mac - windows/ms office interoperability

I use Macs & PCs and have MS Office on both platforms and have no problem exchanging files. The release versions have to be compatible of course: if you have an older Office it can't open a .docx or similar, but that isn't platform-dependent - that is keeping up with MS updates.

If you have an older version of Office and you need to open files from the newer versions, there are free MS downloads that will open the newer files so you can read them.

Hope that helps - been using Macs since 1991 so have lots of experience with them and their software.

Same here! I do it all the time and don't even have to think about it.

Or alternately

Rather than emailing, you could do your interchange of files by posting to Googledocs (which can provide privacy) which is not only password protected, but also gives you a revision history everytime the file is opened at all, so it actually logs who read it when, in addition to giving you a log of revisions and when.

Then summarize the revisions on a secondary sheet when ready for signature.

Thanks to one and all.

As to the the suggested alternative, looks interesting; and I tried to access google docs beta. However, am unable to do so at this time due to Google problem processing sign-on using bio pod and secure password storage-autosignon application. Have directed an invitation to them to discuss a workaround for the site problem...but they say they do not respond to user input.

As to the others...it is as I anticipated (but figured it can't hurt to ask): it will work if Mac user has MS Office for Mac (or at least the required components). I have not as yet inquired as to whether Mac user Office/Word/etc. If not, then there would be the non-trivial expense of obtaining MS Office (or Word...etc) for the Mac. That could be an impediment.

As for the older (2003) version on my system, for right now updating is not happening due to a problem with my windows software...Outlook was replaced with Outlook Express before the system was sold to me. This is preventing some updates from installing. MS has provided the entire WXPPro software on disc but there's a problem with doing a clean (re)install as I would prefer: Most of my macromedia/adobe application would have to be forfeited (no backup/install discs)...and purchasing my own software all over again would be a very expensive proposition.

Fortunately (I dare to hope) my second system (Vista ultimate with WORKS) does "recognize" the newer Doc extension; so, although not able to open Office files, they can be converted to Works and back (but, alas, probably not without loss of some, or too much, of the Office functionality needed (as mentioned previously...but I have been considering installing Office also on the new Vista system from the MS provided disc mentioned above...as I understand that MSO license extends to networked machines in home/small office. Of course that still might not solve the possible problem of revised Word extension).

Anyway, I will check to see if she has a mac version of office. If not, I wonder what is the likelihood that Office for Mac (even older version) could be found cheaply on the web.

Will let you know how it goes....if it goes.