I use Open Office. The Mac version is not nearly as smooth as the Windows version, but if all you want to do is view the Word docs and maybe minimally edit them, it'll certainly do the trick.
You have to install X11 to run it, though. I'm still not sure what it even does, but you don't have to know that to run it. I got it going with a lot of steps but a minimum of difficulty.
I don't have a Mac, but I DO use the PC version of Open Office. I would second Erica's motion. If you simply download it at the Open Office site, you sure can't beat the price!
If you're for an excuse to get Panther running, they've upgraded the text reader to understand MS Word docs. Not entirely free, but comes with great fringe benefits (ne. Expose).
If you're looking for an excuse to get Panther running, they've upgraded the text reader to understand MS Word docs. Not entirely free, but comes with great fringe benefits (ne. Expose).
The AppleWorks word processing program can open MS Word files; I'm using Jaguar but I think that that feature goes back to the earlier versions of OS X. I've used it only occasionally for that.
Add the suffix ".doc" and you should be able to read it with the Text Editor or Appleworks. If you you only have to do a few of them every now and then ThinkOffice is not a bad way to go. If this is going to be a regular thing, you might want to invest in MS Office.
Dean, I'm presently trying to find my sea legs with Open Office for Linux; and until just a couple of months ago, my word processing program for everyday use was (and for many, many years had been) Microsoft Word 5.0 for DOS. I find Open Office reads newer Word documents just fine; as for those in an antique format like mine, I've been resorting to conversion to RTF, using some old DOS command-line utility with a name like RTF_DOC.EXE.
Next question: How will any of this stuff be readable 50 years from now?
I use Ragtime. It's free for single users (they want corporations to pay for it), and has a lot of features Microsoft doesn't even know how to dream about. You can download it from www.ragtime-online.com.
Appleworks seems to work just fine for opening Word files from Office X under 10.3.2 for me. It doesn't seem to want to open older Mac Word files (version 5) and (Word 6 Mac is the only format listed.) Some older Windows Word files were likewise unreadable and the open file box lists Word 6 (Win 95), Word 97, 2000, 2001 (Win 98) and 2002 (XP) as available formats.
McGehee, I'm surprised, since MS has an Apple version of Office out.
Paul: I like OpenOffice too, but it still isn't all the way there yet. I can send you Word documents that I've created that still choke OpenOffice every time. (and for the skeptics, no I didn't do that on purpose)
OO has problems (at least) with Word documents that use tables as page formatting (as you would for a website, for example) as well as Word documents that have track revisions turned on.
But then, that's fairly advanced stuff, I suppose. As you say, the simpler stuff it seems to handle just fine.
Pirated copy of MS Word for the Mac.
It depends on which Mac and MacOS and the version of Word that created the documents. I'll try to find a legal way if one exists. Good luck
I assume you're running OS X?
I use Open Office. The Mac version is not nearly as smooth as the Windows version, but if all you want to do is view the Word docs and maybe minimally edit them, it'll certainly do the trick.
You have to install X11 to run it, though. I'm still not sure what it even does, but you don't have to know that to run it. I got it going with a lot of steps but a minimum of difficulty.
http://www.openoffice.org
I don't have a Mac, but I DO use the PC version of Open Office. I would second Erica's motion. If you simply download it at the Open Office site, you sure can't beat the price!
Tell whosoever is subjecting you to these files to save as RTF. Aside from everything else the resultant file is smaller.
I am using OSX, yes.
Open Office may be my solution. It's a mighty big hammer for a mighty small problem, but...
I don't know how much you're using that Mac or have a need to run Office applications on it, but I highly recommend OOo, just to have.
If you're for an excuse to get Panther running, they've upgraded the text reader to understand MS Word docs. Not entirely free, but comes with great fringe benefits (ne. Expose).
If you're looking for an excuse to get Panther running, they've upgraded the text reader to understand MS Word docs. Not entirely free, but comes with great fringe benefits (ne. Expose).
The AppleWorks word processing program can open MS Word files; I'm using Jaguar but I think that that feature goes back to the earlier versions of OS X. I've used it only occasionally for that.
Add the suffix ".doc" and you should be able to read it with the Text Editor or Appleworks. If you you only have to do a few of them every now and then ThinkOffice is not a bad way to go. If this is going to be a regular thing, you might want to invest in MS Office.
What kind of Mac do you have? CPU speed? RAM?
Doesn't Microsloth have a 'word viewer for macintosh' available for download?
Dean, I'm presently trying to find my sea legs with Open Office for Linux; and until just a couple of months ago, my word processing program for everyday use was (and for many, many years had been) Microsoft Word 5.0 for DOS. I find Open Office reads newer Word documents just fine; as for those in an antique format like mine, I've been resorting to conversion to RTF, using some old DOS command-line utility with a name like RTF_DOC.EXE.
Next question: How will any of this stuff be readable 50 years from now?
Sell the Mac, buy two PCs for the money you get.
Or use OpenOffice.
I use Ragtime. It's free for single users (they want corporations to pay for it), and has a lot of features Microsoft doesn't even know how to dream about. You can download it from www.ragtime-online.com.
hiya! I’ve been reading your blog for a while now, and I just wanted to say hi.
Sell the Mac, buy two PCs for the money you get.
What kind of blasphemous horse pucky is that?!? Sell your Mac?!? You must be some kind of pinko commie or something...
Have the fellow sending you the information put it in RTF. Easy as sin.
Appleworks seems to work just fine for opening Word files from Office X under 10.3.2 for me. It doesn't seem to want to open older Mac Word files (version 5) and (Word 6 Mac is the only format listed.) Some older Windows Word files were likewise unreadable and the open file box lists Word 6 (Win 95), Word 97, 2000, 2001 (Win 98) and 2002 (XP) as available formats.
Ragtime Online
That should make it easier to reach.
What kind of blasphemous horse pucky is that?!? Sell your Mac?!? You must be some kind of pinko commie or something...
Yeah -- who'd buy it?
&l;ducks and runs>
I'm doing a cursory check of Microsoft.com for a Word Viewer utility for Mac, and not having any luck.
McGehee, I'm surprised, since MS has an Apple version of Office out.
Paul: I like OpenOffice too, but it still isn't all the way there yet. I can send you Word documents that I've created that still choke OpenOffice every time. (and for the skeptics, no I didn't do that on purpose)
OO has problems (at least) with Word documents that use tables as page formatting (as you would for a website, for example) as well as Word documents that have track revisions turned on.
But then, that's fairly advanced stuff, I suppose. As you say, the simpler stuff it seems to handle just fine.