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Microsoft Prepares Office Lock-in
An anonymous reader writes "NEWS.COM has an article describing Office 2003's DRM features for documents. This will not only coerce those running older versions of Office to upgrade, which has been a problem for MS in the last few years, but it will also shut out competing software, such as OpenOffice. Now think about this for a second. Even if the developers of a competing office suite could figure out how to get their software to open an Office 2003 document, doing so would be a DMCA violation, since they'd be bypassing an anti-circumvention device. I certainly hope the OpenOffice team will kick development into high gear. If there was a time we need a viable competitor to Office, it's now."
What/Where are the Open Standards for file formats?
... will all go away as more people get tired of doing repeated additional task to access/convert data into a more open standard transportable, usable, and shareable word-processor, spread-sheet, database, ... format. ...) provide files in readable , editable, usesable, and shareable text or HTML format .... I think, the extra money to MS-Gates and needs for common shareable open file formats will push many to use applications (that create common file formats) that maybe will not be MS-Gates' Proprietary Products and Formats. ... forget MS-Gates OS and then the applications. They are cutting their on throat (I am happy).
MS-BMP, XLS, PPT,
We should THANK MS-Gates for pushing people to choose appropriate file formats. If I always send folks text and HTML formatted documents that they can all read, edit, use, and share, then I am always requesting that they (family, friends, colleagues,
I am at the point that the stupid business decisions of Microsoft will have little or no impact on me or others.
If MS-Gates does not provide an easy to use and install viewer for my PC+OS, then I will not read what someone sends me in MS-word. I think for my family, friends, and business associates we can go back to text-email and use HTML for formatted text documents. As more software applications use open standards file formats
OldHawk777
Reality is a self-induced hallucinations.
Unaccountable leaders are masters, and unrepresented people are slaves. How do US and EU fare?
Sorry to have to say it, and mod me down for redundancy, but I'm Really Pissed Off with the way that the sodding American government basically passes laws that in the current American legal system effectively mean if you have lots of money, you can do what you like.
/me screams at his monitor, looks very pissed off with the whole patent-pending, DMCA'd-to-oblivion utter shocking (and embarassing) mess that is the law on the other side of the pond from him and hopes the middle east collectively nuke congress to hell and back as a result. Kinda.
It doesn't matter if you have all the legal protection in the world, if you can't afford to fight the case in the first place, you're totally screwed. And when it's Microsoft, who can afford to fight it?
</rant>