Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> The real issue here is that they got locked in. File formats will keep their
> vital data hostage. They had a teaser/trial version with an empty promise of
> zero cost for the future. Then greed kicked in. I said this earlier in a
> different thread, but we are beginning to see many signs that Microsoft
> squeezes the golden goose in order to keep up its otherwise-declining revenues
> (and, no, stock kickbacks can't hide this).
Personally, I've jumped from the file format lock-in wagon train and
I'm never going back. In just the last week I've used OpenOffice to
create:
- Contracts for real estate purchase
- An apartment lease
- Financial spreadsheets
- A consulting proposal
- Project status reports
- Updates to my resume
Some of these were printed out, others converted to PDF or MS Word
formats and emailed.
Which brings up an interesting anecdote. A while back I sent a
project report to a client but forgot to convert it to Word format
first. Before I could send a new version of the doc, he had
downloaded a copy of OpenOffice and converted it himself... much
like how new MS Office formats compel many people to upgrade, but
with a lower barrier to entry.
Cheers,
Thad
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