Chromebook, Word - full functionality?

[EffectivelyDaydreaming]

What is the functionality like for Word on a Chromebook? Also is it possible to just buy a one-off copy as you still can on a PC or do you have to go the subscription route now?

My elderly DMum has an old desktop that is creaking and is awkwardly located in their house, although she has an ipad and iphone she is reluctant to give up a "proper" computer as she uses Word (purchased years ago with PC, not subscription) a lot to write letters. But her "office" is becoming unsafe (cables and extension leads everywhere as not enough sockets, awkward steps) and it is cold so we would like to have all her IT needs met through portable devices she can use at the kitchen table. I know you can get Word on Ipad but she isn't keen on the little keyboards (touch typist) and I know from my own experience that the functionality is not as good as on PC even with a keyboard and mouse.

But laptops/macbooks are expensive for just using Word, so we were wondering about a Chromebook, that way she is saving into the cloud for security and they are fast and portable as well as much cheaper, but will Word work as she is used to it? There is no way she is going to learn google docs now, it needs to be as similar to her old PC as possible.

Lots of modern monitors have USB-C connectors. You can connect a mouse and keyboard to the monitor's USB ports and the input is passed to the laptop. The single cable between the monitor and laptop charges the laptop, sends the video output from the laptop to the monitor and carries the keyboard and mouse signals.

That might be an option - laptop for the sofa and it working like a desktop, with a normal keyboard and mouse, when plugged into the monitor.

Yes, that's how I have set mine up at work so was thinking similar.

I've found this too. Thought it would be a good idea to use one as I was running Google Workspace for a job, but there are ways that the Google equivalents don't work as you would expect with the things you have got used to from Word. Especially creating tables - never got the hang of it based on learning how MS does it, some spreadsheet stuff, and slides that would be .PPT on Microsoft.

The default processes try to convert any Microsoft files received to Google versions, e.g. they open a new copy to set it as a Google file in a Google drive and it usually loses small bits and pieces.

A version of Word used on a Chromebook would need always to be used online, so could not be like an 'old Word version' - would feel as if you are using whatever generation it was on the Web.

Very probably, there are better Chromebooks, but mine was around £250 and I wouldn't replace it unless everything I had to do had no need for converting Microsoft files either way from anyone you work with.