[MW Forums]

Belgium has approved the use of the OpenDocument format as a way to exchange government documents -- another blow to the supremacy of Microsoft Office. more

[macFanDave]

Could Belgium be the Waterloo for Microsoft's format dominance?

[tomtom]

I installed a copy or OpenOffice Org 2.0 on my Mac. It runs very well - fonts are a bit naf at times. I use it out of interest for public sector documents downloaded.
There is however no need for Mac users to install this since MS Office for Mac provides a better experience and education pricing is available to all.

[tomtom]

Duke of Wellington is no-where to be found.
The brits will not fight this battle.

[Nobody]

Move of Apple to take over the computing world by storm:
1. Open Mac OS X (fully, including Aqua)
2. If possible, give it for free or reduced price (as Linux)
3. Allow it to work on any PC
Then, almost overnight, Mac OS X marketshare will be near 100% in just a few months.
Because eventually, the OS will be free. As now are the web browsers or e-mail clients.

[Grapho]

Now explain to me how Apple would benefit form it. No money from OS, no money from hardware sales. Yes market share of 100% for a none paying market = market share of 0%.

[NaOH]

Apple get most of their money from hardware sales. They tried licensing out the Mac OS in the mid 90s, and almost went out of business.
If Apple find a way to make users buy Macs, despite Mac OS X being an open OS, then they might, maybe, possibly think about it.
I'd much rather see Apple license StarOffice, and port it to Mac OS X. (Of course, Apple are unlikely to make such a blatant move, considering that it would make Microsoft drop Office for Mac like a hot potato. Remember IE for the Mac?)
The most likely course, is for Apple to wait this one out, and support the standards that gain the most dominance. (Probably by adding compatibility into Pages and Keynote.)

[macFanDave]

In reply to:

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Duke of Wellington is no-where to be found.
The brits will not fight this battle.

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Yeah, but Napoleon won't be doing the "Monkey-Boy Dance!" /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

[macFanDave]

In reply to:

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...mer says "Developers, Developers, Developers, Developers" and I add for Opendocument. Dance, Monkey Boy, Dance -- I can hear him sreaming like Howard Dean right now!

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If you showed "The Dean Scream" and "The Monkey-Boy Dance" to people who were not versed in American politics and corporate culture and told them, "One of these guys got promoted and the other got fired immediately. Which one is which?" I'd bet more than 50% would get it wrong!

[Ronald_Schoedel]

In reply to:

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There is however no need for Mac users to install this since MS Office for Mac provides a better experience and education pricing is available to all.

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No, it is not. It is available to students and teachers. Granted, that group covers A LOT of people (anyone with school-aged children, as well as teachers, and all people who are students of some sort or another), it is not everyone.
Oh yeah. It also costs $150.
For those who only need to open or create occasional Word or Excel docs, it may not be worth it. Try NeoOffice, built on the base of OpenOffice.org, but more Mac-ish. And free. To all.
Ronald Schoedel
Ronald Schoedel .Mac homepage