Office 2007 & MacLink Plus

[Kashchei]

Does anyone know if Office 2007 uses the same file format as Office 2004 (and Office X and Office 98)? I ask since I see that MacLink Plus 16 supports Office 2007. Is this a sales ploy or has Microsoft changed the file format on us?

 

[yellow]

I do believe that it's a new file format. However, I find it very unlikely that Microsoft would leave all it's previous users hanging out to dry. I suspect it's a sales ploy. Particularly since Apple has worked very hard to make OS X more complatible with Windows environments, I think MacLink+ has seen it's business significantly dry up as OS 9 became less and less used. I, for example, haven't used it since I switched to OS X full time in 2001.

It offers XML data now.

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/products/HA101723691033.aspx

How is this different from the binary (.doc, .xls, and .ppt) file formats?

The new defaults are different because they will be based on XML. As a result, you'll be able to open and automatically edit Microsoft Office Word, Microsoft Office Excel, and Microsoft Office PowerPoint files with any XML processing program without having to "Save As" XML. The new formats build on Microsoft's earlier commitment to XML by improving file and data management, reducing file sizes, and improving recovery of damaged files. It will be easier than ever for users to access data from their Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files and integrate that information with back-end systems and processes.

EDIT: Seems like it may not be a ploy afterall.

Will there be an XML file converter for people using previous releases that don't support XML?

Yes. Microsoft will release converters for Microsoft Office XP and Microsoft Office 2003, so customers using previous releases of Microsoft Office will be able to open files created using the new file formats.

 

[MisterMe]

Does anyone know if Office 2007 uses the same file format as Office 2004 (and Office X and Office 98)? I ask since I see that MacLink Plus 16 supports Office 2007. Is this a sales ploy or has Microsoft changed the file format on us?

Office 97 uses the same file format as Office 2004, but not as the default. Office 2007's default file format is a new Microsoft proprietary Open XML format. Word 2007 documents have the default extension .docx. MacLinkPlus Deluxe 16 is supposed to be able to translate this format into other supported formats. This is hardly news. Bill Gates himself announced the switch to XML-based formats years ago. He said that he was "betting the company." Microsoft's move is intended to thwart the fledging non-proprietary XML-based Open Document standard.