Disclosure: Microsoft is a client of the author.
I remember when Office was first announced and released. Compared to the mess of applications that came before it, it was a Godsend. Yes, Lotus Symphony was on the market and many of us preferred it — at least, those of us in accounting because it was spreadsheet-based. But it would not have arrived at all had not Office shown up first.
Office turned out to be better for most users. Even with challenges from rivals like IBM and Google/Alphabet, it held on and remains the standard when it comes to a set of personal productivity tools. That’s true on Windows, macOS, iOS and Android’s different forms.
