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Before we get into this episode of "John doesn't like people", I want to relay some information I was shown by a MacBU dev.

The next Office:Mac's, (aka Office 12) support for the MS Open XML formats are real. I've seen them. Me personally. I had a Word Dev who was annoyed enough by a few things to show me that indeed, the next version of Word and the rest will use the MS Open XML Formats natively. No, I don't view this as an NDA breach, as he asked me to, (not a deciding factor NDA-Wise), and this support has already been announced, (a deciding factor NDA-Wise) so the only thing he did was show me something that had already been talked about and confirmed. I can't tell you, (not won't but cannot) anything else about the next version of Office, but I have physically seen it working with the MS Open XML formats, and that its output was indeed what we've seen on Brian Jones' Blog. I'm not saying this is a reason to blindly follow Microsoft down the primrose path, but they are indeed working on the next version of Office actively, not just doodling about in OmniGraffle. Part of the issue for them is they have to wait for things like file formats and other items to be finalized and locked down in the Windows version of Office 12. But it's an active project. So calm down.

Now, onto the current stupidity.

Technorati Tags: Geeks, Mac OS X, Microsoft, MS OpenXML, Technology

According to quite a few reports, the Mac BU is "scaling back" their Mac Support. Wow, that's quite a claim. It's completely stupid, and ignorant, but I bet it generates hit counts from MacMacs though. <Homer>Mmmm...hit counts</Homer>

Why are they making that claim? Because with the end of Windows Media Player for the Mac in favor of the Flip4Mac Codecs, the only products the Mac BU is putting out are Office, Virtual PC, and Messenger. Which are the only products they've been putting out for years. In fact, Virtual PC is the new kid on this block, so if you want to look at it that way, Virtual PC represents an increase in the product count of the Mac BU.

The worst of these is the BetaNews article on it, but some others, including Rob Buckley have jumped on this bandwagon as well. All of this is inane, especially some of the points:

• Microsoft is scaling back the Mac BU and its Mac support in general because certain key developers have left to do other things within MS. While that's partially true, the reason given is dumb. Yes, people leave the Mac BU. Some of them have worked on Mac software for over a decade, and just want to do something new. However, what seems to get left out is that people join the Mac BU as well. So, if you were to be sensible about this, then it would appear that the Mac BU is like any other division in any other company. People come, people go. Wow, how weird.
• Microsoft is scaling back the Mac BU and its Mac support in general because they're only offering the same products they always have. I have to say, this one may be my favorite. How does doing the same thing for years constitute scaling back? Especially when at Macworld, the Microsoft was showing off an upcoming product, namely a new Keyboard and Mouse that will have the specific Mac OS X keys, (command and option). Not like you have now, where you use the Windows and Alt keys. There won't be Windows keys. It's a Mac - specific keyboard. You know that would appear to be a new product. It's not a Mac BU product, but it is a new Microsoft product for the Mac. That's a kind of funny way to scale back, to develop new products. Must be a new Internet thing.
• Microsoft is scaling back the Mac BU and its Mac support in general because they don't have any home/consumer products. Um...they haven't had anything that was specifically a home/consumer product in years. Years. But again, keyboard and mouse would fit that. Even stupider, you have this quote from Joe Wilcox, whom I hope was TOTALLY taken out of context: A consumer exit could mean the end of the low-cost Student & Teacher Edition, too, particularly with Apple offering iWork. Huh? The Mac BU offering the same product line it always has is going to mean an end to different Office SKUs?? Doctor, my head?

This entire thing is, with a little analysis and thought, a non-issue. Oh wait, the Mac Web, never mind.

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