« Vista express upgrade on hold | Main | Tell the BBC what you think about on-demand TV »
D-Day Monday for Office 2007 formats after quiet birthday
The launch of Office 2007 yesterday was curiously muted, considering that this is a mega-revamp of the world's most-used applications. Perhaps Microsoft fears that it will get a less-than-enthusiastic reception, because whatever you think of the new interface, it is very different indeed. Microsoft says people find it easier, especially for using features that they are not familiar with. It may nevertheless be viewed with suspicion by the many users who are frightened of computers - and if they are using the new software at work, they may demand retraining. They are also likely to be irritated by the need to come to terms with the new file formats, the undoubted benefits of which will be lost on general users. But take-up of the new suite will surely be slow, with the biggest sales initially being within PC bundles. The January 30 launch was not the only important date in the Office 2007 calendar. Monday (February 5) is the deadline for national organisations to register comments and objections to Microsoft's application to have the new Open XML formats approved as an ISO standard. As we reported last Friday, the British Standards Institute is being urged to object to the move. The BSI has now told us that it proposes to send in comments on Monday, but it won't yet say what they are. So far as we can gather from a BSI statement, comments at this stage concern the standards procedure itself - including whether Open XML should qualify for a fast-track approval. Standards bodies from other countries will also submit comments to an ISO committee, which will decide whether Microsoft's application can proceed. If Microsoft gets past this hurdle, which is by no means certain, there will be a further five months of examining the details of the company's 6000-page Open XML specification. And again, according to the BSI, there is no guarantee that it will be approved. ISO has already approved the rival XML-based Open Document Format but it told us last year that there are no rules against have two standards. But critics argue that there is no point in having two standards.
I would prefer Microsoft to open office anytime. Its much more efficient in my experience.
Peep into my blog at http://birthdayecards.blogspot.com for some interesting birthday related info and beautiful e-cards.
Posted by michael ringwood | February 1, 2007 7:01 AM
Michael, aside from your comment being a blatant advert you also seem to be entirely missing the point of this article.
The argument is not over which office suite is better, but about whether the *file format* provided by Microsoft should be adopted by the ISO (International Standards Organisation) as a standard.
There are two problems with the Microsoft submission:
1. It can only be implemented by Microsoft and contains many undisclosed proprietary extensions (see: http://www.grokdoc.net/index.php/EOOXML_objections )
2. It conflicts with the existing ODF standard which has already been approved by ISO and is implemented in various Office suites.
The idea is that no matter what Office suite you use, documents should be exchangeable between them. Naturally Microsoft doesn't want this, so is trying to force their own standard through the ISO 'fast track' process. Hoping no-one will have time to object.
Luckily the BSI have objected.
Posted by Liam McDermott | February 6, 2007 4:44 PM