Open Office is Freeware, but is very large, the latest version 2.2.0 in 108 MegBytes, so one needs a high speed connection to get the download. One also needs little "web-wise" knowledge. While the download is free, I found it a bit difficult to make it happen, but did succeed.

I have used OO for several years in an business environment in which MS Word, Excel, and Powerpoint were the standard tools, I was able with only minor problems to inter-work (create, edit) using OO. When using OO, always save in the Microsoft format, e.g., .doc and .ppt for Word and Powerpoint and whatever it is for Excel, and her/your colleagues can interact using MS at their end.

How old and what sort of specs is her computer? If it's real old, she'd be better off training at the library if she can. I would assume she needs to learn current versions of Office.

OpenOffice is similar in functionality, but not in operation to Office. Without knowing what she needs to learn, it's impossible to speculate whether OpenOffice would be an adequate substitute.

if the latest version of Open Office doesnt work, she can downlaod older versions of Open Office in their archive.

Anything she creates and saves in office format will be usable on other computers with newer MS Office installed because of microsofts backwards compatability with previous versions, but she MAY have trouble manipulating files created with newer versions of MS Office. This is not an absolute. Only a possibility.

Have her try out.

It certainly doesnt hurt to try :)

Thanks so much to all of you. I will forward this to her.