Adobe’s PDF or Portable Document Format, is the most renowned tool for delivering complex documents to a wide number of users as it is more or less platform independent. But with the launch of Windows Vista and Office 2007, Microsoft is planning to launch its own Portable Document technology called the XML Paper Specification or better known as XPS. In response, Adobe has approached EU regulators to ask that they should bar Microsoft from including this technology in Windows Vista as they fear that, this would make users create XPS documents for free, and that could cut into their ability to sell PDF software to users.
But, for its part Microsoft has indicated that XPS would be licensed ‘ROYALTY-FREE‘ to developers.
From this one thing is very clear that standard approvals will see Microsoft opening XPS to the point that it will be platform independent and the XPS specifications will remain ‘open’ but also controlled by the company.
This could prove to be a strong blow to Adobe’s dreams...
Via: arstechnica
