[odf-discuss] Abiword gets requests for OOXML, not ODF

[marbux]

On Mon, May 12, 2008 at 1:09 AM, M. Fioretti <mfioretti at nexaima.net> wrote:
>
> Just found this:
>
> http://uwog.net/news/?p=10
>
> any comment on the last paragraph?
>

This is just speculation. But Microsoft might be interested in OOXML
filters for AbiWord. Abiword ships with the OLPC Sugar platform and
Microsoft has been making noises about crashing the OLPC party with
some compact version of Windows. I can't remember if it was one of the
existing compact editions for embedded devices, mobile devices, etc.,
or was to be a slimmed down version of XP or something like that.

But if it's a MSFT operating system that supports apps running OOXML,
Microsoft supporting OOXML filters for AbiWord would make some sense.
Microsoft would have to do the embrace before it can do the extend and
extinguish, so to speak. With AbiWord running on millions of OLPC
laptops out of the box and kids spreading AbiWord files over mesh
networks, Microsoft has to worry about interop until such time as it
has enough market power on the OLPC platform to start breaking
interop.

Hey, maybe we'll see Microsoft Works reading and writing OOXML and
ODF! :-)  (That's a joke. I don't know what word processor Microsoft
would use on OLPC. But I suspect that MS Word 2007 is too heavy for
the OLPC.

I'll close by stressing that my knowledge about OLPC politics and
Microsoft software that might be used for OLPC is a very slim volume.
I could very easily be wrong about the guess.

Best regards,

Paul