>>>Also I am incensed to find that I have to buy microsoft office,
>>>when I've managed with what I've got for many many years
INCENSED - why ?
You have ALWAYS had to buy Microsoft Office, it has never been free.
What have you been using in the past?
Microsoft did give away Microsoft Office Starter 2010 for "free" with Windows 7 (if the PC seller wanted to install it), which had cut down versions of Word and Excel, but apart from that you have always had to buy Microsoft Office.