At present Open Office is obviously the way to go for non Windows users as it can read MS$ files however in the foot note of the second link I gave above it states ....
"Word files can only be read by Word" .. exceptions: Word documents can probably be viewed by some standard tools under MS-Windows, and there also exists some tools for viewing the files under Linux and other operating systems. However, that is not a point. Microsoft Word documents are saved in a secret format, the format is changing between every version, and in the future it might even be ILLEGAL to decipher the format."
If MS$ gets it's way and it does become ILLEGAL to decipher the file format then ONLY Word users will be able to read the format and no other program regardless.
Common sense should tell anyone that this is a complete monopoly scenario. The end result being MS$ would be able to hold the computing world to ransom and charge whatever they see fit for their product knowing full well that the customer can't change regardless of wether they want to or not.
Allowing a company to make a file type that is proprietary is simply wrong as it prevents other companies from developing software that can make use of it (note $MS will of course read other companies files) thereby stifling competition and business.
Worse still it allows the company controlling the file format to change it at a whim under the guise of improvement or some such and while they are doing it lock out previous versions of their OWN software giving users no choice but to upgrade.
Sime
