I have used openoffice.org over several versions and I think it is a good development
The only thing that keeps me using Microsoft Word is the Phonetic Guide for Japanese. When I write Kanji (Japanese characters derived from China) I can click on the phonetic guide icon and a list of suggested phonetic characters appear that are accurate about 97% of the time. This feature really speeds up my work. Openoffice.org text writer has a phonetic guide but no suggestion appears. If the software could include this feature I would be able to convert completely to Openoffice.org writer and so would several of the people I research with: especially because there is a portable version that can be carried around in a USB chip (pendrive). Paul Maddison Australia
