OneNote will *NEVER* support PDF

E

EMRhelp.org

The vast majority of users want good PDF support in OneNote. It should
be quite easy to support this in my opinion because of the nature of
the PDF format. (PDF has all the instructions to display itself
embedded (ie. you do not need Adobe Acrobat to view .pdf files).)

Support for .pdf will never be a part of Microsoft's Office products,
including OneNote. Everyone knows the power of controlling the
document format people use. And microsoft is worried about the Power
Adobe would wield if .pdf became even more popular than it already is.

To highlight Microsoft's fears of .pdf, it has decided to try to make a
..pdf format of it's own - codenamed "Metro".

http://news.com.com/Microsoft+gunning+for+Adobes+PDF+format/2100-1012_3-5692963.html?tag=nl

Nobody wants Metro. Everyone wants .pdf support.

The lack of .pdf support makes OneNote less functional. And with the
next release of OneNote possibly scheduled for 2nd half of 2006,
OneNote will just spin it's heels til then. What a shame.
 
C

Chris H.

This is really quite funny. You're bagging on Microsoft for not supporting
the Adobe PDF format, yet Adobe Reader can't open simple basic files like a
*.txt, *.doc, let alone open and read a *.one file from OneNote. Why aren't
you screaming at Adobe for the lack of support for Microsoft's products?
--
Chris H.
Microsoft Windows MVP/Tablet PC
Tablet Creations - http://nicecreations.us/
Associate Expert
Expert Zone -
 
C

Chris B.

As a point worth mentioning, though, aren't the .DOC and the .ONE file
formats considered a trade secret by Microsoft Corporation? Something from
the antitrust trials about "crown jewels? ring a bell? It's pretty much
impossible for anyone to fully understand these file formats. The OpenOffice
folks are doing pretty good work, but they still have issues with importing /
exporting Microsoft Office proprietary formats.

For what it's worth, it is too bad that Microsoft won't support PDF in
Office. PDF, like it or not, is an industry standard. That's the only
drawback I can find in the otherwise excellent Office 2003 and OneNote 2003.
it sure would be nice to export notes (or any Office production) into PDF for
anyone -- no matter what platform, applications or fonts the user has -- to
view in full fidelity. Even apps like IE could benefit from PDF exporting,
considering how relatively poor its printing and save-web-page features are.

The only reason I can find for this is that Microsoft is too proud to
support a standard they didn't themselves create and control. Case in point:
Office 2003 offers a way to IMPORT text from a PDF to convert it to a Word
doc, but refuses to offer an export. It's a shame, and it does mar an
otherwise very nice software product.

Metro might be nice when it finally arrives, but PDF is too well established
among app makers and OSes to be displaced by what will no doubt be a
Microsoft-Windows-Longhorn-only format. Too many people use PDF and would be
wary of such a Microsoft attempt to drop a "standard" on the computing world.
ZDNet ran an article today detailing an AssetMetrix study stating that
corporate users still prefer Win2000 over WinXP. I see very little chance of
such a proprietary format like Metro getting any kind of a real foothold if
there's not universal OS and application support, not when PDF is already
there. Just my opinion.
 
D

Diane Poremsky [MVP]

it's more licensing and licensing costs than not wanting to support it. A
per unit sold fee would be expensive - and likely passed along to consumers
who don't care if the product supports it or not.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
Author, Teach Yourself Outlook 2003 in 24 Hours
Coauthor, OneNote 2003 for Windows (Visual QuickStart Guide)
Author, Google and Other Search Engines (Visual QuickStart Guide)



Join OneNote Tips mailing list: http://www.onenote-tips.net/
 
A

Annery Kiln

it sure would be nice to export notes (or any Office production) into PDF

I print to PDF from One Note all the time - what's the problem?
 
E

Ed

it's more licensing and licensing costs than not wanting to support it. A
per unit sold fee would be expensive - and likely passed along to consumers
who don't care if the product supports it or not.
Click to expand...

- How do the freeware utilities like Foxit PDF reader do it?

- Why do you assume that the consumers "don't care if the product supports
it or not"?
 
D

Diane Poremsky [MVP]

they wrote their own engines are too little for adobe to bother with - it
would cost adobe more to sue than they could ever hope to get back in
damages. MS has much, much deeper pockets. :)

I know very few consumers who care if word can read PDF files - a few would
like to print to PDF, but most of them need the power in acrobat anyway and
would not be satisfied with just saying docs as pdf's. (The text in many pdf
documents can be copies and pasted into word as it is, or printed to MODI
and OCR'd so they can easily and cheaply get text from a PDF into word.)
Even fewer want to use them in OneNote and those that do install the OneNote
printer driver power toy and print from acrobat to OneNote.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
Author, Teach Yourself Outlook 2003 in 24 Hours
Coauthor, OneNote 2003 for Windows (Visual QuickStart Guide)
Author, Google and Other Search Engines (Visual QuickStart Guide)



Join OneNote Tips mailing list: http://www.onenote-tips.net/
 

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