I'm wondering too. I'm about to replace a desktop with Office 2010 in it ;0) With DH retired, I find I use Word and still prefer Outlook. I'm not using Power Point, Access, and could even lose Excel without missing it these days.

Apache Open Office and LibreOffice can be thought of as siblings or maybe better now cousins.

They started from the same root - the old Open Office - and have gone on their own paths independent of one another.

Both are current, both are mostly compatible with MS Office files, and both have slightly different menu trees and command approaches. Switching to either from Word will take a bit of familiarization but not too much.. Capabilities are very similar and for non-power users, consider them to be the same but done slightly differently. Both are free.

I use Libre Office. It's the next evolution of Open Office. Works well for me and it's free :) https://www.libreoffice.org/

I use Libre Office. When you save your document, there is a drop down menu; you can chose to save in Word format.

Apache office which may or may not continue being updated does the same. A knock against LibreOffice is that it's too complicated for basic level users.

It's not like it's a binding commitment. files produced by each program are interoperable with the other. If you start with one and don't like it, you can switch to the other it's not a problem.

I use Open Office. No complaints

I use Open Office as well. Just make a few documents for my own use. Works fine.

They're quick and easy to get up to speed with for basic use.

Love open office.

I've had LibreOffice installed on both my desktop and laptop for some years. (Both running W10.) It still works properly on my desktop, but recently, when I try to open it on the laptop, it thinks about it for a couple of seconds, then...nothing. Doesn't open, either from the desktop shortcut or the Programs files. I did a complete uninstall and reinstall, but same result. I wondered if it might be related to any recent Windows updates, but both computers have had those, so...

I've searched the LO forums and other avenues, but can't get an answer to resolve it. My next move will be to uninstall it again and install OpenOffice.

I presume the 2 will be compatible with each other. Does anybody know?

I would think that LibreOffice and Apache Open Office would be "mostly" compatible. Or at least compatible enough that I wouldn't notice the difference. (Except maybe the appearance) But I haven't tested so I don't know. (https://www.libreoffice.org/discover/libreoffice-vs-openoffice/)

If LibreOffice hangs on startup, this might be something quick and easy to try:

(source: https://ask.libreoffice.org/en/question/207036/win10-64bit-liboff-630-hangs-at-start-up/)

To start in safe mode:

"If your problem is that LibreOffice does not start at all, launch it from the command line with libreoffice --safe-mode or use the start menu entry "LibreOffice (Safe Mode)" on Windows"

(source: https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Faq/General/110)

Of course that assumes hardware acceleration is turned on by default. In my Linux installs, it is not.

Thanks, Richard. Hardware Acceleration wasn't turned on. Still can't get it to open.

Strangely, on the desktop where LO is still working, Hardware Acceleration IS turned on, yet the program is working normally.

Will install Apache OO and see if that works.

shaxhome, are you the same person who lived in a different location, like Bhutan or somewhere nearby, at one time?

Yes, Bhutan. But back in Oz now. Can't return to Bhutan or India because of closed borders everywhere.

Google Chrome is what the schools all use.

Google Chrome is a browser. I think you mean Google Docs.

Its use is popular because it's free. Compared to a word processing program, its capabilities are adequate for basic use but limited and often inadequate because of what many need to do with documents.