That is a good analogy. 90% of what "normal" users do in Office they can do as well in Open Office/Google Docs and other low priced alternatives. So you make a good point (as I read it) in that Office sells not because people need it so much as because they want it. Brand power.
Same thing with phones. My friends all have Android and iPhone devices and hardly use anything beyond the basic communications functions.
I meant it in a way that most businesses could not function without it. Even the most novice users of a PC have used Office (Microsoft Word comes to mind). Yes, now that market is being challenged with Google for example but that was not why I mentioned Office.
