I think a better analogy would if the sparky decided to use a new type of wire with better conduction than standard copper.
As GP comment said, there has been innovation in the electrical engineering space that maintains backward compatibility.
So if Open/LibreOffice could actual deal well with MS Office formats, for example, whilst removing the annoying bits (cost, telemetery, UI[0]), then yes, it might be wise to move on from the status quo.
[0] in practice I don't think the OpenOffice UI is better than the MS Office, but in theory some people could prefer it
As GP comment said, there has been innovation in the electrical engineering space that maintains backward compatibility.
So if Open/LibreOffice could actual deal well with MS Office formats, for example, whilst removing the annoying bits (cost, telemetery, UI[0]), then yes, it might be wise to move on from the status quo.
[0] in practice I don't think the OpenOffice UI is better than the MS Office, but in theory some people could prefer it