From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-0.4 required=5.0 tests=AC_FROM_MANY_DOTS,BAYES_00 autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 103376,1ea92c0e5255811d X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public X-Google-ArrivalTime: 2003-03-05 05:03:05 PST Path: archiver1.google.com!news1.google.com!sn-xit-02!sn-xit-03!sn-xit-01!sn-xit-08!supernews.com!207.217.77.43.MISMATCH!newsfeed1.earthlink.net!newsfeed.earthlink.net!stamper.news.pas.earthlink.net!stamper.news.atl.earthlink.net!harp.news.atl.earthlink.net!not-for-mail From: "Marin David Condic" Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada Subject: Re: Way OT: Adam Smith and Software Markets Date: Wed, 5 Mar 2003 08:01:25 -0500 Organization: MindSpring Enterprises Message-ID: References: NNTP-Posting-Host: d1.56.bd.fa X-Server-Date: 5 Mar 2003 13:02:55 GMT X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2314.1300 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2314.1300 Xref: archiver1.google.com comp.lang.ada:34892 Date: 2003-03-05T13:02:55+00:00 List-Id: That's pretty much it. Word formatted documents are hip today, but that doesn't give it permanent domonance. New documents get built all the time and compatibility isn't always necessary, so a genuinely new product with some new and desirable features could easily supplant Word - and probably will. Granted, the change is *not* going to happen overnight so one can't just wish it were so and expect it to happen, but it *can* happen over time. So if one finds a word processor that has some big advantages over Word, the best thing to do is just start using it. If you can produce documents with it your only requirement is that you be able to give those documents to someone else and that they have some means of actually viewing it - and possibly changing it. (Barring requirements imposed by institutions) How do you get there? Pick a route - like Word compatible files, PDF files, perhaps even building a word processor that stores itself in the document so it will execute wherever you send it. Creativity is important in trying to build that better mousetrap. :-) MDC -- ====================================================================== Marin David Condic I work for: http://www.belcan.com/ My project is: http://www.jsf.mil/ Send Replies To: m c o n d i c @ a c m . o r g "Going cold turkey isn't as delicious as it sounds." -- H. Simpson ====================================================================== Frank J. Lhota wrote in message news:oG39a.24394$8f7.12579@nwrdny02.gnilink.net... > > I'm sorry, I have just gotten too old to take this argument seriously. I > recall the lament that as bad as WordStar is, it will never be replaced > because of all those WordStar documents, and all those people trained in > WordStar. Then WordPerfect came along, and suddenly that became the de-facto > standard. And yes, there was a time where conferences, businesses, agencies > and universities standardized on the WordPerfect format. Suddenly, the > conventional wisdom was that WordPerfect was irreplacable. A few years > later, WordPerfect was frequently replaced with MS Word. Now MS Word is the > "invincible"leader of the word processor world. "It will never be replaced!" > Yeah, right. >