SOFTWARE I USE
OPEN OFFICE is a FREE office suite. Every bit as good as MICROSOFT OFFICE..... but it is one of the very few exceptions to the NOTHING GOOD IS FREE saying.
IMPORTANT: The LANGUAGE PACK for the spell checker is a separate file (install the suite first).
Although WINDOWS is the most widely used OPERATING SYSTEM, this doesn't mean it is the best.
For me, FEDORA LINUX is my favorite. This version includes COMPIZ, a useless little thing that makes using the computer entertaining... making windows wobble and stretch as you move them around the screen, etc. Eventually I set this program to start automatically on start up.
It isn't just an operating system, it also includes everything the average user would ever need ALL READY BUILT IN, and it is FAR MORE secure than WINDOWS. You can even set it up to run a network at no extra cost.... WINDOWS requires the purchase of a totally different version for this functionality!
In my opinion, the only drawback is that it is much easier to find WINDOWS versions of software than LINUX versions.