What’s the state of Word/Pages compatibility?

Software
1

I can’t count the ways in which I hate MS Word. But as a writer I have to send in .docx files and I get them back from editors with mark-ups. I know Pages should be able to handle .docx files. I know it can be problematic when dealing with complicated formatting. But I don’t need the latter, I just handle simple manuscripts in a single font.
Is there anybody dealing with .docx from within Pages, especially with mark-up and tracking changes, who can tell me if it is reliable? Could I get rid of MS Word?

2

I follow this one.

I, too, am required to use Word. I do a lot of editing and make extensive use of the review feature for people who are dedicated to Word. From what I’ve seen, I like Pages and would love to be able to use it instead.

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3

If you’re reviewing others’ tracked changes made in Word in a document subsequently imported to Pages, it should be fine. I’ve been doing that a lot with ms. that I want to markup in Pages with Apple Pencil. Never heard complaints from editors when I’ve sent converted (pages back to word) documents back.

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4

It’s usually me doing the editing and sending the edited docs to the writer.

5

I have recently experienced a docx file that was used by a colleague of mine in Pages and sent to me. When I opened it in Word the layout was all over the place and the document was a mess.

Viewing may be fine but not saving as docx. This has happened several time this year with this colleague, she doesn’t have space on her MacBook Air to install Office so is stuck, and we have had to start the document again each time with her changes added in order to fix it.

2 Likes
6

I have to confirm what @Rob_Polding just has written.

If you rely on compatibility, I do not see using Pages as a viable option. I do not say that Pages is to blame. Exchanging files and working with docx both in Pages and in Word works, except when it doesn’t. It really is a shame but that’s how it is… Sorry… :cry:

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7

I guess I‘ll just try it with Pages and check from within Word before sending it out (as long as I still have it, my subscription runs until february I think).