I hope this format starts to leak before the next OS.

The world longs for a PDF alternative.I hope this format finds a home in lower level and lower cost applications.This is where PDF suffers and makes users suffer.Sure there are low price PDF converters but to actually author a decent document you have to invest hundreds of dollars in Adobe products.If this format started leaking out small apps for the internet to play around with before Vista it would generate buzz and lock in success and relieve consumers of anxiety.It short i hope Microsoft keeps this format excessible to the average techhead and not the Office jet set that will shell out 400 bucks for a software suite.Just my opinion.I'm excited and don't want to be let down.

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I hope this format starts to leak before the next OS.

DW Developer
Vicki,

I notice that there is mention of these specifications as public and that reminds me of something that has me be uncomfortable about using them. When I downloaded the specifications, I agreed to the EULA which limits my use to review, internal planning, and feedback to Microsoft.

I understand the preliminary, working nature of these documents, but I feel constrained from public discussion of the key features, ideas about usage and so on. In short, I find that EULA inhibiting (as much as it is understandable at this point) and it is not what I think of as public availability.

So I watch blogs and newsgroups for something that I am interested in being discussed so I feel free to discuss it too.

I notice that the Office "12" Open XML Schema Reference PDC 2005 Preview was not so constrained and I wonder when there will be editions of XPS and OPC specifications that are usable in inter-organizational and public developer conversations, web postings, code samples, and such.
Flyboy
We have posted pre-release versions of the XML Paper Specification to enable the industry to provide critical input on the viability of the format. The Technical Document Agreement (TDA) that is required reading/signing for downloading the XML Paper Specification is not a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA). You are free to discuss the contents of the spec publicly which is why I refer to the spec as “public”. You make a great point in regards to being clear about what you have the rights to do in publicly discussing the specification, and we may make changes to the TDA to address this in future versions of the spec. This is exactly the type of feedback we need.
KilroyHughes
If I'm not mistaken, the average dev can start taking advantage of XPS now by downloading the WinFX SDK available for XP and Vista. They can at least start development and test the format but can't really distribute production code until MS either finalizes the SDK or gives developers a Go-Live license on a future beta release.
Andrey T.
Hi Again.

I just opened up the OPC 0.75 document to review the rules for physical representation in Zip (and find the reference to the PKZip APPNOTE).

The notice on page ii of that version is daunting and I think, with its official Microsoft Legal seal and all, it really needs to be relaxed in the next version to provide for discussion among interested parties. I figure I can wait for 0.80, but it would be extremely valuable to defrighten the language in that notice.
tango2310
The spec is public and you can begin your development work anytime. Of course, you would want to keep abreast of any changes to the spec before we reach v1.0 to make sure your application generates compliant XPS files. Go to www.microsoft.com/xps for the latest version of the spec (v.75).
I hope this format starts to leak before the next OS.

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