"Pages begs me not to use it for the one simple fact that it cannot save directly to Word format."
Um... duh?
Pages is not a word processor. Apple's word processor is TextEdit, which reads and saves in Word format(s). Pages is a page layout program like Quark, InDesign, and Publisher.
In short, parity with the desktop Macs.
However, one thing I have not heard anyone complain about is how shortchanged the PowerBook line is with respect to maximum memory. One eighth the maximum RAM as the current desktop line, and LESS memory than you can put into an iMac! I do a lot of heavy duty editing on my PowerBook, and with several programs running simultaneously I spend far too much time watching that damned beachball spin while Tiger lesuirely swaps virtual memory off and onto the hard disk.
No way in hell will I EVER purchase a new laptop which does not accept at least 4GB of RAM.
Stromatolites and the Death of the Die Hard Mac Fan
Why Do I Use Apple's Apps?
What Do You Want Out Of The Intel Based Mac Laptops?