But like, using LaTeX as a replacement for microsoft word is NOT really useful advice for the vast majority of people who use Word. I don't need ANY of the special things LaTeX does, and I've been using Word all my life to do the basic stuff I need it for.

I get where people here are coming from, but the whole point of this thread is talking about proprietary software which is better for the average use case than open source stuff, and I think the point still stands that MSOffice products absolutely fit that bill. Yes, open source or free alternatives exist, but they aren't nearly as good, feature-full, and easy to learn and use as the open source alternatives.

The fact that we're here arguing whether LaTeX is a viable alternative to Word and Power Point kinda proves that MSOffice is the best for this IMO, because LaTeX isn't exactly easy to pick up and use and is really intended for industries that need extremely complex formatting on their presentations and papers.