[Casper] Changing default save format in Office 2008 (regarding Re: MS Office 2008 configuration)

[Ryan Harter]

I have some thoughts about changing the default save format for Office  
2008 and just wanted to see what other people think.

I've decided to leave the default format for Office 2008 as openxml  
(docx, etc).  I decided that the more openxml documents are floating  
around, the better, since it will force people who might not have  
Office 2008 to download the free converter.  This way, they will be  
able to open all document types and I feel that they will be less  
confused when the time comes, inevitably, that they will receive  
office 2008 documents.

I've put together mass mailings (UWSP Message of the Day) stating that  
if you can't open a document that there is a new tool that I've  
deployed that will allow you to convert it.  And since we have a  
campus wide license for Office 2008, if anyone still has Office 2004  
and doesn't want to deal with conversions, they should contact me so I  
can push Office 2008 to their machines.

I think that having one standard file type for documents is the ideal  
solution, and that OpenXML documents are an inevitable switch.  In my  
opinion, trying to fend off OpenXML will only perpetuate the confusion  
of having two different file types, and I think, in my situation, that  
embracing that change will make things easier in the long run.

I have to say that since we deployed Office 2008 last spring/summer,  
having left the default file type as Office 2008, I haven't heard any  
complaints or questions about handling the file types.  Granted, I  
don't work first tier support, so they were probably all fended off at  
the help desk.

I'm not trying to say that a plan to change the default file type is a  
bad one.  And I know that every environment is different.  I'm just  
curious to hear what other people, many of which probably have more  
experience than me in this field, think about this topic.  I'm always  
interested in good discussions.



Ryan Harter
UW - Stevens Point
Workstation Developer
715.346.2716
Ryan.Harter at uwsp.edu

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://list.jamfsoftware.com/pipermail/casper/attachments/20090113/f5924a17/attachment.htm