Adobe and Microsoft sparring over PDF inclusion in Office 2007? |
Seems like there could be a rumble brewing with Apple-friendly Adobe in one corner and Microsoft the other. Somebody call Michael Buffer, we could soon be hearing let’s get ready to …
via Microsoft Monitor:
Microsoft alleges that after four months of discussions to use PDF in Office 2007, Adobe has demanded its technology’s removal. Microsoft claims that Adobe wanted Microsoft to separately offer PDF and charge for it.
I’ve written this before but it bears repeating: I do not like PDF files. The sad part is PDF is ubiquitous in the business world. It’s difficult, if not impossible, to get away from PDF files being used in mainstream business America. I don’t think reading a document in PDF format is easier to deal with, especially if you’d like to quote parts of it in a response (screenshots, anyone?).
With that said, I could care less if Office 2007 packs in PDF functionality, but I can see how Microsoft and mainstream business America can — and will — if these two companies can’t work this out. Of course there’s always OpenOffice. I wonder what Adobe thinks about that?
Who is right here? I think after dropping $679 for the Ultimate Office 2007, the rumored price point, most businesses that are not already paying are going to be psyched about shelling out more bones to Adobe for PDF support in Office. The deal here is most of these companies will already have business relationships with Adobe, so I can see why Adobe doesn’t want this feature built-in.
Do you use PDF files regularly because you like to or have to?
Did this post make you go hmm?
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Hi,
If you’d like to quote part of a PDF document in response, here are some options:
- Use the select tool to select the relevant text
- Adobe Reader 7 has a feature that lets you copy a graphic. Click on it, then right-click and choose Copy Image to Clipboard.
PDF is up there with sliced bread, ibuprofen, the Internet, and fresh tomatoes. It’s a *Portable* document format in a world of a zillion platforms, fonts, office suites, and other variables. I can see why Microsoft wants it built into Office. It’s already built into OpenOffice.org, of course, and has been for quite a while.
Without PDF:
- How would anyone provide well formatted, easily printable product documentation for easy download?
- How would publishers provide files to printers without spending time and money creating the files in the software the printer uses?
- How would I distribute important documents in a reasonably non-editable format? Or without supposedly deleted comments? Remember the incidents with Word and Excel documents where the previous versions containing inappropriate comments were accessible in the document that was sent out. This doesn’t happen with PDF.
Restricting document exchange to those who can get, or can afford, the right software, isn’t feasible or fair. PDF is a useful, egalitarian, digital-divide-crossing, simple-yet-powerful tool.
Comment by Solveig Haugland — June 2, 2006 @ 4:24 pm PST
Microsoft - Adobe: Much Ado About Nothing
There is a lot of fuss about Adobe blocking Microsoft’s plans to incorporate “save to PDF” functionality in Office 2007. Much Ado About Nothing. Legally Adobe owns the PDF format, but it has long been openly…
Trackback by Zoli's Blog — June 2, 2006 @ 4:44 pm PST
The print angle is a great counterpoint.
Of course you don’t mention any of the drawbacks of using PDF, Solveig, like try having it crash your browser or be slow to load with that annoying pause when you click on a file. Nevermind the claustrophobic reading experience. Subjective perhaps, but the PDF reading experience to me is subpar, even on my slate tablet which is geared for reading digital content.
One of my friends called it a “necessary evil” and it is, but that doesn’t mean it’s useless, which you aptly pointed out. Thanks for stopping by.
Comment by TDavid — June 2, 2006 @ 6:56 pm PST