In talking with an education-minded friend today, I realized that many folks have limited access to funding for a word processing programs nowadays. Actually, I am one of them--but even if I had abundant resources, I would still prefer using free, open source software whenever possible.
I recently switched from my old standby freebie program Open Office to Libre Office. (Open Office was no longer supported.) I've been pleased with Libre, as it offers a completely free, easy to use office suite--Writer (word processor), Calc (spreadsheet), Impress (presentations), Draw (diagrams), Math (formula editor), and Charts. Being a word nerd, I primarily use Writer, so I can't vouch for all the programs, but if you'd like to try it, visit Libre Office; Let me know what you think!