This notion that we all must follow like zombies after a particular brand of hardware or software has simply got to go. As others have very rightly pointed out, there ARE lots of alternatives to Office, and I use several. Where it's economically feasible, I use MS Office for my work, as it has the power I need and someone else pays for it. Where it isn't, I use Google Docs, LibreOffice or Open Office. They have the power I need for my personal applications and they're free.

I think too many folks have tried to avoid the small effort of understanding their options by following brands too closely without thinking the decisions through. Buyer and user beware ... blind brand loyalty rarely leads to the best choice.