Is Microsoft Running Scared of OpenDocument?

Maybe this is a reaction to the MA decision. But then, that would imply that MS has a shred of customer focus, which runs counter to all other evidence. I think this is really a reaction to OpenOffice.org where the PDF export is a seriously cool feature (and has been since it's introduction well over a year ago). Why else will people upgrade to Office 12?

The real question is whether Word will allow people to edit PDF documents. I seriously doubt it, but it would be a killer-app-ish kind of feature.

Scansoft makes a PDF converter that will take a typical PDF document and convert it to a word *.doc format.

I don't know when they brought it out, but I suspect it was after Adobe opened the spec. That's also when OOo and Star Office got their PDF generator.

One might wonder if M$ would create their own or buy Scansoft.

Then again, it shouldn't be impossible to duplicate Sansoft's in Linux.

KWord also has a .pdf import filter...

You know, the funny thing is that for years now anyone could add the PDF export capability to all programs for less than the cost of Word. And for quite a while, you can get free (FLOSS) software to do this. So, this is Microsoft's idea of innovation? :p

I re-read the story and it really seems like MS is reacting to an existing competitor (i.e., OOo).

I've never imported a PDF using scansoft or kword, but the tools I've used so far to edit PDF's have DTP/layout sensibilities rather than word-processor model, if you know what I mean. You have to do things like edit text blocks rather than clicking into the document and typing a paragraph. I can see how it would appeal to layout, but the first time that I typed a long paragraph and it didn't wrap to the next page... I was horrified that the program expected me to move all those text boxes manually.

So, I guess PDF-reading software ... including Word if it imports PDF's... would have to decide between keeping a model that will seem silly to word processing people. Or convert the PDF to the word processor model. I'm not sure it will be impossible to do this well, but I'm sure it would be easy to screw it up.

Still, if I could just open up a PDF form and quickly fill in the blanks with a familiar piece of software, I think that would seem pretty magical.

I have to agree with cubrewer in that it runs counter to all known evidence that Microsoft has any kind of customer focus. OOo is slowly but surely blazing inroads into Microsoft's "territory". The fact that I can use OOo for all of my classwork at Arizona State and in two years not a single instructor has been able to notice, is a statement in itself.

What really roasts Microsoft's coals is that open standards mean that businesses must focus on their quality of customer service to survive, not just their software. I think that we all know what would/will happen to Microsoft if that happens/happened.

If Microsoft was a service company, they would have gone under a long time ago.

From the reports I have heard MSFT is only adding a PDF exporter. No importer. no reader. So you will still need someone else's reader to actually view the file you just created.

Now all MSFT needs to due is to create an OpenDocument exporter so the world can dumb their software.

There is a comment (perhaps several) on /. associated with the blog cited within this article where the claim was made at least once (perhaps more) that MS promised to add pdf to (a) previous version(s) of Office [version mentioned: Office 11], but did not deliver. Hence, the tone was decidedly skeptical that it would happen this time.

Can anyone confirm the assertion I read? My knowledge and experience with Word is extremely limited, i.e. using only when given no option (and long ago buying a upgrade with immediate regrets). Indeed, I have no idea what version Office 11 might really be, since it was my impression the last three were date named.

Don't feel bad the last version of Office I used was 97. I have Office 2000 floating around my home office, but I haven't installed it in a couple of years. I switched my documents to Open Office a years upon years ago. Now I just wish Open Office had a decent OS X port. Oh well abi-word works just as well for text.