Should You Use Microsoft Office or Apple Apps on Your Mac?

Summary

In this video, Gary from MacMost.com discusses whether to install Microsoft Office or use Apple's Pages, Numbers, and Keynote on a Mac. He covers the availability, cost, and features of both, highlighting Microsoft's power and compatibility but also Apple's ease of use and free access. He suggests that users can utilize both, depending on their needs, and offers advice on transitioning between the two suites for optimal productivity.

Takeaways

• 💻 Microsoft Office apps and Apple's Pages, Numbers, and Keynote serve similar purposes but have different interfaces and features.
• 🛍️ Microsoft Office apps are available for free download from the Mac App Store but require a subscription for full access.
• 💡 The main reason to use Microsoft Office is familiarity, especially for those transitioning from Windows with extensive experience in Word and Excel.
• 💪 Microsoft Office apps are considered the most powerful with a vast array of features, though many users may not need all of them.
• 🔄 Compatibility is a key advantage of Microsoft Office, facilitating easier document sharing with others using the same suite.
• 📚 For those with a history of Microsoft Office documents, having the official apps can be beneficial for opening and managing old files.
• 🆓 Apple's apps are free and can be a good alternative or supplementary tool to Microsoft Office for Mac users.
• 📱 Apple's apps offer a seamless experience across Apple devices and work well within the Apple ecosystem, including iCloud collaboration.
• 🔍 Pages, Numbers, and Keynote are considered easier to use with a cleaner interface compared to their Microsoft counterparts.
• 📈 Users can work with Microsoft Office documents in Apple's apps, providing flexibility for viewing and editing.
• 🤔 The choice between Microsoft Office and Apple's apps ultimately depends on personal preference, needs, and the tools used by collaborators.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video script?

The main topic of the video script is whether to install Microsoft Office on a Mac or to use Apple's alternative apps, Pages, Numbers, and Keynote.

How can one obtain Microsoft Office apps for Mac?

Microsoft Office apps can be obtained from the Mac App Store, where they are available for free download but require a subscription for use.

What are the alternative apps to Microsoft Office recommended in the script?

The alternative apps to Microsoft Office recommended in the script are Apple's Pages, Numbers, and Keynote.

Why might someone choose to use Microsoft Office apps over Apple's apps?

Some reasons to choose Microsoft Office apps include familiarity with the software, their powerful features, compatibility with other users who use Microsoft Office, and the ability to open older Microsoft file formats without issues.

What are the advantages of using Apple's Pages, Numbers, and Keynote apps?

The advantages of using Apple's apps include them being free, easier to use, and well-integrated within the Apple ecosystem, including compatibility with iOS devices.

What does the script suggest about the complexity of Microsoft Office apps compared to Apple's apps?

The script suggests that Microsoft Office apps are more complex and feature-rich compared to Apple's apps, which are considered easier to understand and use.

How does the script address the issue of compatibility between Microsoft Office and Apple's apps?

The script mentions that while both sets of apps can open each other's files, there may be compatibility issues. It also notes that Apple's apps can export documents in Microsoft Office formats.

What is the script's stance on the possibility of using both Microsoft Office and Apple's apps?

The script supports the idea of using both Microsoft Office and Apple's apps, suggesting that one can use each for different tasks or gradually transition from one to the other.

What does the script suggest for users who are new to these types of applications?

The script suggests that for new users, starting with Apple's apps might be easier due to their simpler interface, but it also acknowledges the power and feature set of Microsoft Office apps.

How does the script discuss the collaboration aspect of using Microsoft Office and Apple's apps?

The script discusses that collaboration is possible with both Microsoft Office and Apple's apps, but the ease of collaboration may depend on whether the team uses Microsoft Office or Macs.

What is the final advice given in the script regarding the choice between Microsoft Office and Apple's apps?

The final advice is that the decision should be personal and there is no right or wrong answer. Users can try Microsoft Office for a year and then decide to switch to Apple's apps, or vice versa, based on their experience and needs.

Outlines

00:00

🤔 Choosing Between Microsoft Office and Apple Apps

In this paragraph, Gary discusses the dilemma of whether to install Microsoft Office on a Mac or to use the native Apple apps, Pages, Numbers, and Keynote. He explains that Microsoft Office apps are available for free download from the Mac App Store but require a subscription for use. Gary highlights the benefits of using Microsoft Office, such as familiarity for those coming from a Windows background, the powerful features of Word and Excel, and compatibility with other users and documents. He also mentions the option of a one-time purchase from Microsoft, which is more expensive and does not include major updates. The alternative, Apple's apps, are praised for their simplicity and ease of use, especially for those new to these types of applications.

05:01

📱 Advantages of Apple's Apps and Compatibility

This paragraph focuses on the advantages of using Apple's Pages, Numbers, and Keynote apps, which are free and user-friendly, with a cleaner interface compared to Microsoft Office. Gary points out that these apps are ideal for Mac users, especially those who are new to the platform or prefer a simpler experience. He also discusses the compatibility of Apple's apps with Microsoft Office documents, allowing users to open, view, and even export files in Office formats. Moreover, Gary emphasizes the seamless integration of Apple's apps within the Apple ecosystem, including collaboration features when documents are saved to iCloud. He concludes with the suggestion that users can employ both sets of apps, leveraging the strengths of each for different tasks or gradually transitioning from Microsoft Office to Apple's apps.

Keywords

💡Microsoft Office

Microsoft Office is a suite of productivity software that includes applications like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. It is central to the video's theme as it discusses whether Mac users should install this suite or opt for Apple's alternatives. The script mentions that Microsoft Office apps are available for free download from the Mac App Store but require a subscription for use, highlighting the cost and accessibility aspects of choosing between Microsoft Office and Apple's apps.

💡Pages

Pages is an Apple application that serves as a word processor, similar to Microsoft Word. It is part of Apple's iWork productivity suite and is presented in the script as an alternative to Microsoft Word. The video discusses Pages in the context of ease of use and its integration within the Apple ecosystem, suggesting it as a viable option for Mac users.

💡Numbers

Numbers is Apple's spreadsheet application, comparable to Microsoft Excel. The script uses Numbers to illustrate the choice between Microsoft Office and Apple's productivity tools, emphasizing its simplicity and user-friendliness as opposed to the more complex Excel, making it an attractive option for those new to spreadsheets or preferring a more streamlined interface.

💡Keynote

Keynote is Apple's presentation software, which competes with Microsoft PowerPoint. The video mentions Keynote as part of the Apple suite of apps, noting its visual appeal and ease of use. It is presented as an alternative for creating presentations without the need for the more feature-rich PowerPoint.

💡Subscription

A subscription model is a payment structure where users pay a recurring fee to access a service or product. In the context of the video, Microsoft Office requires a subscription for full functionality, which is a key point of comparison with Apple's apps, which are free to use without a subscription.

💡Compatibility

Compatibility refers to the ability of different systems or applications to work together without issues. The script discusses the compatibility of Microsoft Office and Apple's apps, noting that using the same suite as collaborators can simplify document sharing and reduce conversion hassles. It also touches on document compatibility, where having Microsoft Office can be beneficial for opening older files without format issues.

💡Power

In the video, 'power' refers to the range of features and capabilities of an application. Microsoft Word and Excel are described as the most powerful word processor and spreadsheet app on the market, indicating a higher level of functionality compared to their Apple counterparts, Pages and Numbers.

💡User Interface

User Interface (UI) is the space where interactions between humans and computers occur, including visual elements and interactive components. The script compares the user interfaces of Microsoft Office and Apple's apps, suggesting that Apple's apps have a simpler and cleaner UI, which may be easier for some users to navigate.

💡iCloud

iCloud is Apple's cloud storage and cloud computing service, allowing users to store data and make it accessible from various devices. The video mentions iCloud in the context of collaborating on Pages documents, emphasizing the seamless integration and ease of use when working within the Apple ecosystem.

💡OneDrive

OneDrive is Microsoft's cloud storage service, similar to iCloud but for Microsoft products. The script discusses OneDrive in the context of collaborating on Microsoft Office documents, suggesting that if all collaborators are using Microsoft Office, it might be more efficient to use OneDrive for document sharing.

💡Export

Exporting is the process of converting data from one format to another, often for use in a different application or system. The video script mentions the ability to export Pages documents as Word files, highlighting the flexibility of Apple's apps to work with Microsoft Office formats for compatibility purposes.

Highlights

Decision between using Microsoft Office or Apple's Pages, Numbers, and Keynote on a Mac depends on personal preference and needs.

Microsoft Office apps are available for free download from the Mac App Store but require a subscription for use.

A one-time purchase option for Microsoft Office is more expensive and does not include major updates.

Microsoft Office is preferred for users with extensive experience and knowledge of Word and Excel from a Windows background.

Microsoft Word and Excel are considered the most powerful word processor and spreadsheet apps on the market.

Compatibility with other Microsoft Office users and document formats is a key advantage of using Microsoft Office apps.

Apple's Pages, Numbers, and Keynote are free and offer a seamless experience within the Apple ecosystem.

Apple's apps are generally easier to use compared to Microsoft Office, especially for new users.

Apple's apps offer free versions for iPhone and iPad, facilitating cross-device use without compatibility issues.

Pages, Numbers, and Keynote can open and work with Microsoft Office documents, providing flexibility.

Users can use both Microsoft Office and Apple's apps to leverage the strengths of each for different tasks.

Subscription to Microsoft Office can be tried for a year to assess its suitability before deciding on a long-term solution.

Apple's apps integrate well for collaboration with other Mac users, especially when documents are stored on iCloud.

Microsoft Office apps offer advanced features packed into Word and Excel, catering to users who need specialized functionalities.

The Mac versions of Microsoft Office apps are attuned to the Mac interface, making the transition from Windows versions easier.

Apple's Pages provides a cleaner and more straightforward interface compared to Microsoft Word.

Excel's complexity can be overwhelming for new users, whereas Numbers offers a simpler alternative.

Keynote and PowerPoint have different interfaces, with Keynote being more attuned to Mac users' preferences.

Transcripts

Hi, this is Gary with MacMost.com. Should you  

install Microsoft Office on your Mac or  just use Pages, Numbers, and Keynote. 

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the Patreon Campaign. Join us and get  exclusive content and course discounts.

A question I'm often asked, and that I often see  online, is do you need to install the Microsoft  

Office apps on your Mac. In particular apps like  Word, Excel, and Power Point. The alternative,  

of course, is to use Apple's apps Pages,  Numbers, and Keynote. Pages and Word are  

both word processors. Numbers and Excel are both  spreadsheet apps. Keynote and Power Point are  

both presentation apps. But they all do look and  word differently. So, which one should you use?

You can get Microsoft's apps from the  Mac App Store. They're all available to  

download for free. But, you're going to need a  subscription to use them. You can choose from  

a couple of different subscription plans  from the Microsoft site and then in those  

apps you login to be able to access your  account and then unlock the app. There's  

also the option to do a one time purchase. You  can still do that from Microsoft but it's going  

to cost more. Of course that is not going to  include major updates. So at some point in the  

future you may find that you need to buy a new  version to replace the aging one that you have.

Now the main reason to use Microsoft Office apps  is if you're used to them. Say you've come from  

the Windows world, you're now on the Mac, and  you have years of experience and knowledge for  

using Microsoft Word and Excel and you don't  want to stop using them now and use something  

new. Well you can simply use the Mac versions  of those and continue on doing things the way  

that you've always done. The Mac versions do  look a little bit different. They are a little  

more attuned to the Mac interface. But you're  going to find it a pretty easy transition to  

go from the Windows version of Word to the Mac  version of Word. Another reason you may want to  

use Microsoft's apps is that they are without  a doubt the most powerful. I love the Apple  

apps and I use the Apple apps myself but there  is no doubt that Microsoft Word and Microsoft  

Excel are the most powerful word processor and  spreadsheet app on the market. They've been around  

for a long time and have tons of features  packed into them. Most people, of course,  

don't need all of these features and some of them  are really obscure and have very specialized uses.  

But there is definitely more features packed  into Word and Excel than Pages and Numbers.

Another reason to stick with Microsoft Office  apps is for compatibility. If you work with  

people or collaborate with people that are also  using Microsoft Office apps it's much easier to  

pass the same documents back and forth. Not  converting them all the time back and forth  

to other formats. If that is even going to save  you a little bit of time and frustration it's  

probably worth the entire price of using Microsoft  Office apps. Also, another type of compatibility  

is document compatibility. If, say, you've come  from the Windows world and you have years and  

years worth of Microsoft Word doc files and  Excel XLS files well then having Microsoft  

Office around to be able to open those old files  is really useful. Of course you can open them  

in Pages and Numbers as well. But there may be  compatibility issues. It could be nice to have the  

official Microsoft Office apps there to be able  to access all your files without any problems.

Now how about the Apple Apps, Pages, Numbers,  and Keynote. Well, the main advantage to those,  

without a doubt, is that they are free.  If you've got a Mac you can install Pages,  

Numbers, and Keynote on your Mac. Just get  them from the App Store if you don't already  

have them on your Mac. It doesn't cost  you anything. In fact even if you have  

Microsoft Office you should probably have  those apps installed anyway. They could be  

useful for some tasks when you don't need  all the power that is in the Office apps.

Now also I believe that the Mac Apps are easier to  use. For instance, take a look at Pages here. This  

is a blank document. In Pages you've just created  a document and you're ready to start writing. You  

could see some buttons here at the top. You  can see controls for things like font, and  

styling here on the right. Now look at Microsoft  Word. It definitely looks more complex. Maybe  

only marginally so though. Instead of having  things on the right everything is here at the  

top. This is just a portion of the controls. You  have to switch between these different ribbons  

here at the top to actually access everything.  It's really not that different from having the  

right sidebar there. But I think if you really  wanted to compare them you would have to come  

to the conclusion that Word is more complex.  Which makes sense since it's more powerful.

The same thing with Excel and Numbers here. Here  is Excel and you can see all the different ribbons  

here at the top. Here's Numbers. You still have a  lot of that complexity here in the right sidebar  

if you even want to have that visible. But  I think everything looks a lot cleaner and  

it's a little bit easier to understand as long as  you're not already deeply entrenched in Excel. Of  

course it is going to be hard to transition  from Excel to Numbers. But if you haven't  

really used Excel I think starting in Numbers  is going to be easier than starting in Excel.

Also keep in mind that with Pages, Numbers,  and Keynote there are also free versions for  

the iPhone and iPad. So if you have multiple  Apple devices and you learn to use Pages, say,  

on the Mac, you can use some of those skills to  actually use Pages on your iPhone or your iPad as  

well and there are no compatibility issues.  Plus, of course, the Apple Apps work really  

well in the Apple Eco System. For instance, if  you save a Pages document to iCloud you can go  

to the Share Menu here and easily collaborate with  other Mac users using Pages. It just kind of works  

seamlessly. There's really not too much to learn.  You're just both working on the same document.

Now that is also true on Microsoft Office  apps. You can collaborate as long as you save  

to Microsoft One Drive. If all of your coworkers  or collaborators are using Microsoft Office then  

it might be better to stick with Microsoft  Office. But if they are not, if in fact they  

are all using Macs, then it may be better  to collaborate with them using Apple's apps.

Another thing about Pages, Numbers, and Keynote  is you can still work with Microsoft Office  

documents. So this comes really handy if  you don't necessarily need to work with  

those documents but you do need to view them.  So, for instance, here in Pages I could open  

up a Microsoft Word file. No problem. It will  simply convert it and it will give me warnings  

if there is anything that is not compatible. But  if my goal here was to just read the document,  

like someone in the group I'm in insists on  distributing basic information on Microsoft  

Word docs, you could still open it up in  Pages to read it. If you ever want to give  

somebody a document to work on and you're  in Pages and they are using Microsoft Word,  

you can always go to Export and then Export  As Word and give them a word document.

So now some final advice. First, you can use both.  If you paid to have Microsoft Office there is no  

reason you shouldn't have Pages, Numbers, and  Keynote also on your Mac. In fact, I did this  

for years when I had to work in Microsoft Word for  writing computer books, that's what my publisher  

used. But I did everything else in Pages.  As a matter of fact this is a good strategy  

if you slowly want to wean yourself off of using  Microsoft Office apps. You can use Pages for some  

things, Word for things you need to use Word for,  and then as you get more experience with Pages you  

may find at some point you decide to ditch the  Office apps. In the end the decision has got to  

be yours and there is no right or wrong answer.  You certainly don't have to stick with the same  

answer. You could subscribe to Microsoft Office  for a year to see how it goes and decide to move  

completely to Apple Apps next year. You could  just use Apple Apps for now and if you find out  

you can't get by working with your colleagues with  the Apple Apps you can then get Microsoft Office  

and start using that. But I do hope you found  this information useful. Thanks for watching.