But mainly because there are no viable alternatives that are available in multiple platforms, cost less or the same than Word, and do things significantly bette

But mainly because there are no viable alternatives that are available in multiple platforms, cost less or the same than Word, and do things significantly better. InDesign is infinitely better for typesetting, but you're the learning curve to get something presentable is higher than LaTeX, because you have to know design, and more expensive than Word. LyX is the only tool that comes close to replacing Word. It's free, significantly better typesetting, easy to use, and available in most platforms.