I would like to get a laptop and use the best possible word processing program there. My question about this is: Is the Word, Excel, Powerpoint programs available for free on a Microsoft laptop (Surface etc.), similar to Apple's Pages and Numbers?
You have to buy Microsoft Office. Alternative: Open Office / Libre Ofiffice
It's free for me as long as I only use it from my OneDrive, but as soon as I use Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc. As a desktop app (that of Office 365) it costs money. (I'm just saying it as it is with me.)