Just introducing myself: After decades using the PC, I've turned to the iMac and iWorks. I've already had several disappointments with which I will not burden anyone. However, if my questions are fewer than my answers, I'll be content enough. I've been helping people for those decades with all sorts of problems, software and otherwise. Now it's my turn to ask the questions. So I might as well start with one:
First of all, I know and understand that one spreadsheet program is not a translator for another. Secondly, I had a fairly recent serious accident, so if I ask the same thing twice, don't be offended. They say that the mind goes first. I can't recall what goes second.
The question: Is it normal that opening a Word file in Pages, the graphics do not remain placed as they were, but are misplaced, leaving a ton of work to sort out? Also, is it normal that, when opening an OpenOffice word processing file in Pages, graphics are not transported at all?
Thanks.
David.
QuoteIs it normal that opening a Word file in Pages, the graphics do not remain placed as they were, but are misplaced, leaving a ton of work to sort out?
Hi David,
I don't have any experience with OpenOffice, but I do regularly open Word files in Pages. I don't expect perfect fidelity in importing all Word docs, but for those I've tried, it's been 100% or 99% (e.g. some minor numbered bullets not being numbered). I suspect that how the original MS Word document is structured (eg. using styles or not, etc.) also plays a role in how faithfully the Word document is interpreted and rendered by a different word-processor. With complex MS Word docs, it's certainly possible to come up with Word files that don't open perfectly _even_ between different versions of Word. The native MS Word formats are not made public by Microsoft and undergo changes with each new version of MS Word.
One thing I would try IF you have access to a copy of MS Word in which Word document opens 'correctly', is to save the Word docoment in RTF format (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rich_Text_Format). This is actually intended as an interchange format and is documented to some extent. Then try opening the resultant .rtf file in Pages.
Good luck.
Thanks, Ben. I'll give that a shot, but will be a little while replying on the result, as there is much to do when you are retired and made a grandfather again. I have other questions, but will try to not be invasive with them; one following on Numbers shortly after this reply, another on creating PDFs. I locally tutor high school math by email, parents donating to Ottawa Hospital instead of payment to me, so I really want to get everything in order to do that on the iMac instead of the PC.
David.