Section 88. Word Processing

88. Word Processing

Several Mac-only word processors read and write Microsoft Word files, but offer advantages and benefits even MS Word for Mac can't match.

Nisus Writer Express (www.nisus.com, $69.95) squelches distractions with its full-screen mode. Simplified controls reside in a pop-out drawer. Configuring and applying styles never require more than a click or two.

Mellell (www.redlers.com, $49.00) supports foreign and obscure languages, endearing it to academics and linguists. It also offers faster handling of long documents and tight integration with bibliography software.

Pages (in Apple's iWork suite, $79.00) makes short work of newsletters, posters, flyers, and other desktop publishing tasks (see Figure 37).

Figure 37. Pages provides templates that adapt themselves to your text and images, combining the power of a word processor with the flexibility of a desktop publishing application.

Mariner Write (www.marinersoftware.com, $49.95) strips away rarely used features and consumes less hard drive space than Word.