In the early days of the personal computing popularity wave, the only software available was what came on the Microsoft disk or what was available at retail, usually published by Microsoft or Microsoft sponsored partners. This limitation meant that Microsoft generally had the market monopolized and Windows and Windows related products ruled the day as store shelves were filled with ubiquitous blue boxes. As time marched on and networking improved, broadband and other high-speed alternatives entered the picture.
It suddenly became possible to download large files over the Internet for free that had been designed and built by users across the Internet in an open source model. Suddenly the wealth of software that you could compare Microsoft Office and other Microsoft-based software with was plentiful and easy to find. Taking the place of the expensive and sometimes difficult to operate Microsoft software was a wealth of free alternatives, some more and some less effective than the original.
You can compare Microsoft office with Sun Office, Open Office and other office type related software programs. Microsoft office comparisons are inevitable, as so many...