accessing ms programs with linux

[Reedimus]

I'm running a preinstalled windows 98 and I am sick of it. we already have a lot of money invested in ms as we bought office xp. I want to wipe out the hard drive, sell our office xp, and start over with linux. but my wife has a bunch of excel files she uses and doesn't want to give up. I'd really rather not buy windows xp or 2k unless I have to. Is there any way I can access her excel files on a linux machine? if not, is there is a good excel substitute (nice and user friendly for wife) that I might switch her files over to manually? the version of linux I currently have ready and waiting is mandrake 8.1 (the three free cd's you can download).

any help would be greatly appreciated

[Statica]

Star office can use excel files.

[juanito]

Why not run both systems, at least temporarily, until you both get used to Linux and are sure you have a program(s) your wife will like? It is easy and farily safe to add a second hard drive and they are getting really inexpensive. It is hard for most people to live totaly without MS, at least at first. The Penguin is, however, far superior -- Long Live the Penguin!

Juanito