iOS for the Apple Watch. But I can’t imagine how it would work on such a small screen.

Currently, you might be working with Word and Pages side by side.

But when it comes time to spend a lot of money to upgrade to the latest Microsoft Office version, it might be time to consider using Apple Pages.

Then you can forget all about the expense of Microsoft Word for Macbook laptops.

Disadvantages of Pages vs. Word

You might want to exchange document versions with a proofreader or editor.

If they are using Word, you will need to convert or export and import your Pages and Word files.

Regarding advanced features like macros, Pages is quite limited in this area.

If you can live with these few but rather minor inconveniences, then yes.

You can certainly write and survive quite happily with only Pages as your primary word processor.

On top of that, you will save yourself an awful lot of money by doing so.

Still not sure? Here’s some insurance for you

All is not lost for Mac users who can’t let go of Word completely.

Pages can probably do almost everything you need, but you’re not sure you can make a clean break.

Well, you have a fallback option for reassurance.

You can use the free online version of Microsoft Word.

It’s a simplified trimmed-down browser app of the premium version.

But it’s got most of the features a writer would need, including basic grammar and spell-checking.

Microsoft Word Free Online

To access the app, you need to sign up for a free Microsoft account. You also need to use OneDrive, which is free for up to 5GB of storage space.

The major limitations are that you can only use the app when you are online. There is no option for offline access.

Also, it’s not possible to open docx files from Finder. You have to copy and save your existing Word files to OneDrive.

There are no advanced features like mail merge and macros.

But if you are a Mac user and don’t want to pay for Word, it’s not a bad fallback option.

So you can happily migrate to using Pages, but with a little extra insurance.

Related reading: Can You Write A Book On An Ipad?

Download PC Repair Tool to quickly find & fix Windows errors automatically

If you use a Mac and Windows PC simultaneously, you might need to open .pages files on your Windows PC. “Pages” is an inbuilt document reader in Apple macOS. As .pages files are not supported on Windows, you cannot open them using Microsoft Word. In other words, if you want to show or edit a .pages file on Windows PC, you will get error and Windows would ask you to choose an app. If you want to solve this problem and open the Apple Pages file in Microsoft Word on Windows PC, here is how to do that.

There are two different methods that you can use to open Pages file in Microsoft Word on Windows 10/8/7. Also, you can open the same in Microsoft Word for Mac. Executing the first method does not need any third-party tool. However, the second method requires a third-party web app that will let you convert .pages file to .docx or .doc file format.

1] Using Pages tool for Mac

This is very easy and probably the recommended and simplest way to convert and open Apple Pages file in Word. To get started, at first, write down everything in your .pages file. Now instead of saving the same using Command+S, you need to go to File > Export to > Word.

Open Pages file in Word

Following that, a popup menu will appear. You need to choose the file extension. If you have an older version of Microsoft Word, you need to choose .doc from the Advanced Options. Otherwise, let it be .docx. Alternatively, you can convert the .pages file to PDF. For that, you need to choose PDF after selecting Export to.

2] Online Pages file conversion tool

There are plenty of online tools that you can use to convert .pages file to .docx. For example, you can use Cloudconvert as well as Etyn. Both of them are reliable as well as useful in this case. Apart from that, you can also use Zamzar.

To convert .pages file to .docx, open this Cloudconvert webpage, choose the .pages file, let it be uploaded. Then choose the output file format i.e. .docx, and hit the Start Conversion button.

How to convert and open Apple Pages file in Word on Windows PC

If you want to use Etyn, head over to etyn.com/tools/document-converter select Upload from PC and choose the file that you want to convert. Next, choose output file format from the Output Format drop-down menu (choose .docx), and give it a few moments to convert your file. Following that, you would be able to download your converted file from the website.

How to convert and open Apple Pages file in Word on Windows PC

That’s it!

These posts may also interest you:

  • Convert and open Apple Numbers file in Excel
  • Convert & open Apple Keynote file in PowerPoint.

When he is not writing about Microsoft Windows or Office, Sudip likes to work with Photoshop. He has managed the front end and back end of many websites over the years. He is currently pursuing his Bachelor’s degree.

ALW1026


  • #1

I have all Apple products. (Macbook, IPP, iPhone etc)
Ive never used Pages. Is there a big difference between the two.
Im about to start writing a book. For those that have used both, Is there a benefit switching to Pages? Or just stick with what I know

  • #2

I do a lot of writing and I really enjoy the simplicity of Pages. I’ve also been impressed by how well iCloud allows me to work on documents on many different machines. I can go between my iPad and Macbook editing the same document. No need to email it back and forth or even save it. I can also access the documents on a PC using the iCloud.com website. It’s worked really well.

I prefer Pages over Word for what I do, which is writing journalistic articles with no need for fancy formatting, mail merging or other advanced features. It also can export documents into .docx format, which is handy when sharing with others.

That said, if you are writing a book, I think there are specific writing programs that help with that. I’ve never used any. Good luck!

  • #3

Comparing with Pages and Word, Word is generally more powerful, and Pages are being half deprecated by Apple. If I were you I would choose Word because of all features it has, and its functional auto save. I can also set up different page layouts easily.

But, as other posters say, you may need special software to actually write a professional-look book.

  • #4

In my business, nobody uses Pages. Everyone uses Word. After MS upgraded their iOS versions of Word, I found it was very capable and miles ahead of the Apple app. Same goes for Powerpoint and Excel. I’ve since deleted the Apple apps (Pages, Numbers, and Keynote) from my iPad.

  • #5

I have all Apple products. (Macbook, IPP, iPhone etc)
Ive never used Pages. Is there a big difference between the two.
Im about to start writing a book. For those that have used both, Is there a benefit switching to Pages? Or just stick with what I know

There is indeed a large difference between Word and Pages. There’s even a big difference between Pages 5.6 and Pages 4.3 (iWork ’09).

The word that I would use to describe MS Word on Apple platforms… ponderous. It is large, nearly 2GB on OSX, and is extremely slow to load, even from an SSD, and performance is only adequate. The iOS version is adequate for what it does.

Although file compatibility between the OSX and iOS versions of Word is very high, there are still a few minor issues and a very significant difference in user interface options between OSX and iOS versions. That can be quite irritating when you’re in iOS and want to do something that you’ve done on OSX (but not available in iOS).

Since you have a Macbook, iPP, and iPhone, it makes sense to use the latest version of Pages (5.6). Not only is file compatibility outstanding (IMO perfect even with documents that contain tricky formatting/layout), but the «feature gap» between the iOS and OSX versions are not as severe as they are with Word.

I heavily use Word, Pages, and LibreOffice. My preference, especially now that I have a 12.9 iPad Pro in the mix, is to use Pages w/iCloud. I’ve installed AnyFont and used it to install the regular array of fonts that I use so that documents appear identical whether I’m using the iPad, Macbook Air, or iMac.

For those times when I absolutely need to use a feature of Pages that is only in the OSX version (and I’m away from any OSX devices), I’ll remotely connect to my iMac, fire up Pages, modify the document, close it out, and continue editing in my iPad Pro.

I’ve written a few books and I’ve used Pages and LibreOffice. I have found Word to have a lot of unnecessary and sometimes erroneous control codes within the document that causes issues when sending docs to the publisher… PDF or native Word format.

  • #6

Word sucks on the Mac, but I use it to maintain compatibility with my peers.

I love pages more. It feels less bloated, and I don’t feel like I am fighting the interface every time I use it.

  • #7

Is Pages even under active development anymore? Apple can and does drop applications at any time, even major ones like Aperture. Whereas Office is Microsoft’s flagship product outside of Windows.

It’s been a few years since I used the iOS version of Pages. Maybe it’s improved.

ALW1026


  • #8

Thanks for the info. One thing I had no clue about that someone pointed out is with Pages I have access to what I’m working on, on all my devices.That sweet so when a idea hits me I can add to what I’m writing at that moment.

Can Pages document be opened in Word. if I want to send it to a non Apple user

  • #9

Thanks for the info. One thing I had no clue about that someone pointed out is with Pages I have access to what I’m working on, on all my devices.That sweet so when a idea hits me I can add to what I’m writing at that moment.

Can Pages document be opened in Word. if I want to send it to a non Apple user

Yes they can. In fact, they should be able to be saved in a MS Word-compatible format, if not already in ODF (Open Document format), which Word can read.

BL.

  • #10

Is Pages even under active development anymore? Apple can and does drop applications at any time, even major ones like Aperture. Whereas Office is Microsoft’s flagship product outside of Windows.

It’s been a few years since I used the iOS version of Pages. Maybe it’s improved.

I would characterize iWork as being under inactive development.

No word or buzz about iWork to the point where one starts to assume it is dead, and then out-of-the-blue Apple releases an update with a few minor tweaks. It’s sad. But I’m thankful that when I need to use some advanced features of the older version of Pages (iWork 09), it still works under OSX El Cap… at the expense of cross-platform support.

Osty

Osty

macrumors 6502a


  • #11

I have all Apple products. (Macbook, IPP, iPhone etc)
Ive never used Pages. Is there a big difference between the two.
Im about to start writing a book. For those that have used both, Is there a benefit switching to Pages? Or just stick with what I know

@ALW1026, if you want to write a book use Scrivener (or Ulysses) both have iOS apps. I can personally vouch for Scrivener for iOS, which was released a few days ago. It’s so good, in fact, it’s finally resolved the question of the iPad’s readiness for me as a primary device.

FWIW, I’m a professional writer by trade.
[doublepost=1469147177][/doublepost]

I would characterize iWork as being under inactive development.

No word or buzz about iWork to the point where one starts to assume it is dead, and then out-of-the-blue Apple releases an update with a few minor tweaks. It’s sad. But I’m thankful that when I need to use some advanced features of the older version of Pages (iWork 09), it still works under OSX El Cap… at the expense of cross-platform support.

Spot on, mate.

I love Pages 09. I still occasional use it as a DTP program for designing the guts of some of my older stuff. It had surprising good page layout and typography tools for the price. I’m glad it still works too.

  • #12

It’s in Apple’s interest to push users pay for 3rd party productivity apps..even better if it’s a subscription based like Office 365…that way they get their 30% cut for doing nothing apart from hosting the app.
Apple already had iWork, so it’s not like they had to start from scratch and they could have certainly invested more resources to compete with MS Office.
More recently it looks like Apple is happy to sell its hardware with basic apps to get started. Look at their Notes, Calendar, Reminders, Music apps. All very basic but are integrated into the system leaving it to the 3rd party developers to come up with new ideas for interface. As more and more users are locked in to its ecosystem, they have not much incentive developing 1st party apps. They would provide just enough functionality until the competition threatens a shift away from iOS to alternative Android and Windows platforms.

I would characterize iWork as being under inactive development.

No word or buzz about iWork to the point where one starts to assume it is dead, and then out-of-the-blue Apple releases an update with a few minor tweaks. It’s sad. But I’m thankful that when I need to use some advanced features of the older version of Pages (iWork 09), it still works under OSX El Cap… at the expense of cross-platform support.

  • #13

Pages on MacOS is, for me, far better than the bloated mess that is Word……attached is a recent job I did using only Pages in conjunction with Pixelmator. The recent updates to Word would have made the same project impossible or beyond the work it’s worth. iOS, I like Pages on iOS a lot but the program feels too «heavy», and not sleek or fast enough at times. YMMV there.

  • Screenshot 2016-07-22 09.50.46.png

    Screenshot 2016-07-22 09.50.46.png

    1.1 MB · Views: 1,000

  • #14

When I bought my most recent Mac I decided to leave Office off. It’s compatible with everything, right? So if I used Pages and needed to share with a Windows colleague it would be no problem.

But using Pages is a lot like like using the Notes app. It’s really bare bones. You can do it, but in the end you won’t be satisfied.

  • #15

Another shootout to Scrivener. If what you want is to write a book, forget about Pages versus Word, what you need is Scrivener!

From there you can export to eBook, PDF, rtf or doc.

  • #16

I think it is a question of personal preference. If you like Pages (UI, simplicity etc.) there is no need for a change.
Personally, I prefer MS Word, mainly because I got used to it over the decades. Tried Pages, but it was not my cup of tea.

Last edited: Jul 24, 2016

  • #17

For me, Pages, without a doubt, beats Word. I used Pages (and Numbers) exclusively for four months after getting my Mac Mini, and it works really well. That said, the university where I work got us a Office 365 subscription, so I have Office 2016, and I use it very reluctantly. In fact, I only use it when I think formatting will be an issue when sharing a document (I do editing work sometimes, so I use it there, or when checking student papers electronically, just in case). Otherwise, it’s Pages for me.

Even on the iPad. For example, stupid Word and Excel don’t let you create in-app folders; this is just stupid. I have upwards sometimes of 8-10 class attendance sheets and syllabuses to keep straight, plus other documents for lectures and the like; folders are an organizational must. I know I can us Drive for it, but the interface is clunky, and getting files that are «offline» in Drive to sync correctly with the online versions is a goddamned chore. This is important for me since I usually copy notes and the like from the versions I made at work on the iPad.

Compare that to iOS Pages and Numbers; I can make folders easily, and the versions sync nicely over iCloud. And best of all, when I’m not able to be online (my university wi-fi is spotty at the best of times) it’s just a matter of getting home and waiting a few minutes as iCloud syncs things up once my iPad detects my home network.

Also, as others have said, I find Pages just less bloated. There’s so much stuff going on up in the menu bars for Word that it gets a bit too much at times. Nevermind the «important stuff buried in menus» thing that seems to be going on in Office.

  • #18

…For example, stupid Word and Excel don’t let you create in-app folders; this is just stupid… I know I can us Drive for it, but the interface is clunky…

‘Clunky’? LOL, the «+» button is right at the top of the screen! How much more obvious and easy could they make it?

image.jpeg

Also, as others have said, I find Pages just less bloated. There’s so much stuff going on up in the menu bars for Word that it gets a bit too much at times. Nevermind the «important stuff buried in menus» thing that seems to be going on in Office.

Pages has just as many things «buried» as Word does, it’s part of being a touchscreen «mobile» app, you can’t have desktop style list menus. I think Word for iOS does a great job balancing usability with feature set.

I’ve also never had a problem syncing any docs since I stopped using Windows, which gave me major syncing problems with Office.

  • #19

Granted. Still find it odd to have to go to Drive to access the folders when they should be in the apps themselves, in my thinking, for the iPad. And as I said, the way for setting them up to work offiline in the app isn’t clear if you want those files to also update as you use them.

  • #20

@Mencelus
Do you use a Hungarian Spellchecker in Pages?
(Ha igen, mi a tapasztalatod?)

Osty

Osty

macrumors 6502a


  • #21

What a magnificent language! I travelled throughout Hungary in 2008, beautiful country. I’m pretty good with Germanic, Celtic and Romance languages, but Hungarian utterly defeated me!

  • #22

I am not surprised ;), it is a small, rare and in many ways unique language.

  • #23

Nisus Writer Pro

Word is horrid. I have it installed because the rest of the world uses it, but I never author documents with it anymore. I loved Pages in its heyday, but I feel when they re-architected it to be compatible across Mac, iOS and Web they lost the balance that was so critical in the earlier versions.

Nisus Writer is more complex that I’d like for most of what I do, but it’s friendlier to work with than Word and it saves everything to RTF which is nice.

Most of my writing is technical and rarely goes much longer than a few tens of pages— 100 on a really ambitious project so my experience may not translate to something as sophisticated as a book.

I believe Nisus would handle it without issue and seems to have the tools in place to organize chapters and such. That’s part of the complexity I wish weren’t there but that you may find useful. As others have said, there are specialized tools for long form writing like that as well.

  • #24

@Mencelus
Do you use a Hungarian Spellchecker in Pages?
(Ha igen, mi a tapasztalatod?)

Nope. I’ve been trying to figure out how to add the Hungarian spell check lists to the Mac in general, but I’m not savvy enough to manage it. I don’t do a lot in Hungarian, but occasionally, it’s necessary, and a real pain in the ass.

On a side note, the Hungarian spell checker for iPad works wonderfully, in Pages as well if I remember. Why this is, I don’t know.

  • #25

Nope. I’ve been trying to figure out how to add the Hungarian spell check lists to the Mac in general, but I’m not savvy enough to manage it. I don’t do a lot in Hungarian, but occasionally, it’s necessary, and a real pain in the ass.

On a side note, the Hungarian spell checker for iPad works wonderfully, in Pages as well if I remember. Why this is, I don’t know.

When I get home, I’ll walk you through the process. It is easy and you’ll have a Hungarian Spellchecker (just in case).

Pages files can be opened easily in Windows

Contents

  • Pages files can be opened easily in Windows
  • How to Open .Pages Format file in Windows
    • Method 1. Use Online File Converter (Open & Edit)
    • Method 2. Compress the .pages file to open it in Windows (Open only)

Pages is a popular document editing app for Apple Mac computers. It is quite similar to Microsoft Word in Windows. However, while MS Word saves documents as .docx, the Mac app saves all documents by adding .pages extension to them.

However, if you are a Windows user and someone sent you a document in this format, you might find it hard to open it, since your operating system does not support such file format. What is more, you can’t download Pages for Windows, and you also can’t open Pages file with Word. Therefore, a problem arises – how to open and edit such a document?

open pages file in windows easily

Opening Mac documents in Windows is easy!

Luckily, there are several easy-to-follow solutions, and you definitely can open a pages document on PC. In some cases, you might just need to open the document to read or print it. However, if you need to edit it, you might need to take different methods, which we also explain below.

Method 1. Use Online File Converter (Open & Edit)

Many people look for ways to convert .pages to Google Docs. Unfortunately, Google Docs does not accept .pages file unless it is converted. You can ahead and try to upload it, but the Docs app will suggest using the solution provided below anyways.

This is the easiest solution which I tend to use all the time – using an online converter to open .pages files in Microsoft Word or Google Docs and editing them.

Now, be careful there. Do not go to any suspicious file converter, as these can be untrustworthy and start pushing undesired potentially unwanted apps and extensions to you. I personally choose CloudConvert, which is a trusted app recommended by Google Docs. It can also batch convert pages to Word, PDF or Docx.

Here’s what you need to do:

  1. Go to CloudConvert website.
  2. Click Select Files and choose the .pages file or files from your computer.
  3. Now, select the preferred format for your files. I recommend choosing Document > Docx. You can also choose PDF if you do not need to edit the final file.
  4. Click Start Conversion.
  5. Wait and then Download your files. That’s it! You now have your .pages file in chosen format, so go to your download destination and open it or edit it, or upload to Google Docs.

converting .pages to word file online

Converting files with CloudConvert is easy and free.

Please note that the mentioned page gives more options, such as creating archives or saving files to DropBox.

Method 2. Compress the .pages file to open it in Windows (Open only)

The following method requires altering file extensions. If they are disabled in View options, you might need to do that first. Otherwise, jump to step #3.

Please keep in mind that this method is more secure as you do it in local environment, or, in other words, your computer. However, you won’t be able to edit the file – only read or print it.

  1. Open the folder containing your .pages file. Click View, then put a tick next to Show/Hide component File name extensions.
  2. Now, create a copy of your file to avoid losing data in case you mess up. Right-click your file, choose Copy. Then right-click anywhere on an empty spot in the folder and select Paste. Now you have your copy.
  3. Right-click on the Copy file and choose Rename. Now, erase the .pages extension and type zip or rar instead of it. Click Enter to save and then Yes in the pop-up window that appears on the screen.rename pages extension file to zip
  4. Now, double-click to open the new file you just created. Click Open to confirm. If you have trouble opening it with WinZip, right-click the file and choose Open with WinRAR option. Confirm by clicking Open.open-pages-file-as-an-archive
  5. Now, find file called preview.jpg or [your file name].pdf. Open it. Now you can read or print the file, as desired.
    see contents of the pages format file in windows

That’s it! Hopefully the tutorial helped you out to open .pages format file in Windows and edit it via Microsoft Word or another program. Don’t forget to check out other tutorials to find more easy Windows tips.

norbert webb author at geeksadvice.com

Norbert Webb is the head of Geek’s Advice team. He is the chief editor of the website who controls the quality of content published. The man also loves reading cybersecurity news, testing new software and sharing his insights on them. Norbert says that following his passion for information technology was one of the best decisions he has ever made. “I don’t feel like working while I’m doing something I love.” However, the geek has other interests, such as snowboarding and traveling.

Reader Interactions

Like this post? Please share to your friends:
  • Using outlines in word
  • Using outline in word
  • Using or with if in excel vba
  • Using or in excel equation
  • Using or conditional formatting excel