I had been getting text from people which I couldn't read, and I was incompatible. And Word 98 promised lots of new features for me. I succumbed and bought Word 98 - but I delayed a few weeks before I finally installed it. You see, I was worried that perhaps it wouldn't work, and I might lose some of my existing work. If I had being thinking about buying a Toyota instead of my Land Rover, I would not have worried about whether I could still use the same route to work.
Cars are reliable.
Computer programs are unreliable. Somehow we have got ourselves into a state of mind where we have to have the latest, yet almost completely useless, unreliable, expensive programs. This culture we are in affects both us, as consumers of the products, and the manufacturers who don't seem able to do any better. The warranty that comes with Word makes you wonder whether they believe their product is worth having. To the maximum extent permitted by law, Microsoft disclaims all warranties, and they claim not to be liable for any consequential loss, and in any case to no greater amount than you spent on the software.