[odf-discuss] Comparison of ODF and MOOXML uptake

[Lars D. Noodén]

On Thu, 26 Apr 2007, marbux wrote:
> Erwin Tenhumberg has a very nice paragraph illustrating that MOOXML
> does not yet have any significant uptake and that ODF does.
> <http://blogs.sun.com/dancer/entry/higher_costs_due_to_increased>.
...
> Highly useful for rebutting those who claim that MOOXML has a whopping
> market share.

Claims of MOOX having much of any marketshare, let alone large 
marketshare, are, as Erwin points out, false.  However, such claims are 
published frequently, and from what I've observed they are usually based 
on two errors:

 	1) conflating all the distinct MS Office formats into one
 	and
 	2) on equating the install base of old versions of MS Office
 	(the application) with MOOX

One important error that Erwin identifies in closing, is the claim that 
ODF is somehow tied to the internals of StarOffice / OpenOffice.org. 
That bit of misinformation has spread quite a bit if even people who 
should know better (ie. Håkon Wium Lee) are repeating it.

Highlighting the different applications using ODF would help ameliorate 
the effects of that error.  Getting conference presentations published in 
ODF, even if only an alternate format, would further increase the 
visibility.

-Lars
Lars Noodén
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