Mornington's post gives a lead to exactly the same symptoms as you describe.
I'm only playing with the Beta, so it's another thing I've learned.
Folk who wave a flag for Open office, often feel compelled to do so because of the feeling that MS are controlling the world. I agree to some extent, and have tried the W-P for a while. It really is a fantastic freebie, but just too different for an old dinosaur to change to.