IBM plans Web-based desktop software

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Let's take this apart one line at a time...

'1. Ability to send editable files to clients or other companies. Many of our government clients require MS Word files for deliverables.'

OpenOffice has shown that given a properly documented format, any application can be written to read/write in that format. OpenOffice does a remarkable job creating native Word and Excel formats.

'2. Virtual 100% compatibility with existing files created over the past 10 years.'

You can't even guarentee that with Microsoft's OWN software. Access, for instance, is not backwards compatible. If you open a database in one version, it will convert it. Even then, the macros involved will most likely require some tweaking. We had to rewrite many Access macros when we moved from Access 97 to Access XP.

'3. No user training. Companies assume new hires are at least aquainted with MS Office, and make it a job requirement for many.'

That's a strawman. No one seemed to care about that when the shift was made away from WordPerfect to Word. Besides, File | Print is File | Print regardless of the application. If a user had NO training to begin with in Word, then they shouldn't, according to your logic, require any training in any other application.

As for being aquainted, SOMEONE SOMEWHERE had to provide training for that user at one point.

'4. Great internal support network. Offices with more than a few people usually have an MS Office whiz to help with problems, a legacy of software that's been a standard for so long.'

Go back to point 3 regarding WordPerfect.

'Competing solutions have to take these facts into account. For a professional who is billing at $50-$100 per hour, it doesn't take much time wasted with a different product to blow away any presumed cost savings.'

Wow - with logic like that, how did we EVER make the transition from Windows 3.x to where we are today? How many times did Microsoft change the way we do things with each version of Windows?

You are simply defending Microsoft's position with points that are easily refutable and quite lame.

Posted by: Dave P.   Posted on: 05/10/04 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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