[usconservative]

We're a little different. We're heavy on the web-based apps and much of our application environment is Java based.

The harder part to transition is what you alluded to: document file format incompatabilities. I do not know how many millions upon millions upon millions of documents we have sitting out on file servers or in our online archive's would require some form of conversion for one reason or another, to work with something other than Microsoft Office.

It's MS Office that's keeping our desktop's Windows. Documents, spreadsheets (with macro's and embedded vbscript) along with departmental databases in MS Access that people use pretty much every day guarantees a Microsoft based desktop at this point. Hard to convert tens of thousands of users over to something else without really impacting productivity.

[adorno]

Reality is that, Windows and MS Office have become standards, and standards often require that others stick with the standards.

Switching just for spite, and because someone just doesn't like Microsoft's lock-in, could be very costly; so costly that, sticking with Microsoft might be the less costly option, and most effective one too.

The only solution to lock-in, is to have a standard what is open to all developers and software makers, and that doesn't require patent fees to use. Until that happens, Microsoft and Windows and Office, will remain what most people consider the "standards".