My document writing is fairly limited, but OPENOFFICE is NOT, it is a powerful and super feature-rich program. It does it all too, it isn't a word only, but an INTREGRATED SUITE of programs allowing you to do ANYHTING that Word does, plus with the ability to add patches (wrong word, but user designed updates and fixes) and all these drawing, presentations, slideshow, etc., programs REALLY work together SEEMLESSLY.
I'll recommend a few more (although already talked about) that is Paint.Net and GIMP (look for them both at
www.download.com for a one stop search) these are AWESOME paintshop programs ideal for tweaking or adding text or manipulating any content to images used in the Open-Office Suite.
I have Open-Office as the default player for all doc and text files, so I never get any of that Word 2003 expired or not installed crap.
NOTE: not related, but worth mentioning, I use Media Center Edition (with TV Tuner) version of XP - a wonderful version where I use my computer to record ALL MY TV SHOWS that I never get to watch live - it is best to think of it as a hybred TVO or an intregrated Digital Video Recorder (DVR) which most cable companies charge up to $12 a month for.
I'd never again own a computer without Media Center in it - the shame of it, most TV Commercials for Dell and HP, etc., show Media Center as a Photo slideshow program and music intregator mixer - but it is the TV stuff it does that makes it AWESOME. The reason you DON'T see the full-features shown in these commercials is that the BASIC COMPUTERS they all sell (those $399-$499 complete systems they boast) DON'T have TV Tuners built in. I think they are missing the boat by NOT pushing the full-features of Media Center (all they would need is UP the cost $100 and they'd easily pay for the extra hardware and MOST IMPORTANT make the PARADGYM SHIFT that brings the TV and PC together.
All the companies are missing the boat, I can't think of anyone with Cable NOT wanting to use their PC as a massive TV Media stoarage box. Mine uses (I have it set that is) to use up to 200 GIG of space for recording all the shows, set it to record the FIRST SHOWING available only (so I don't have 2 or more versions of the same show) and I even have some programs set to keep only 5 days (because I know I'll be watching THEM before that time).
Back to Open-Office, download it now!!!! It has MANY file EXTENSIONS including their own - so you have great ability to manipulate GREAT amounts of content and save it in so many ways. Lastly, give the GIMP and Paint.net program a try (more so Paint.net which gives Painshop Pro10 a work for its money) but if you need SUPERIOR maniplation ability, GIMP cannot be BEAT.