Microsoft Word used to rule them all. It didn't matter what computer or operating system you had--if you needed to type something, you used Word.

Times have changed Today there are many word processing solutions out there. Some, like Google Docs, are pretty barebones; and others, like Word, feel at times feature creep--there are just so many options, it's easy to get lost. If you use a Mac, iPad, or iPhone, then you have a third option that's growing in popularity: Pages.

In addition to being simple, yet visually stun-ning, Pages comes free with Apple devices. What's even better is it's pretty easy to get started, even with limited knowledge of the software.

If you really want to get the most out of it, then this guide will help. It will show you the ropes--including how to do all those things you are used to doing in Microsoft Word - and help you with some of the features you may not even know about.

Ready to get started? Let's go