Don't BUY Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word (and its suite of applications including Excel and PowerPoint) are free, if you use them online. As long as you can connect to the internet, you can use them free--and you can store and edit in the online cloud drive OneDrive. 

Why is this important? 

• Because it seems that everyone uses MS Word these days. There are other word processors (and spreadsheets, and presentation software), but Microsoft is working hard to kill the viability of anything and everything else. When you send out resumes, or turn in homework assignments, most folks will ask you to send in Word format.

• It's expensive to buy. Word alone costs ~$110. There are gazillion options to "subscribe" on a yearly basis (so you don't have to purchase updates, but they hit up your credit card every year). Home, personal, university, student... starting at $70 and up each year. 

Now, there is plenty to be said for being able to work "offline"--without an internet connection. And software that is installed on your computer can't be taken away without notice. In other words, Microsoft could change the terms for free access to its products if it feels it would make more money that way. (It's unlikely they'll do so in the foreseeable future.)

But if you can live with those limitations (must have wifi, terms could change), then you can use Word, Excel, PowerPoint and other software for free, and you can store documents in a generously-allotted cloud storage repository, OneCloud. 

Start here: https://office.com/