Re: OT: Microsoft takes on history

["Marin David Condic" <dont.bother.mcondic.auntie.spam@[acm.org>]

"Frank J. Lhota" <NOSPAM.FrankLho@rcn.com> wrote in message
news:acmmk8$jbp$1@bob.news.rcn.net...
> For the record, WordPerfect used a different file format than WordStar,
and
> Microsoft Word has a different format from either one of them. The file
> format issue, bothersome as it might be, is surmountable, as the legions
of
> users who have made the transitions to new word processors can attest.
> Actually, it is now easier than ever to switch word processors, thanks to
> the RTF format.
>
In the end, this really doesn't make much difference. How long does the
average document live? A few days? A few months? How much work is it to
totally recreate the document if suddenly your favorite word processor
disappeared from the face of the earth? Don't most word processors provide
some means of importing and exporting file formats other than their own? (I
know the copy of MS-Word I have here seems to be able to do that...)

In other words, this seems to be a tempest in a teapot. Its a little like
insisting that all microprocessors execute the same instruction set so that
all software would be totally portable - its an unreasonable restriction on
innovation and it doesn't really buy you anything.


>
> And I am just as sure that once a new company overtakes Microsoft,
everyone
> will be pontificating that the new company will never lose its #1 spot. :)
>
And we'll all be complaining about what a bunch of unfair bastards they are
for having done it the way they did and thus gained a total, unbreakable
monopoly on the market. It won't matter if they did it all Open Source and
public file formats. If someone becomes a dominant player, there will be a
bunch of us hating them for it. (Lets come back here in ten years when the
full impact of open source is apparent & see if there isn't a large
contingent out there arguing in favor of totally proprietary, closed
systems...:-)

No company owns their place in the market, so I have faith that they'll
either have to produce value for their customers at a competitive price, or
someone else will. It may take time for things to correct & balance, but on
the whole it works.

MDC
--
Marin David Condic
Senior Software Engineer
Pace Micro Technology Americas    www.pacemicro.com
Enabling the digital revolution
e-Mail:    marin.condic@pacemicro.com