OOXML-The Great Debate!

Hi,

I was reading up on the new Microsoft OOXML format, what are people's thoughts on this? I really like NeoOffice and for my Linux computers OpenOffice. I don't want to HAVE to by Microsoft Office just because of the format! Yeah iWork got a OOXML function but I wouldn't count on it... Is this the killer for OpenOffice?

I heard that IBM has donated the Lotus SmartSuite code, that is excellent. If they use this wisely... Who knows the possibiltes? I LOVED Lotus for Windows back a long time ago.

Anyone got anything to say?

Nick.

Nothing new under the sun. Mickey$oft is famous for coming up with some new format that only works with their stuff in trying to force everyone else out of competition. They been doing it for years... Personally i will stick with an open format that works with all systems and Mickey can walk off the pier and jump into the sound at his palace...

Microsoft rigged numerous standards bodies with sympathetic partners, and their "standard" - let's face it, it's a propietary standard dressed up to look open - still wasn't adopted.

Linky.

Microsoft have a history of this - they registered .NET as an open standard portable across platforms while only developing a Windows VM, simply to scupper Java's chances of becoming a successful cross-platform standard.

Well Schools,Business's,etc etc will soon upgrade to newer versions of Office (not 2007 but later on) And that will use the OOXML, this is how it is going to be adopted.

Then what do we do??? Work uses it,Schools use it,EVERYONE!

I hope it is a failure...

OpenOffice.org is already working on being able to read and write OOXML formats. You can see some of the progress already in NeoOffice.

Believe it or not, I think OOXML could, eventually, be a good thing. Why? Because it is a file format 3rd parties will actually have access to without having to reverse engineer everything like they do with the current Microsoft Office file formats. Eventually it should be entirely possible to open, read, and write a Microsoft Office file using any application you wish. (Although there will certainly be some functionality issues with features like macros, etc.) While I would prefer more open standards like the ones used in OpenOffice, OOXML is certainly a step ahead of where we are now. I think this is especially true for word processing.

OpenOffice.org also has some new muscle behind it with IBM releasing their own free office suite yesterday. This means that Sun, IBM, and the Org development community are now actively working on this product. More importantly, Sun and IBM will be able to provide the kind of support businesses are looking for but really don't have with OpenOffice.

So, no, I don't think OOXML is going to make every suite but Microsoft Office obsolete. In the long term, it could do the opposite.

Well I think Microsoft is going to get a patent with OOXML and only Microsoft uses it.

I really hope Org makes it into the mainstream, and I think there may be:

Openoffice 3 Home Edtion Free
IBM/Sun Openoffice 3 Business Edition $100.

I am really looking forward to future versions of OpenOffice, if they do it right they can kill Microsoft Office. This needs to be done in entirely basing the code on Lotus Smartsuite. Add some Sun Office functions...

I think the future looks bright...

MacDeac said:

...Because it is a file format 3rd parties will actually have access to without having to reverse engineer everything like they do with the current Microsoft Office file formats. Eventually it should be entirely possible to open, read, and write a Microsoft Office file using any application you wish...

Click to expand...

In the long run, perhaps. For years to come, though, we will have to deal with reverse-engineering elements of OOXML like "useWord2002TableStyleRules" (That's really in there.)

What is "useWord2002TableStyleRules" ?

technologist said:

In the long run, perhaps. For years to come, though, we will have to deal with reverse-engineering elements of OOXML like "useWord2002TableStyleRules" (That's really in there.)

Click to expand...

Exactly, then you have to find out what Word 2002 table style rules were and emulate them.

Microsoft aren't interested in standards in any way except pretending to employ them. The .NET "standard" changes with each new release, forcing everyone else to catch up with them, and OOXML will change with each new Office release.

OOXML may well become a standard, but it will be one controlled by Microsoft.

MBNick said:

What is "useWord2002TableStyleRules" ?

Click to expand...

Nobody knows but Microsoft, but it's in the OOXML "standard".

It probably enables a bug they never fixed in Word 2002. They've done it before...