Best word processing suite?

[tomster2300]

What do you guys suggest for a word processing / office suite for the Mac? The new Office 2008, the old 2004, or iWork 08?

Or, is there something out there like OpenOffice for the Mac?

EDIT: Found the Mac version of OpenOffice. Still though, what do you guys use / suggest?

[kram 2.0]

I think I like Office 2008 the best - a nice revamp from the older 2004 version. Office 2004 feels a bit artificial and slow to me.

kram

[shadowpr]

I've been using OpenOffice for a while now, and must say, I don't see myself going back to a paid suite.

[tomster2300]

I had some problems getting OpenOffice to work when I installed it on my Macbook. It kept giving me an error every time it started, followed by a slow start up time until the world processor would pop up. I couldn't find an option to open any of the other programs, and it didn't fix itself despite the number of times I reinstalled it. Also when I deleted the x11 thing on the first install (it didn't uninstall itself with the rest of OpenOffice), it wouldn't reinstall itself later on...so that could have been part of my problem.

I've been using OpenOffice on my desktop for years and haven't had anything other than that mouse wheel scrolling problem I asked about before (and resolved by plugging in a wired mouse).

[Jester]

NeoOffice (http://www.neooffice.org/neojava/en/index.php) is a cocoa and Java based open office for the mac. It is based off of Ooo 2.2.1. It was designed so that it wouldn't require x11 and to be more in line with the "aqua" experience. I know that Ooo specifically ported for aqua OS X systems is being developed. Last I checked it was in the alpha stage.

[gibbyjunior]

I used office 08 on the mac, and it was decent. Too bad the price is so high. Maybe I'll try some of the freeware available.

[tomster2300]

An update on everything: I switched to NeoOffice on my Macbook and have really been enjoying it so far. I bought a copy of Microsoft Office 2007 for my desktop, so no more OpenOffice there either (although I still keep a copy installed).

What is x11 and why did Ooo require the use of it? It was just a pain to use imo.

[alfie2]

An update on everything: I switched to NeoOffice on my Macbook and have really been enjoying it so far. I bought a copy of Microsoft Office 2007 for my desktop, so no more OpenOffice there either (although I still keep a copy installed).

What is x11 and why did Ooo require the use of it? It was just a pain to use imo.

X11, if I can recall is a patented "Xwindows" environment. a "FREE version" is call "XFree386".
it is like "windows 3.1" in DOS days. actually windows-line of product steal( err, copy) a lot of stuffs from Xwindows!!!
X11 sits on top of an UNIX operating systems, providing a common "GUI" or "windows-like" interface for Applications like word processors, spreadsheet, editors, games and such....

as we all know OSX is an UNIX variance, so it can/will use X11.