Okay, that was a stupid ruling. I mean, really? Microsoft may be all evil and such, but they're tied in to a lot of companies, companies that are blameless for this fault of Microsoft's yet are tied in to their fortunes.

Now, all this ruling does (aside from the pocket-change (to Microsoft) fine) is prohibit the SALE of MS Word and MS Office. If your system already has it it will be business as usual for you.

The only people who are really affected are the OEM manufacturers who were bundling MS Office with their builds. So some models of Windows computers will need to be recalled from the store shelves since they contain software they're barred from selling with them. The ones who get really slammed hard are the small custom-builders, who will have paid for installation licenses they can't use until after the workaround is done. The big OEM builders (Dell, Toshiba, Sony, etc.) will just take the recall as they would any other 'business expense,' the same as if there were a rash of bad DVD-RWs discovered in a new line that just hit the shelves.

Perhaps this will have the effect of encouraging the OEM builders, large and small (although the small builders are more flexible already, since making custom builds tailored to the customer is how they hold on to their market share) to look at alternatives to the 'standard MS include list.' *cough* OpenOffice.org *cough*

Thanks for the info about openoffice.org. I never even heard of it before, so thanks for the info. ^^ I shall have to check it out. ^^

Sort of similar to the end of the last post here... this announcement means little or nothing to those of us who were already using OpenOffice.org


Maybe the only real way in which it could possibly have any impact is that unless one has access to the net (and not all do),
you would not be able to order a hard copy of OpenOffice.org on disc.

But... meh *Shrugs* on the other paw.. if you do have net access (as any reading this obviously do), and you also have broadband,
connection and blank CD-R media to burn it to, then you're good to go.


Also, on top of the whole MS office issues you speak of, have you noticed how with the current version of Win (Windows 7)
there is less versions of it than there was with Vista? This also seems to suggest a sort of scale back in production of sorts on
the part of MicroSoft.

However, as an owner of a hard copy of Win 7 professional on DVD Rom, I can tell you that one thing that still
has NOT been scaled back is MS's ridiculous prices for their overpriced, and usually not stable operating system software.

But, that's another story altogether anyway, so I digress.

Thanks for the info about openoffice.org. I never even heard of it before, so thanks for the info. ^^ I shall have to check it out. ^^

*Nods* The software (Open OFfice) even is compatible with MS office files like MS Word, and will be able to open 'em.

Personally though... I like the new urban version of MS Word called "MS Word Up, homeboy".

*Giggles*

Actually, it means they can't sell the specific version of Word with the bit of code in it. Microsoft was aware of this possibility months ago and it's a feature almost no one used.

So, all they did was remove it and all new shipments are 'clean'.

The only problem left is whatever's still on shelves, and all they have to do is have the resellers return it for a swap.

It doesn't affect older versions OR newer versions... just unmodified Word 2007.

Microsoft has this fixed already.

All they have to do is remove the .docx extension which is using the infringing xml handling algorithms.

I have never once had need for the features in .docx, .docm and .xml word docs.

Produce new copies without those extensions and remove the feature from the next office version, no problem.

Microsoft pays ~$300 million and its business as usual.

I'll bet you that Office will still be completely available with versions that are compliant on Jan 11