Tab-delimited text is very useful; I tend to see the world in terms of R (http://cran.r-project.org/) data frames, even when I do not plan to involve R. HTML makes a nice way to scroll through data. As for connecting with OpenOffice or (I can't say it<g>), I find LaTeX to be much nicer to use. It has a steep learning curve, but the view from near the top is pretty good.

If you find LaTex has a steep learning curve I suggest you give Lyx a try. I write everything in either vi or Lyx. I use Linux but Lyx can also be found on Windows and Mac. By the way, when I write the external documentation (using Lyx of course) for Squeak/Pharo packages that I write where do I put this documentation? Regards, Ralph Boland