On 7 dec, 11:01, gizmo <gi...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
> I use registered Win XP. Friend also has XP, sends me email attachment
> (xyz.odt)
> I cannot open this, have tried all. It use to be a .doc file.
..ODT is Open Document Text.
This is the standard file type of a text document in OpenWriter or
StarWriter.
OpenWriter / StarWriter are parts of OpenOffice / StarOffice.
OpenOffice and StarOffice are Office suits for Windows, Linux, Mac,
Solaris,...
Microsoft Office looks a lot like OpenOffice and StarOffice, and Open/
StarOffice can save files as MS Office files with a very, very high
degree of compatibility.
OpenOffice is the free version, maintained by the internet community
under supervision of Sun Microsystems.
StarOffice is the to pay version, maintained by Sun Microsystems.
OpenDocument is an official ISO standard (I forgot the number but you
can look it up if you are interested).
It is a file format that competes with Microsofts OpenXML, but
unfortunately for Microsoft, OpenXML is currently not yet accepted as
ISO standards, and there are doubts that it ever will.
Because of ISO standardisation, lots of goverments are switching to
OpenDocument as "official" file format, and they are installing
software that can work with OpenDocument. Most of the times this means
Open/StarOffice, but some goverments have pressured Microsoft to
create a plugin for Microsoft Office so that it is also compatible
with OpenDocument.
What does all this mean for you?
1. you can download the MS Office pluging for OpenDocument. Warning:
in development, not stable.
2. you can download OpenOffice from
www.openoffice.org
3. ask the sender to resend in a file format you can open, like PDF.
(PDF is also an ISO standard, since this week)
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