Well, I got the Knoppix, and it is working fine. As there is no swap file more memory would make it better, but I got what I wanted–a functional, portable Word-compatible word processor–for the price of a blank CD-R. Works for me. The Knoppix package comes with a lot of features; it will be fun to experiment with when I get more time.
Thanks all for your help and suggestions, especially Reverend.
One more thing: does anyone know where I can find a concise Linux command-prompt primer? Took me forever to find out how to acces the floppy. TIA.