How are you dealing with the new Office format?

[Leros]

I recently got Office 2007 and started using it. I've had numerous problems with the format. Nobody else can read my files (professors, other students). If I take my files to another computer, it can't read it. I've found myself saving everything in 2003 format, which seems kind of ridiculous.

 

[bsobel]

Save in the previous format. It will take some time for the new formats to be as universal as the old.

 

[Skeeedunt]

I don't really see what's so ridiculous about it, it's not like you bought Office 2007 just for the new file formats. Using the old formats should be fine for now, unless they're not saving your formatting properly or something.

 

[palladium]

I've heard somewhere that .docx, .pptx and some other Office 2007 formats are actually the corresponding 2003 file formats in a ZIP container, eg .docx=.doc+ZIP. Don't know if that's true....

 

[ChAoTiCpInOy]

It's not that widespread, so I save it in the previous format. Unless I did something that only the new formats are capable of, then I make sure whatever computer I am going to use supports it. If that doesn't work I heard that there is a tool that Microsoft released so you could read the new formats on Office 2003.

 

[Schadenfroh]

I save in the new format, if I am sending a document to others, I save as .pdf.

Microsoft's move to the new xml based format is a move in the correct direction. I am glad they provided a compatibility pack for the Office 2000 and later products.

 

[corkyg]

Agree totally with Schadenfroh. Incorporating XML into documents is a plus - but it is not backward compatible to previous Office versions until such time as they install referenced compatibility pack.

Common sense applies here - if you are distributing documents to others, use the 97-2003 format option. It will take time for the "x" factor to propagate.

Try setting the default style as the 97-2003 format if yiou are the "Lone Ranger" with 2007.

 

[ForumMaster]

the .docx format is a text file, with a formatting file all in a .zip container. i do save in it on my computer. when i need to give a document to a different person, i'll give them standard .doc files. ms does offer a compatability pack for older office versions so that they can read the new format.

 

[stash]

Originally posted by: palladium
I've heard somewhere that .docx, .pptx and some other Office 2007 formats are actually the corresponding 2003 file formats in a ZIP container, eg .docx=.doc+ZIP. Don't know if that's true....

It's a zip file containing XML files. You can try it yourself if you have a docx file...just rename it to .zip and open it.

 

[vexingv]

i don't use office 2007 (they removed the option to have white text/blue background in word 2007, which really annoyed me. plus, i don't want to wear the ribbon...), but there's actually a compatibility pack for prior office releases that will allow older versions to open, edit, and save the new office 2007 xml file formats. you could direct individuals to install that addon. your other option is to just save new files in the older file format from the start.

Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats

 

[maxiorel]

I am using the new format already. Most of my friends have no problems with it.