Microsoft has indeed changed their stance since then. The prior standard was based on the TWIP (twentienth of a pica point - which did not present nice round numbers for either in or cm measurement). Microsoft dropped support for the TWIP a couple of years back with the release of .NET. Previously you had to create something in TWIPS, then convert it to PIXELS, then convert it to the target output size.
Now all measurements are in PIXELS - which are unit-less. This makes it easier to create graphics independent of what the target output size will be, then scale to their target output (be it A4 or billboard size). There is an article about this posted at http://visualbasic.about.com/cs/visualbasicfaq/a/dykpixeltwip.htm --- Pat Naughtin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Dear All, > > I know that this is a bit old but it shows a strange > mindset that it is > quite comfortable redefining world standards on > the fly. > > See: > http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=189826 > for Microsoft's attitude to the metric system back > in 1997. > > Has Microsoft changed their attitude to standards > since then? > > By the way this reminds me of an even older riddle. > > Question: How many software engineers does it take > to change a light bulb? > > Answer: None, they simply redefine darkness as the > new standard. > > Cheers, > > Pat Naughtin ASM (NSAA), LCAMS (USMA)* > PO Box 305, Belmont, Geelong, Australia > Phone 61 3 5241 2008 > > Pat Naughtin is the editor of the free online > monthly newsletter, > 'Metrication matters'. You can subscribe by going to > http://www.metricationmatters.com and clicking on > 'Newsletter'. > > * Pat is the editor of the 'Numbers and > measurement' chapter of the > Australian Government Publishing Service 'Style > manual for writers, > editors and printers', he is an Accredited Speaking > Member (ASM) with the > National Speakers Association of Australia, and a > Lifetime Certified > Advanced Metrication Specialist (LCAMS) with the > United States Metric > Association. > > This email and its attachments are for the sole use > of the addressee and may > contain information that is confidential and/or > legally privileged. This > email and its attachments are subject to copyright > and should not be partly > or wholly reproduced without the consent of the > copyright owner. Any > unauthorised use of disclosure of this email or its > attachments is > prohibited. If you receive this email in error, > please immediately delete it > from your system and notify the sender by return > email. > >
