Can anyone tell me where I can download a free version of Microsoft Word?

There is unlikely to be a free version of Word that isn’t hacked. However, Open Office is legitimately free and works well.

In addition to @laureth‘s suggestion, there’s also AbiWord. Both of them can produce *.doc files.

While you are at @laureth ‘s suggestion download their version of excel and powerpoint. They work great.

Often, a new laptop will come with a free trial version that lasts a coupe of months. After that, you have to install it if you want to keep using it. The only avenues that I know of to obtain legal free copies are from your employer (if you work in an office, and the laptop is to be used for work, often they will not mind installing certain kinds of software for you), or from your school. If you are going to university as a graduate student, your supervisor might be able to get you a free copy throught the department; if you are an undergraduate, you probably have access to Microsoft Office at a greatly reduced rate through your university’s bookstore.

If you are looking for advice on illegally obtaining a copy, this is not the place. Good luck!

A new laptop from three years ago came with a version of MSOffice (Home and Student I think it was) and I could only use it so many times. I doubt they have a month long limit on it’s use now. Open Office is your best bet by a long shot.

Another vote for open office. Works great and I’ve never had any issues with it.

Aside from the preceding suggestions, which all have some merit, I think that Microsoft still sells “Student” versions of most of its Office® software, which gives the exact same “look and feel” (since you may not want to spend the time and effort to learn another program’s menuing and control system). The difference has been that the Student versions are crippled in various ways that make them often unsuitable for business use, but make them acceptable for students learning the programs, and for most personal use.

Word, Excel, Powerpoint and OneNote are available as free web apps.

Also, the free online Google Docs will read and write Word documents.

Microsoft Office Web Apps
Google Docs

Thanks guys!!! I’ll look into the open office then!!! @glacial No I wasn’t looking for anything illegally obtained! I don’t do illegal. Thanks again!

The preferred Open Office is now Libre Office.
I don’t know why it’s preferred… Probably some kind of political thing with Oracle. Or whoever.

When did MS start charging for MS Word? When I bought my computer 10 years ago, Word was already installed and I have never had to pay to use it. Could it be that the cost of Word was included in the price of my Gateway desktop?

They’ve been charging for Word since 1983. It’s possible that your computer came with a version of Word, though, depending on what kind of incentive Gateway was given to package it.

They also had another word processor for a while that wasn’t Word and didn’t save files in a compatible format. And then there’s WordPad.

@Brian1946 it was included on my Dell desktop, but not on my Toshiba laptop, that’s why I asked the question! Open office works wonderful though! Thanks again!