>> Why should the file saved by Word not be readable by A or B?  A and B 
>> will just ignore the parts they don't need.
>
> Because you are choosing a situation that fits a best case for
> the standard. Let us say that A and B are both word processors,
> to the end user of A it makes sense to load up a document that
> has the same extention as documents produced by A, even if
> they came from B. Now lets say that A uses VML and B
> uses DrawingML, the document from B probably will not
> look right in A, even though both programs will claim to be
> ISO compliant (but are only partially).

Well sure, but that's just how standards work.  If program A or B only 
partially implement the standard then you cannot expect them to open every 
possible file and show it correctly.  And we don't expect people to 
implement every single part of the standard, because then you're rewriting 
Word!

If your application A only uses VML, then I would expect the developer to 
include some converter to put images into VML format.  Otherwise he must 
expect a lot of people to get annoyed because he hasn't implemented the 
other common image types.

> At the same time MS
> will be able to load documents from A and B and save them
> using special MS markup that neither A or B understand.

Well fine, but it ceases to be an ISO OOXML file then if any program puts in 
stuff that is not in the spec.

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