The answer to your 3 questions are yes. no and yes.
1. http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=941b3470-3ae9-4aee-8f43-c6bb74cd1466&displaylang=en
2. OpenOffice isn't a word processor. It's a suite of programs (like MS Office) that includes a word processort (called Writer). And more, like a spreadsheet program.
3. The current version of Writer is able to read .docx-files.
Kees
I have a Word document (which ends in -docx) which was written in a newer version of Word. I cannot read it since my computer has an older version of Word (2000).
Question 1: Short of buying the newest version of Word, is there any way that I can open and read (or convert somehow) this -docx document?
Question2 : I have read a little bit about ?OpenOffice?. I know very little about it. It sounds like it is a Word-type program that one could use to create Word-type documents? (Is this correct?) And would I be able to open this -docx document through OpenOffice?

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