Microsoft to Add ODF Support to next version of MS Office

Microsoft on Wednesday quoted that they will be providing ODF support in the next version of MS Office.Which means that without adding any special software to MS Office, users will be able to open documents sent to them in the open source Open Document Format (ODF), the company said. As well, users will be able to edit and save documents in that format.
“Microsoft is going to be providing support for three new file formats directly in the Office product,” said Erich Anderson, vice president and general counsel for Europe, in a telephone interview.Microsoft said it will add support for ODF version 1.1 when it updates its Office 2007 product some time next year with “service pack 2.”In addition to ODF, Microsoft will also support Adobe’s popular PDF fixed format and Microsoft’s competitor to PDF, known as XPS.
Thomas Vinje in Brussels, a lawyer who has represented clients opposed to Microsoft, said the announcement was meaningless unless Microsoft made ODF the default standard when people opened office.If ODF is not the standard its presence “won’t matter because the vast majority will not use it. That was the experience in the U.S. case,” he said, referring to a case which found Microsoft in violation of the Sherman antitrust act.
Carlo Piana, a lawyer in Milan who represents clients who make open source software, called Microsoft’s approach “too little, too late.”

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Tags: Microsoft, ODF

Apple distributes Safari 3.1 for windows via Apple update, Mozilla CEO furious

                    Apple distributed its Safari 3.1 for windows via Apple Software update service which is used for updating iTunes and Quicktime.John Lilly the CEO of Mozilla described this as unethical as Apple provides the software to users without their consent.
The dialog box for installing updates shows two boxes, one showing iTunes and QuickTime together, and the other showing Safari, and at the bottom an option of installing the two items or quitting. The two boxes including Safari,(windows version) are checked by default when the dialog box pops up.
On his blog the mozilla CEO John Lilly said “What Apple is doing now with their Apple Software Update on Windows is wrong. It undermines the trust relationship great companies have with their customers, and that’s bad — not just for Apple, but for the security of the whole Web,” ; “As a software maker we promise to do our very best to keep users safe and will provide the quickest updates possible, with absolutely no other agenda …. Apple has made it incredibly easy — the default, even — for users to install ride along software (Safari) that they didn’t ask for, and maybe didn’t want. This is wrong, and borders on malware distribution practices.”
The blog has caused some mixed reactions.Some are against it and some are for it.Well now the competition for the best browser for windows is gaining more momentum it is to be seen that who will emerge as the true winner.These are just the early signs of a browser war that’s going to happen few months from now as Microsoft gears up for IE8 and Mozilla for Firefox 3.Also Safari 3 ,Opera 10 and newcomer Flock will provide people with a host of choices

Tags: Apple, Browser, Mozilla, Safari3.1, Firefox

Windows Xp Sp3 beats Windows Vista Sp1 in benchmark tests

        Well Vista fans might be a little disappointed with this news,according to a benchmarking test conducted by Exo.performance.network(Xpnet), Windows Xp Service pack 3 outshines Windows Vista Service pack 1 which is going to be released in 2008.The tests were conducted using RC releases by microsoft and the results were quite surprising.

Office bench tests for various Windows Versions(Lower The better)

(image sources:exo.blog)

As the tests show the lower bars of windows Xp3 and even Sp2 prove that Windows Vista is a big performance dud as compared to Windows Xp which was released way back in 2001!.The tests were conducted on Dell XPS M1710 systems with 2GHz Core 2 Duo CPU & DDR-II 667MHz RAM.Well Microsoft officials as always told that the Service packs are still in their development stages and will go through massive changes before being released and tests should be conducted once the service packs are officially released(that’s in 2008).The post on Exo’s blog clearly showed the extra edge of the grand daddy Xp over the mischievous little baby Vista which is not doing quite well these days.The real benchmark although will be the official release of Vista SP1 and XP SP3.The support for Service Pack 2 is ending on 14th April 2009 but Microsoft may just give windows users a reason “not-to-upgrade” to Windows Vista by releasing the much awaited Windows Xp service pack 3.Also a registry hack has been discovered which allows Xp users to download a RC build using Windows Update.Xp Sp3 will feature a 10% improvement in performance as quoted by Microsoft officials.So is Vista another setback like windows ME?Well here comes 2008!

(news sources:exo.blog-official blog of Xp.net)

Everex GPC back in business on Wal-Mart

            Well great news for linux fans all over as the $199 Everex Gpc is back at Wal-mart.The product page shows that it is in stock and that is indeed a great news for all linux and the new league of Everex gpc fans.According to Wal-mart officials this low priced wonder has been one of the top performing pcs at wal-mart in spite of its low specs and price.The funny thing is that another model called Everex Impact GC3502 by Everex again which comes with Vista Basic and double the memory and of course about 80 bucks more is selling quite less as compared to the 199 $ wonder.This can be clearly seen with the ad on Everex gpc TC2502 product page saying

“Step up to the Everex GC3502 for Double the Memory and Windows Vista Basic”

This little advert/upgrade option gives us a clear idea of the number of hits the page got and the number of pcs it sold.The 199 $ pc which comes with gOS (an Ubuntu Linux variant) and basic office and internet tools has won accolades from IT biggies like IBM.The Pc is shipped with basic tools like Mozilla Firefox, gMail, Meebo, Skype, Wikipedia, GIMP, Blogger, YouTube, Xing Movie Player, Rhythmbox, Faqly, Facebook and OpenOffice.org 2.2 (includes WRITER, IMPRESS, DRAW, CALC, BASE) which suffice the needs of a basic office and internet user giving it an winning edge over the competing and costly Microsoft Vista Basic.You can find out more about the PC in my previous posts. Also the impact of open source software seems to be more relevant these days with IBM announcing the launch of Lotus Symphony based on ODF(open document format) to tackle Microsoft.Is this the dawn of a new IT market war or just a distant dream only time will tell….