[Bush2000]

That's why the .rtf format is critical...so anyone with wordperfect or abiword or openoffice, etc., could *use* and not just simply view documents.

Ah, yes, RTF. A format pretty much invented by Microsoft.

[NativeNewYorker]

Its creator is irrelevant. Its utility is the key.

[chilepepper]

then why is Microsoft so afraid to go with Suns' proposed XML document format as an INDUSTRY STANDARD? if M$ features are so great, they'll keep the business. or is it only the proprietary format that keeps them on the reservation??