Microsoft's document gambit moves ahead

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Advantage for users in Open XML

When the world has standardized on Open XML and ODF has been forgotten, the ability to exchange documents and read them when retained will be unquestioned.

Of course, this is also an advantage to Microsoft.

Quoting the article:

"However, because Office has more advanced features than OpenOffice, making conversions of sophisticated Office spreadsheet and presentation documents will not be perfect, Novell's Steinman said."

Microsoft's advantage is the larger number of features in Office, and Open XML will assure that customers can use them.
Any organization insisting on ODF storage will have a constant reminder of what they're missing.
And, of course, anyone with Office who doesn't know about or bother with a plug-in will have an unreadable format. Sort of like the situation in the distant future when nothing is easily available to read ODF.

Which format is likely to be adopted immediately? That's obvious, even to IDC:

"Although ODF is claiming a large number of supporting vendors and products, the footprint in the market of office products like StarOffice, Openoffice.org, IBM Workplace and Google Docs is still not substantial. Microsoft Office is having a very large market share, and this will help driving Open XML into the market as a document standard," the research firm's report said.

[End quote]

So on the one side will be user choice resulting from normal operation of the market, and on the other side will be manipulation and abuse of government authority as in MA.

Freedom and openness will favor Microsoft.

Seems strange to say that Microsoft is on the side of choice, quality, and effective software, but this is one situation in which the company is right.

Posted by: Anton Philidor   Posted on: 12/07/06 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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