I prefer the Spreadsheet module even when Office is available primarily because:

I don't have to worry about someone installing a different version that causes my code to fail.

Any mistakes I make won't leave a hung Office process running in the background.

I find the Spreadsheet module to be *quite* easy to use, and I don't find navigating the automation docs for Excel as simple.

My same code works on my Linux boxes as well as my WinTel boxes.

I have no experience with Text::CSV & friends. (I tend to process databases and fixed-format files.)

...roboticus