I'm a user of OpenOffice and find it more intuitive than Word. I find especially better than Office "Non-descriptive icons only" 07.
Try to explain someone who isn't very computer literate what do with that programme, with older versions one could go "menu A-> submenu B -> toggle switch f", picture description just doesn't work ("Hit the button with Windows logo" "Uh?").
I'd like to fry the person responsible for getting that programme for that user, because it's sure as hell not them who has to the troubleshooting when something is wrong. Not that I think they'd be able to.
But, yes, test drive OpenOffice, try your old Word install, you can always fork over money later.
