Microsoft Office versus MS Works

[DonKiddick]

Can anyone tell me the difference between MS Works 8.0, MS Works Suite 2006, MS Office Basic and MS Office Home and Student? I am thinking of replacing my aging computer on which I use Word / Excel / PowerPoint and Outlook. I don't know which of the above these applications came with as I have lost the CD. I don't want to downgrade in terms of these applications but neither do I want to spend a fortune on things that I wont use. The Dell website isn't much help. (And while we're on the subject, what are your experiences of Dell?)

[rojash]

Why not just get openoffice.org?

This will provide you with the same facilities as MS Office, including the ability to create and edit Office-compatible files, for free.

http://www.openoffice.org/

In response to user demand, Dell are now offering a choice of Windows Vista or XP (they initially dropped XP as an option on most of their machines). I suggest you go for XP - you can always get Vista (if you want) in a couple of years, if and when MS finally get it working properly.

[Paulst30]

Office as you are probably used too, is a powerful package with a wealth of features, whereas Works is a very simple package just to get people up and running, Neither package recognises each others files so you cant open a works word processing file in MSWord.

Dell are ok and anyone that i know that has a Dell are quite happy with what they ordered.

[WaldoMcFroog]

You most certainly can open Works files in Word! Maybe you meant the other way around, which would make more sense.