Why pay for Microsoft Office when other programs can do the job?

Whether at home or in the office, most people now need a word processor on their computer. — Microsoft/dpa

Whether you're talking about texts, tables or presentations, Microsoft dominates the market with its Office suite and the programs Word, Excel and PowerPoint. But there are plenty of good alternatives out there, and often, unlike Microsoft's offering, they're free.

Microsoft is increasingly switching its sales model from a one-off purchase to a subscription. For the user, that means ongoing costs.