Microsoft to open source Office and Windows

[Rider]

http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,142699/article.html

In a major turnaround for Microsoft, the company Thursday promised "greater transparency" in its development and business practices, outlining a new strategy to provide more access to APIs and previously proprietary protocols for some of its major software products, including Windows and Office.

(full article at link)

Apparently, this after a ruling of the EU that Microsoft is abusing it's monopoly position.

If turns out to be true, SO much can change in OS land :)

[Zero]

It won't for years and years the EU has been on Microsoft's back about this stuff, they tried to mask there binary blob formats in OOXML, but it was rejected because it didn't meet the standards the ISO wanted, they even tried to buy votes for it to pass. but it failed, there was an artical on slashdot talking about this, and it turns up it is useless, yes they are opening up the API's but all the hidden functions will remand hidden. So you still have compatibility problems between Microsoft Office and some other Office suit. I expect Microsoft will only do the bare minimum here just to say they complied.

[IwantMORE]

MS won't comply with any standard or rule set out for them. They will always find some way to screw it up.

[Cipher]

The past can never prove the future.
Maybe Microsoft will turn it around this time. There is always hope, however slim.