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Standards Expert — "Microsoft Fails the Standards Test"
levell writes "Alex Brown, Convenor of the Ballot Resolution Meeting on OOXML, has written a blog post saying that Microsoft is failing the standards test. Mr. Brown notes: 'In its pre-release form Office 2010 supports not the approved Strict variant of OOXML, but the very format the global community rejected in September 2007, and subsequently marked as not for use in new documents — the Transitional variant. Microsoft are behaving as if the JTC 1 standardisation process never happened, and using technologies (like VML) in a new product which even the text of the Standard itself describes as "deprecated" and "included... for legacy reasons only"...' He also says that defects are being fixed very slowly and that 'Looking at the text, I reckon it is more like 95% that remains to be done, as it is still lousy with defects.' It's an insightful look at what has happened with OOXML since ISO approved it from someone who was not opposed to its becoming a standard."
The avarage users (a.k.a. everyday people) are using what is being banged through their throats.
They don't buy computers because they want to have a computer so they can do something with it... no. The avarage user is forced to use computers because all of their friends are using Facebook and he is the only one who doesn't. The avarage user doesn't need e-mail because he can also read paper, but he must because nobody sends the person paper mail anymore.
All businesses started using word processorts because they kicked the shit out of typewriters in terms of productivity and it was the future. Then Microsoft came and said: "Hey guys, take our word processort for free!" and then the CEO said "Hey that's cheaper! Use that instead! Money Money Money!!!!!!!!"
Than Microsoft got their hold of the market. Not because it was better software, but because it was free of charge. Then Microsoft's practises came into effect. Bill Gates was far more interested in business and the economy and was excited about the strategy/theory of having your product become more succesful, the more it was used.
Then came the Embrace, extend and extinguish into effect because Word could read all the other docs, but all the other word processorts couldn't read Word.
So then all companies where slowly required to acquire Word. But in order to run Word you must have the Microsoft OS too.
Now the avarage user is required to have a computer. Is required to have Word. Is required to have Microsoft's OS. Is now locked in product.
The only way to absolutely kill Microsoft is becomming compatible with it, but not the other way around.
Enter Apple, the company who makes Mac OS X, has Microsoft Office but also their own shit. Mac OS X is now also compatible with Exchange. Apple computers can now also run Windows. They can run Linux.
But can anyone run iWorks on Windows? Can anyone run Mac OS X on a computer that's not made by Apple? Bingo!
And now you can see Apple getting tremendous marketshare. Each keynote highlights that extremely rapid growth of succes.
iPod shuffle costs about $80, a Mac mini costs about $499 and the cheapest Macbook about $800 and the prices of the lowest end keep lowering.
Now what does Linux need? To get the avarage computer users to run the Linux OS. Luckely Apple is using some standards. OpenGL, Acid 3 browser, UNIX, Posix...
And then there is Google with it's services and open shizzle.
Apple must crush MS and get the largest marketshare. It is then that all other operating systems get their fair share and fair competition...
Here be signatures
It's all IBM's fault. IBM aren't Dutch enough.
Don't talk about the Dutch in this respect. The Dutch are the most frequent MS users of the world, and they (the non-geeks) are totally ignorant of the alternatives. IE still rules here. MSN has a monopoly. The only positive thing is that more and more people are switching to a Mac, although that doesn't change anything for Office and MSN.