This era of productivity software spanned several major releases, transitioning from the early 32-bit architecture to the more modern interfaces found in the early 2000s.
Legacy versions of Microsoft Office released between 1998 and 2003 are now considered "abandonware," as they have reached the end of their official support cycles. While Microsoft no longer provides a direct "free download" for these versions, they remain iconic for their stability and the introduction of core features like the Office Assistant "Clippy" and early XML support. Overview of Microsoft Office 98-2003 microsoft office 98-2003 free download