Word processors provide the means for providing hilighting, footnoting, and stylizing text. Text editors are generally less computing resource intensive. Since they do not offer the means for formatting text, they force you to consider what you are writing instead of what it looks like. Text editors are also the sorts of tools you use to edit configuration files, HTML files, and program source code. Therefore, the files you create with text editors WILL be readable by ANY other computer.
Files created with text editors are universally readable by any other computing platform.
Gee, what a novel concept. I find that even though I do a lot of writing, I rarely use a word processor. They have too much overhead. Consider using a text editor instead of a word processor and you might find yourself focusing more on your ideas as opposed to their appearance. Furthermore, you are garenteed the ability to give them away.