[Ham-Computers] Question from a local ham:

[Joe]

Kurt, 

Just like the answer to most baseball questions is "1929 Yankees" and to
most NASCAR questions is "Richard Petty", the answer to most computer
questions is "Google" or "Look on the Microsoft site". 

The first response of a Google query for:
"open new word documents with old word programs" 

Yields: 
Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint File
Formats 

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=941b3470-3ae9-4aee-8f43-c6bb74cd1466&displaylang=en 

This set of programs is free so it should not be painful to try.  I
don't know what the procedure is to install or use these conversion
programs, but I expect it to be easy.  However, don't expect to be able
to generate/update .docx, .xlsx or .pptx] files, MS wants cash for that
capability.  I believe that all you will be able to do is read. 

Another possible solution is to have your "local" ham friend request
that people send him word documents in the Windows 97 format.  It's easy
for the originator to do when saving Word documents.  

Other responders have suggested "Open Office", a free package which
provides almost all the function and features of the current Microsoft
"Office" suite, a lot more and better than a decade old office suite
provides.  

My initial reaction is that a request to "fix" a problem should not be
to install new programs from a different vendor.  In this case however,
the vanilla "fix" is to add additional MS programs, which opens the door
for other software solutions.  

With a little more effort "Open Office" would solve the problem, provide
significantly more functionality, with no cash outlay.  OO can be
installed and un-installed easily for test purposes.  However, if the
original MS Office install disks are not available, and your friend is
risk adverse, sticking with the MS solution may be best. 

Joe, K9HDE

PS  The user interface of "Open Office" is almost identical to that of
the MS "Office" programs.  OO is sponsored by Oracle, one of the big
software companies.  For an OO background, visit: 

http://about.openoffice.org/index.html