Yes, a bit like the work place, though an unlock mode like we have in XP is usually better.
IT support costs, so the smaller eduaction establishments might just see some attraction.

Personally, I found those teaching Microsoft Office did so because of their own teaching limitiations.
Students would really be better equipped going generic and being encouraged to understand so as to adapt to a changing future.

But it's not changing in terms of office suites used. The only slight change is some organisations using Google Docs now but that's a very basic suite anyway so not hard to learn. Skills aren't set in stone, they are transferable. So even if you only learn office, whilst you might not know the functions of a different office suite, you will have learnt generally what one does and can do with an office suite.

That is fair and it is certainly a con. But it does have some Pros over the iPad too like SD card slot (if one considers them an advantage).

There are massive organisations moving fully open source, and many stay Windows and go Open for the Office package.
I'd guess that Docs is primarily a small business thing but slight is likely an understatement. I'd suggest it is accelerating massively.

But the thing about teaching is that by going non Microsoft Office, you are less likely to have or even create a permforming monkey.

It's very likely that if one will use an office suite, it will be MS Office. So the less intelligent ones get the right thing on a plate and the rest will get principles that they can apply elsewhere out of it, too.