Pages Vs. Microsoft Word

There are many similarities between the two programs. First I would like to discuss the ease of use of both programs. I found both programs to be fairly easy to use as an adult. They would both allow the creator to modify or change the document in various ways. While both programs are simple, Pages does not have as many different editing options as Microsoft Word. Pages would be good in a classroom with students who have already had experience with typing and creating documents. It could really help when students just need to add a graph or picture because it uses symbols to help a creator to find what tool he or she would like to use. Microsoft Word can be used by a creator who needs to make a simple document or a complex document. For complex document creating, it would be better to use Microsoft Word because of the many more diverse tools it offers than Pages.

Both programs allow for numerous templates to be accessed to help the user to format his or her work. These templates cover almost exactly the same thing on both programs and are labeled well for the user to find just what he or she is looking for. Both programs also have many of the same basic, almost necessary, tools for creating a document. Some of these tools include a type of spell check, inserting graphs and documents, inserting listing symbols, and choosing and changing the layout of the document or paragraph as a whole.

Using Pages on an iPad would allow for students to have a sense of a more hands on document creating. While computers are great for creating documents, using the iPad would allow for the student to look a little closer at what he or she is working on. Some may see the small screen on the iPad as a disadvantage, but I think it could be useful for a student to be able to focus in on a specific paragraph or chart at a time and the smaller screen allows for that.