Nicolas Alvarez <nic### [at] gmailcom> wrote:
> Adobe didn't *let* Microsoft implement built-in PDF support, because they
> feared Microsoft would Embrace, Extend, and Extinguish it.

  Some people ask why eg. Apple is allowed to include support for many
third-party programs and formats in their OS but Microsoft isn't.

  As you well put it, there's a good reason: When Apple adds support eg.
for a format in their OS, only few people care, and it has little impact
on anything. Apple can't afford *breaking* the format by making it
non-standard.

  Microsoft, however, having the de-facto monopoly status in computing,
can safely break the format's standard and implement their own extensions
and modifications, and this new format will quickly become the de-facto
standard, overriding the original. Not even big rich companies are safe
from this kind of tampering (just ask Sun Microsystems).

  It's no wonder so many companies don't have any problems in Apple
supporting their stuff, but cringe at the idea of Microsoft getting
their claws on it.

-- 
                                                          - Warp

Post a reply to this message