Comment 1267 for bug 1

Sadly i often have to set people up with OpenOffice even when AbiWord might be
more appropriate for a client's minimal usage of office packages. This allows
me to set all the default formats to MicroSquish ones so that they have no
problems sending files to anyone. Pdf is an annoying format as it can be
difficult to edit and collaborate but it does have several huge advantages,
especially in cross-platform communications.

It is incredibly helpful that OpenOffice works on Windows but there is still
some notion that OpenOffice doesn't have the advanced features and so people
often refuse to even try using it even when they never use such features, or
even they are annoying distractions. Once people have used it for a while and
realise they really can do everything they can imagine needing then it helps
with slow transitions to linux platforms.

I think we have to stick with proprietary nasty vulnerable formats rather than
useful safer formats until OpenOffice reaches the same stage as Firefox has
apparently reached. Since linux Office packages can usually read a wider range
of formats we will have no trouble switching to safer formats once Microsquish
Office is less than say 50% of the Office market.

I think one way to help with this is to set the defaults to ".doc" and ".xls"
and also to join with users of older versions of MicroSquish Office in demanding
that ".docx" and ".xlsx" are re-sent as ".doc" or ".xls". While the newest
format is still a minority we have an opportunity to join forces and make a
combined assault using the kind of bad argument that Windows user usually make,
that people use formats that everyone can use easily.

Regards from
Tom :)