Published on Newswire, February 25 2000

The computer industry is so full of vapourware that it's sometimes hard to distinguish between products that have been delayed due to genuine problems (ambitious schedules, unexpected glitches, marketing nightmares) and products that companies never had any intention of developing. Nonetheless, I'm quite willing to go out on a limb and predict that Microsoft is not planning to release a version of Microsoft Office for Linux, now or any time in the near future.

The notion that Microsoft might develop a port of Office for Linux has been rumbling around for several years, but the rumours have been picking up pace recently. At CeBIT this week, Linuxcare executive Arthur Tyde told reporters that he had heard that 34 developers were working on the project, which has given rise to a fresh round of speculation.

Although a release of Office would undoubtedly make Linux much more appealing as a desktop OS for businesses, I can't see much motivation from Microsoft's point of view in developing it. Office represents Microsoft's single most profitable business; Windows follows close behind. No matter how open it might want to appear in the light of the recent antitrust trial, I can't see it cutting the cord between those two cash heaps any time soon.

However, I can easily see a motivation for Microsoft to spread a little disinformation about possible plans for a Linux Office offering; namely, to convince businesses who are thinking of using Linux in some circumstances that it's still wise to invest heavily in Office on other PCs. And in fact, the company has a fairly unhealthy history of doing just that.

In late 1995 and early 1996, when Java was being heavily hyped as the future of computing, rumours began circulating that Microsoft was working on a Java port of Office. Microsoft officials never confirmed the rumours, but didn't go out of their way to deny them either. However, now Java is firmly off the boil as an environment (whatever its status as a development model), there appears to be no evidence that Microsoft ever planned to move in that direction.

A related pattern can be seen with Windows CE. Before its release, rumours abounded that it would offer full access to the entire range of Office file formats. This turned out to be a slight exaggeration; Word and Excel (in cut-down versions) is about as far as it gets. Nonetheless, CE is the only platform which has been even partially added to the standard Office list (Windows and Macintosh) in recent years.

This shows, I think, Microsoft's fundamental approach. Even on its own platform, it doesn't want to completely undermine the main version of Office; it'll offer file compatibility and a similar interface, but the whizzbang tools are staying with the cash cow. The wisest move for Linux enthusiasts is probably not to keep spreading or discussing the hype, but to embrace StarOffice. It's always safer to move with a product that's already here (and hey, it's free!).