Should you buy Office 2007 this week instead of waiting?
If you’re thinking of buying Office 2007 there’s a case for getting it this week instead of waiting until later in the month.
In the USA, the Office 2007 software you get this week may be different to what you get from next Monday onwards.
While it’s unlikely that you’ll use the ‘Custom XML‘ feature, there’s some peace of mind knowing that you have the exactly the same Office 2007 software as everyone else on the planet.
From next Monday, Americans will have a ‘special’ version of Office 2007. In theory the only difference should be the disputed feature but that might not be all.
We’ve been covering Microsoft Office for over a decade and know that Redmond’s assurances are not always to be trusted. Editing complex software like Office is a difficult and far from foolproof process. Based on Microsoft’s past record, it’s quite possible that the ‘crippled’ Office will have other unintended bugs (sorry ‘issues’) that will arise later.
The ‘crippled’ Office for the USA will also have to be tested against all future security patches, updates, hotfixes and service packs – yet another complication worth avoiding.
Microsoft says they anticipated the court ruling and have been working on the special version of Office for months. Unfortunately, the company’s actions indicate otherwise.
If Microsoft had truly been planning the 11 Jan 2010 change then they’d have a full and complete plan released before now, and they’d be happy to answer Office Watch’s questions on the matter. Instead we have one bland announcement plus a preliminary KB article published with no fanfare.
The company is showing all the signs of scrambling to deal with the situation while putting on a brave ‘poker’ face to the outside world.
Our Office 2007 Custom XML and update FAQ has lots of details on what we know and, alas, haven’t been told.
