There are so many different different file formats that few people can read them all. So what do you do if you want something in a particular format and don't want to buy the software to read it? Go to Zamzar.
It works pretty easily. Upload a file you want converted, select the type of file you want to be converted to, and give an e-mail address to receive the message. The converted file will be e-mailed to you.
You're limited to 100 Megs (though you can subscribe if you need more), but it's useful for that .wps file you just can't read.