Yeah, they've been playing it for years, it's only now that it's starting to backfire when everyone realizes how dangerous it is.
You're right though - at the time getting that initial market share would have been far more important than what, at the time, would have seemed like very hair arguments about technology that wasn't mature. It's maturing now though, and the time spans are getting sufficient that people are finding out that proprietary can be risky. Probably not an issue for a memo to your boss, much more of an issue when it's a PhD thesis or scan of a rare book. Anywho - forgot to say thanks to Dave for posting that doco - have been looking for something like that for a while. Would be great to have a repository of free legal documents. Anyone know a FOSS-friendly lawyer? On Sep 29, 5:20 pm, Don Gould <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Hamish Campbell wrote: > > A slightly less aggressive answer: yes and no. If you want to be the > > number one word processor then you have to account for the fact that > > your formats will be kicking around for many (many!) years to come, > > and must always be portable. Going backwards is almost as significant > > - if only because they're so key to every organization on the planet > > that uses a computer. > > Let's get real here... > > The reason MS default Word to the latest version, even for documents > that don't need the new features, is to drive people to use the software. > > ..."You get an attachment in email from your Dad that uses Docx because > he just got a new computer with Word 2007. > > To read it you ask your Dad for his CD, which you then install (not > knowing you can just download a plugin for Word 2003). > > You then start to use 2k7 because you have it. > > You then upgrade your computer and get your own 2k7 licence at the same > time because you've got used to using 2k7." > > MS know this game, they've been playing it for years and years and years. > > Cheers Don --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ NZ PHP Users Group: http://groups.google.com/group/nzphpug To post, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
