4 ms·

Microsoft yanks Custom XML from Word, offers OEM patch

19 points by KWD 17y ago

flatline 17y ago
This seems like it would be a good time for OEMs to start breaking the hard link to Microsoft products, like bundling the installation media and not pre-installing it, for starters. They could even go one further and not pre-install all the other crap that typically comes on a new PC, problem solved...
- sgk284 17y ago
  Is this just an anti-microsoft rant? I don't see your justification. OEMs update the software that they ship all of the time. Microsoft products (i.e. Office, Windows, etc...) are typically the things consumers want, not bonzai buddy or whatever other spyware they put on the machines. I don't see what the latter have to do with the former. Pre-loading wanted software is a nice convenience, if you don't want that then order the machine with FreeDOS as your OS instead (I know at a minimum that Dell offers this).
  - rbanffy 17y ago
    I prefer my computers to be as Microsoft-free as possible, but mostly on the software side. Their keyboards and mice are outstanding. As for software, there is no need to chose between Windows and FreeDOS. You know, OpenSolaris, BSD and Linux are all fine options (and I regard them as much better choices than Windows)
- likpok 17y ago
  They install the various crap on machines because it 1) gives them revenue 2) allows them to differentiate They probably will not stop doing this, as it's not like Microsoft is forcing them to.
felideon 17y ago
Up until the news broke, I didn't even know this functionality existed for Word. Doesn't InfoPath have the same functionality too, or is it slightly different? I see no mention of InfoPath in any of the articles.
jws 17y ago
Or as Paul McDougall at InformationWeek proudly proclaims: Microsoft Word Gets Facelift http://www.informationweek.com/news/windows/microsoft_news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=222100033&subSection=News http://www.informationweek.com/news/windows/microsoft_news/s... But you don't need to read the article. There is nothing in there about cosmetic improvements.
CGamesPlay 17y ago
Neither articles linked in this thread actually say /what/ the patent was. Obviously XML namespaces aren't patented, so what was the patent infringed upon?
- deleted 17y ago
  [deleted]
viggity 17y ago
I don't a problem with Software Patents per se, but I definitely have a problem with what the USPTO considers to be novel/original/non-obvious

19 points by KWD 17y ago

This seems like it would be a good time for OEMs to start breaking the hard link to Microsoft products, like bundling the installation media and not pre-installing it, for starters. They could even go one further and not pre-install all the other crap that typically comes on a new PC, problem solved...

sgk284 17y ago
Is this just an anti-microsoft rant? I don't see your justification. OEMs update the software that they ship all of the time. Microsoft products (i.e. Office, Windows, etc...) are typically the things consumers want, not bonzai buddy or whatever other spyware they put on the machines. I don't see what the latter have to do with the former. Pre-loading wanted software is a nice convenience, if you don't want that then order the machine with FreeDOS as your OS instead (I know at a minimum that Dell offers this).
- rbanffy 17y ago
  I prefer my computers to be as Microsoft-free as possible, but mostly on the software side. Their keyboards and mice are outstanding. As for software, there is no need to chose between Windows and FreeDOS. You know, OpenSolaris, BSD and Linux are all fine options (and I regard them as much better choices than Windows)
likpok 17y ago
They install the various crap on machines because it 1) gives them revenue 2) allows them to differentiate They probably will not stop doing this, as it's not like Microsoft is forcing them to.

felideon 17y ago

Up until the news broke, I didn't even know this functionality existed for Word. Doesn't InfoPath have the same functionality too, or is it slightly different? I see no mention of InfoPath in any of the articles.

jws 17y ago

Or as Paul McDougall at InformationWeek proudly proclaims: Microsoft Word Gets Facelift http://www.informationweek.com/news/windows/microsoft_news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=222100033&subSection=News http://www.informationweek.com/news/windows/microsoft_news/s... But you don't need to read the article. There is nothing in there about cosmetic improvements.

CGamesPlay 17y ago

Neither articles linked in this thread actually say /what/ the patent was. Obviously XML namespaces aren't patented, so what was the patent infringed upon?

deleted 17y ago
[deleted]

viggity 17y ago

I don't a problem with Software Patents per se, but I definitely have a problem with what the USPTO considers to be novel/original/non-obvious