There are several versions of Microsoft Office available, costing anywhere from $99 to $600, depending on the version. Before I go any farther, I should mention that there is a free alternative to Microsoft Office and that is  Open Office. Open Office has many of the same features as Microsoft Office and can open the files created in Microsoft Office. However if you don't have a need for Microsoft office, you probably wouldn't want Open Office either.

With the help of converters and viewers from Office Online, you can share your Microsoft Office files with people who have different versions of Office programs, or even with people who don't have Office installed.

Converters allow you to open files created by people using different versions of your Office programs.

Viewers provide a means for people who don't have Office programs to see your work. You can provide them with the appropriate viewer along with your Office files. File Converters and Viewers