I need to check out moving user files: will U read Word, Excel, etc. files off a floppy or CD made from w98 and XP? I'm on the steep initial slope of a new OS curve; it's kind of cool actually, haven't played there for years.
open office should read all these files. you mention, no matter what version of windows pushed ms office when u made them.
an added benefit of open office is that about once a month i get a popup screen from open office asking me what i want to do with a script file disguised as a .doc attached to an email. open office will run on your wintel boxes, too.
I actually PREFER the spreadsheet to excel.
I have to agree with chronic user. OO.org is better me thinks. And it is very much inter-operable with MSoffice files. Before you switch download the win32 version and see for yourself.
OO.org 2.0 is supposed to have even more interoperability.
What distribution you planning on installing? Just curious.