The Pointless Office Converter Delay
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Two important Microsoft topics—interoperability and Office file formats—intersect on the Mac desktop, and they brutally cross like swords. |
Two weeks ago, Microsoft broke a promise made in December: The spring beta release of OOXML (Office Open XML) converters for Mac Office.
In a Dec. 5 blog post, Sheridan Jones, group marketing manager of Microsoft's MacBU (Macintosh Business Unit), wrote: "We are running on target and expect to release a free public beta version of the file format converters in Spring 2007." In the same post, she targeted delivery for "late March/early April."
On May 15, Jones announced availability of a single converter—with emphasis on converter—for Microsoft Word. The standalone software will convert OOXML Word .docx or .docm files to—get this—rtf (rich-text format). The converter doesn't even support Word's older .doc format!
In my interviews with MacBU product managers last year, they repeatedly spoke about Microsoft's commitment to file format interoperability between its Mac and Windows products. Microsoft planned to extend that interoperability to existing Office 2004 for the Mac. The interoperability position would appear to have changed.
In a blog post two weeks ago, Jones explained that Office 2004 OOXML converters wouldn't be available until after the release of Office 2008 for the Mac. However, "some of the newer functionality expressed in the formats will naturally only be available in Office 2008." Naturally?
Existing Office 2004 users are getting short-shrift treatment from Microsoft on two fronts: There is no full set of beta OOXML converters available now, and there won't be fully interoperable capabilities later on.
Microsoft's make-do solution isn't exactly exhilarating.
"We continue to recommend that you advise friends and colleagues who use Office 2007 and collaborate regularly with Mac users to save their documents as 'Word/Excel/PowerPoint 97-2003 Document' (.doc, .xls, .ppt) to ensure that the files can be robustly shared across platforms," Jones wrote two weeks ago.
She gives good advice, but tough considering Office 2007 defaults to the new file formats when saving (Yes, it can be switched). Better: Default to the older formats with the option to save to OOXML.
Back in December, some bloggers got all huffy about the Mac OOXML converters coming in March or April. I rebuffed the fussing. Office 2007 wouldn't really be available until Jan. 30. So, about the time Office 2007 started to really reach market, beta converters would be available.
May delivery of a single converter and OOXML disparity between Office 2004 and 2008 changes everything. MacBU had been on track to deliver Office 2008 six-to-eight months after Office 2007—or somewhere between July in October. Jones indicated Office 2008 "release later this year" in her blog post.
Right now, Microsoft is pushing hard to get ISO (International Organization for Standardization) standards certification for OOXML. How is it that OOXML can be a standard if Microsoft doesn't even fully support the format in a major version of Office? Irreconcilable is the push for standards and not fully supporting the format up for standards approval.
Meanwhile, Microsoft makes big noise about interoperability. What kind of example does Microsoft set when the formats for its Mac and Windows Office suites aren't interoperable? Irreconcilable is the position of increased Microsoft-and-other platform interoperability and the decreased interoperability between Office file formats across two platforms.
Microsoft can argue that there will be interoperability later this year. For enterprises mixing Office 2004 and 2007, later isn't soon enough.
Related Posts:
- When Is 'Open' More Open for Microsoft?, Microsoft Watch, May 17, 2007
- Microsoft's Open Debate Is Nothing of the Kind, Microsoft Watch, Feb. 14, 2007
- Understanding OOXML and PDF Standards Approval, Microsoft Watch, Feb. 5, 2007
- Closing Up the Open Format Debate, Microsoft Watch, Feb. 4, 2007
- Document Format Wars Go Public and Get Personal, Microsoft Watch, Dec. 8, 2006
- The Pointless Converter Debate, Microsoft Watch, Dec. 5, 2006
- Microsoft's Interoperability Trust Problem, Microsoft Watch, Nov. 16, 2006
- Interoperability: Is Microsoft All Talk?, Microsoft Watch, Nov. 15, 2006
Comments (2)
New Office 2007 features such as SmartArt can't work in Mac Office 2004 - just like they don't work in Office 2003 for Windows. The features were never written into those versions.
In Office 2003 when you open a DOCX file, SmartArt gets rendered as a static picture but with the SmartArt data intact behind the scenes. Open the document again with Office 2007 and you get the full SmartArt functionality.
You get cross-version compatibility within the capabilities of each version.
Simon Jones
Contributing Editor
PC Pro Magazine
Posted by Simon Jones | May 30, 2007 4:39 AM
> Right now, Microsoft is pushing hard to get ISO
If there was a global authority, the dirty tricks that surround this would have got someone in deep trouble now. Apart from all the pseudo-grassroots (astroturfing) effort, you also hear stories like this:
Packing The Court At The ISO?
,----[ Quote ]
| ...P member countries ('participating member' countries) sending
| representatives, and I am interested to note the majority of
| their representatives are, as individuals, also Microsoft employees.
|
| [...]
|
| How can they not see that OOXML (ECMA 376) is unwanted by anyone outside of
| Microsoft? How about it Brian Jones? Are you really so desperate that you
| have to resort to that?
`----
http://lnxwalt.wordpress.com/2007/03/23/packing-the-court-at-the-iso/
Not to mention that "Men in Black" story in Florida where Microsoft lobbyists bullied.
Posted by Roy Schestowitz | May 30, 2007 6:41 PM