Author: r k
Date:   04-23-05 21:26

I wasn't sure where to post this question, so please forgive me if it seems totally out of place. Has anyone started their book on a PC and then tried to transfer their work to an apple computer? I have most of my book on a pc, but just bought an apple computer. I tend to work on book at work (on my down time of course) and want to know it its possible to then go home and be able to pull it up on an apple computer? I know I'll need to buy an external floppy disk drive, but what other things do I need to take into account so that I can seamlessly take my book from a PC to a Mac and vice versa? Or is this even possible?

Thanks in advance:-)

Author: Ian Bassingthwaighte
Date:   04-23-05 22:28

Ah, yes, it is indeed possible. File types are universal (in regard to text documents) as long as the program you are using is made for both mac and pc (or, if it isn't, then save the file as .rtf and it should work in most text editors). If you are using Microsoft Word, for example, a .doc file is the same on Macs and Pcs, so there isn't really anything to worry about.

Author: Jerry Springer
Date:   04-23-05 22:50

you don't need an external floppy drive. e-mail the file to yourself.

-- jer

Author: Denis Bonner
Date:   04-24-05 06:46

Don't forget that Apple got rid of floppy drives long ago.

Author: Richard Clunan
Date:   04-24-05 07:29

..you don't need an external floppy drive. e-mail the file to yourself..

or use one of them little memory keys you plug into the end of the keyboard (round the back on a pc). dead handy.

Author: Mya Bell
Date:   04-24-05 11:24

I transfer between Macs and PCs all the time. Usually I do it over a local ethernet connection--I simply have them both on the same network connected with an Ethernet cable. Do don't need fancy routers and such if you set up a peer-to-peer network with a crossover ethernet cable.

Sometimes I use a floppy--the Mac has no trouble reading PC floppies.

Sometimes I do what Jerry and Richard suggested, I email the files and download.

RTF (Rich Text Format) is a great file format for transfers between computers. The Mac understands RTF very well and Word is based upon RTF.

--- Mya Bell

Author: r k
Date:   04-24-05 17:47

Thanks, I feel much better about my purchase and the future of my book:-)

rk

Author: Bill Snodgrass
Date:   04-24-05 20:49

Word for Mac is, in my experience, 100% compatible with Word for Win. You will be fine moving it over.

In fact, I wrote much a long time ago on MS-Dos Wordperfect and I am editing in Mac Word.

Author: Anthony Ravenscroft
Date:   04-25-05 04:09

We've got a computer-heavy house. Without going into the kit-list, I do most of my writing on a PowerBook 160. It has a very old OS (7.1), so it can't read PC format or even the "universal" format on later Mac OSes. I have no printer drivers or cables, so I have to "sneaker net" (carry the disk) to another computer. Then again, I can just pick it up & go when I want to spend a few hours at the coffee bar.

Personally, I've gotten kinda spoiled on Word 5.1 -- newer versions feel clunky. Besides, I've added so many hot-key commands.

Strangely, I do almost all my editing work (other peoples' books) on a PC with Word 2000, & some layout on an iMac with PageMaker.

Use whatever works for you -- period.