If you want to do word-processing, then Pages is the thing. In fact, it even has some DTP capability - so in some ways it is better than Word.

If you just want to be able to open occasional M$ Word files, then no additional software is called for: even TextEdit will do that. (So will Pages or the old AppleWorks.)

If you want greater compatibility with M$ Word documents, then how about Abiword? Not only do you not need X11, but - if I'm not mistaken - it is even written in Objective C (unlike Neo Office J)

http://www.abisource.com/download/

But if you want to open various different M$ Office documents, including spreadsheets, then Neo Office J is obviously the way to go.