No Built-In PDF Saving Feature for Office 2007
In Oct 2005, Microsoft announced that a built-in “Save As” feature allowing user to save document as Adobe's PDF will be available in Office 2007. However, this planned is now in vain, due to disagreement from Adobe.
What Microsoft Plans to Do?
According to initial plan, a “Save As” feature to export document as PDF will be available in Office 2007 without any additional charge. This feature is already available in the free alternative to office suite, OpenOffice.org.
Besides, a competing format for saving documents that cannot be easily modified, called XPS (XML Paper Specification), will also be introduced in the forthcoming Windows Vista without additional charge. This move will pose a significant degree of threat to Adobe's PDF, as Microsoft has dominance power over office productivity suite.
What Adobe Wants Microsoft to Do?
Overall, Adobe has denied the plan proposed by Microsoft. Adobe wants Microsoft to charge customers for the ability to save Office documents in either the PDF format or Microsoft's new, competing XPS format.
Besides, the “Save As” feature for PDF should not be bundled as standard built-in, but a seperate download.
This denial and disagreement, is again, raised on the stand-point of Microsoft's monopoly power.
Latest Decision of Workaround from Microsoft
Microsoft accepts the suggestion to offer “Save As” feature for exporting document to PDF as a separate download, but refuse to charge for this feature. In other words, “Save As” PDF will not be bundled into Office 2007 as standard feature, but a free download is available.
In my humble opinion, it makes sense to have the “Save As” PDF as free download, or even a standard built-in feature. After all, Adobe's PDF format is actually a open format or open standard recognized by the Massachusetts state government. Besides, the same feature is also available in the open source office suite, OpenOffice.org, without any additional charge.
As with the new Microsoft's XPS format, Microsoft agrees not to bundle it as built-in feature, but will continue to make it available without any additional charge. However, Microsoft will ship anything comparable to XPS, such as Adobe Reader, if requested by Adobe, to avoid antitrust lawsuit.
Controversial Argument
PDF is viewed as an open standard, and anyone may create applications that read and write PDF files without having to pay royalties to Adobe Systems. However, do note that, PDF is proprietary to Adobe Systems as well. Well, perhaps, the word proprietary gives additional power to Adobe for limitation of enforcement of open standard.
Related References
TechWeb - Adobe Forces Microsoft To Drop PDF From Office 2007
Reuters - Talks with Adobe to use PDF break down: Microsoft
What Microsoft Plans to Do?
According to initial plan, a “Save As” feature to export document as PDF will be available in Office 2007 without any additional charge. This feature is already available in the free alternative to office suite, OpenOffice.org.
Besides, a competing format for saving documents that cannot be easily modified, called XPS (XML Paper Specification), will also be introduced in the forthcoming Windows Vista without additional charge. This move will pose a significant degree of threat to Adobe's PDF, as Microsoft has dominance power over office productivity suite.
What Adobe Wants Microsoft to Do?
Overall, Adobe has denied the plan proposed by Microsoft. Adobe wants Microsoft to charge customers for the ability to save Office documents in either the PDF format or Microsoft's new, competing XPS format.
Besides, the “Save As” feature for PDF should not be bundled as standard built-in, but a seperate download.
This denial and disagreement, is again, raised on the stand-point of Microsoft's monopoly power.
Latest Decision of Workaround from Microsoft
Microsoft accepts the suggestion to offer “Save As” feature for exporting document to PDF as a separate download, but refuse to charge for this feature. In other words, “Save As” PDF will not be bundled into Office 2007 as standard feature, but a free download is available.
In my humble opinion, it makes sense to have the “Save As” PDF as free download, or even a standard built-in feature. After all, Adobe's PDF format is actually a open format or open standard recognized by the Massachusetts state government. Besides, the same feature is also available in the open source office suite, OpenOffice.org, without any additional charge.
As with the new Microsoft's XPS format, Microsoft agrees not to bundle it as built-in feature, but will continue to make it available without any additional charge. However, Microsoft will ship anything comparable to XPS, such as Adobe Reader, if requested by Adobe, to avoid antitrust lawsuit.
Controversial Argument
PDF is viewed as an open standard, and anyone may create applications that read and write PDF files without having to pay royalties to Adobe Systems. However, do note that, PDF is proprietary to Adobe Systems as well. Well, perhaps, the word proprietary gives additional power to Adobe for limitation of enforcement of open standard.
Related References
TechWeb - Adobe Forces Microsoft To Drop PDF From Office 2007
Reuters - Talks with Adobe to use PDF break down: Microsoft
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Law Tien Soon @ 9:18 AM Permalink
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