XML Support In Office 2003 Isn't For Everyone

0x0d0a writes "Unfortunately, it seems that Microsoft's recent campaign to promote Office 2003 based on its XML support may be a bit misleading. Only the Enterprise and Professional releases will have this support -- not Standard. Microsoft will still be leveraging file format compatibility for at least another Office release."

Comments

I think it would be better

[Anonymous Coward]

if there wasnt so much of a focus on crap like "productivity" and "getting things done" and "using the right tools" and everyone just switched to GNU/Linux, KDE and OpenOffice.

Sure, your business will more than likely tank as your employees struggle to get even rudimentary things like printing working, but oh my goodness MicroSoft is bad for producing a working product which has lasted for what, almost two decades now.

Re:I think it would be better

[jcast]

Actually it's not hard to get printing working if your tech people are thinking about what they're doing. Now, if you're too cheap to hire tech people with an IQ of 100, that's another story...

Re:Not to snipe here...

[asparagus]

A little of both, I'd reckon.

MS is fully aware of how to play the ends against each other for their own benefit. Many in the community are wary of this, for good reason.

Swimming with a very big shark is always guaranteed to be interesting, not necessarily good or bad. This is just throwing a few drops of blood in the water to spice things up.

so what?

[__aaitqo8496]

...which is just fine because most peeople won't be using the xml stuff anyways. those who do will have access to a copy no matter what (advanced users warezing the programs) or a corp. with an it department devoted to dealing with the documents and setting up document definitions and whatnot.

in any case fromt he lips of a beta tester, it does have legitimate cool uses if used properly

I need some help here

[Morgahastu]

Explain to me why anybody would need XML documents?

Isn't the entire point of XML to share content/data and not appearances?

I can see XML data being useful for spreadsheets, config files, etc. But why documents?

If you really need a cross platform document make a pdf. Not a word document.

I am not trying to troll here, just want to know the benefits of XML documents.

At first I thought microsoft was just trying to cash into IT managers obsessions with new buzz words but now I am second guessing that.

This is a lie.

[Mohamm3d Al-Sahaf]

XML is an standard. Microsoft supports as many standards as possible.

Microsoft Office is fully compliant with Microsoft Office. If you want to read an Office document, use Office.

You are safe now.