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word processor

I am new to iMac (it's a hand me down) and I am looking for a good word processor that is preferably free but at least low cost. I am limited because I am using High Sierra os and cannot go any higher.

iMac Pro

Posted on Jul 24, 2020 2:24 PM

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Posted on Jul 24, 2020 3:07 PM

Free options include:


The free and very good Libre Office https://www.libreoffice.org/


Or use the free Microsoft Office on the web: https://products.office.com/en-us/free-office-online-for-the-web


Or Google Docs: https://www.google.com/docs/about/


or Apple's Pages and Numbers

13 replies

Jul 24, 2020 3:48 PM in response to FoxFifth

Thank you for your suggestions. Please do not take the following comments as criticism since I truly appreciate the fact that you took the time to respond to my question. i simply want to provide more information to anyone who may have the same question. Although not free, Libre Office has a very reasonable price of $4.99 (and which I have purchased). I will have to review the Microsoft Office you referred to since i was only able to find an app that required a subscription. I would have preferred using Pages and Numbers but unfortunately it requires a newer os than the High Sierra that I have and cannot upgrade further.

Jul 24, 2020 4:06 PM in response to jcfekety

Libre Office is completely free. You can download it at no charge using the link I provided: https://www.libreoffice.org/

The $4.99 "Libre Office Vanilla" available in the App Store is not something I personally would use.


The free Microsoft office in my list is a web-based version and is available by clicking on the following link which was in my previous reply: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/free-office-online-for-the-web

Jul 25, 2020 2:49 PM in response to jcfekety

There’s no fee for LibreOffice, when downloaded from the LibreOffice website.


I use Apple iWork apps for the vast majority text. Not sure how to get iWork downloads for pre-Mojave macOS, though.


For heavier and more extensive writing work, Scrivener. Scrivener is not free.


For source code and other work, Xcode and variously MacVim or BBEdit. Xcode is free. MacVim is free. (Well, free if you know how to use vim.) Much of BBEdit can be used for free.


Microsoft Office 2019 is available as a purchase, and Office 365 as a subscription.


Jul 25, 2020 3:32 PM in response to MrHoffman

The iWork apps may or may not be available, if you don't already have them.To get them, it's necessary to go to the Apple App Store. If I remember correctly, you first go to Purchases and then, if it shows that you have certain apps installed, you can click on new installs. Sometimes , they don't show and then there is no way to download a version of that app.

Jul 25, 2020 4:15 PM in response to Ronasara

Ronasara wrote:

The iWork apps may or may not be available, if you don't already have them.To get them, it's necessary to go to the Apple App Store. If I remember correctly, you first go to Purchases and then...


Yes; I’m familiar with the previous-purchases list. That doesn’t work for new folks, as there’a no previous “purchase.“ There was a way to get a previous purchase added indirectly via a DMG, and then trigger an update, but it’s circuitous, years old, and I do not know if it still works.

Jul 26, 2020 9:46 AM in response to Old Toad

Old Toad wrote:

Pages, Numbers and Keynote are available and free for all Mac users.


Yes, though the current versions require Mojave, previous versions require having “purchased” the app prior to the current Mojave-only versions, and obtaining the necessarily-older iWork versions for somebody with no previous “purchase” history of iWork is not obvious (to me).


I’m open to learning how a new-to-iWork user with a Mac that tops out at High Sierra can acquire iWork, though.


And yes, I do realize iWork is now free.


word processor

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