Re: No Word 2007 Viewer?

But wait... Such simple things as text reflow is not what I was getting at.
I was talking about whole chunks of content getting tossed out the window by
converting down from 2007 to earlier. Or does that not happen? (Yes, it took
me that long to think about it and reread your post, <g>.)

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS-MVP Shell/User
http://grystmill.com

"Gary S. Terhune" <none> wrote in message
news:eEG3FT49IHA.3884@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I take your point. I forget that sometimes because while I have PDF
creating tools coming out the yin-yang, including Adobe Acrobat, I never
expect others to, and until Office 2003 came out, I wasn't in the least bit
impressed with the output of Office's PDF maker. Truth be told, not only
has Office much improved in that regard, other companies have done so,
also. There are even some decent freeware PDF makers out there, I hear. So,
if I use Office 2007 to create a document showing off it's full potential,
it can save to PDF and remain faithful to the original (except for
interactive parts)? (Export may not be the right word, though it's what I
recall. Unfortunately, I'm not sure that the PDF tools in my Word 2003 are
from Microsoft or from plug-ins from my Acrobat installation.

But then there's all those people who couldn't make a PDF file open if
their life depended on it ;-).

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS-MVP Shell/User
http://grystmill.com

"Graham Mayor" <gmayor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:uZ5Dsy39IHA.5872@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I think it is fair to say also that no version of Word (and I assume the
viewer also) can ensure that the document opened is an exact facsimile of
the original document as seen by the writer, for reasons that are
expounded at http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Formatting/TextReflow.htm . If you
want to ensure that a document appears to the reader as it does to the
writer, PDF format is the only solution. There are PDF creation tools at
various prices from free to Adobe Acrobat.

--
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com
Word MVP web site http://word.mvps.org
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>


Herb Tyson [MVP] wrote:
I grasp your point -- you don't see the document as the author did if
Word 2007 was used to create it in Word 2007 format. I face that
problem, and often send clients .pdf files instead of Word files, so
they can see the graphics as intended. And, perhaps Microsoft will
come out with a genuine Word 2007 viewer at some point. That would be
nice. Until they do, however, the free add-in that creates .pdf file
seems to fill the gap.
You said:

Not for viewing as intended by the author. What you get is a Word
2003 DOC file that you can read, not edit.

The first part is accurate, the second part is not. You can indeed
edit Word 97-2003 .doc files using Word 2003 (whether converted by
Word 2007 or by Word 2003 using the Office 2007 compatibility pack).
You simply can't access new Word 2007-only features unless you're
using Word 2007.
If you want Word 2007-created graphics to be editable by Word 2003 and
earlier (when creating files from Word 2007), work with the file in
compatibility mode, and use the older graphics features, which are
included with Word 2007 for that purpose. If you choose Insert -
Chart in compatibility mode, you'll get the old chart applet. If you
choose Insert - SmartArt, you'll get the old org chart applet. Ditto
Insert - Equation. They're there, and they work.

They aren't as pretty as 2007's but they are functional, and the
resulting elements are fully editable in earlier versions of Word.

If someone wants Word 2007 features... there's an easy, but not
inexpensive, solution.

If I give someone a DVD, I have no expectation that they'll be
successful playing it in their VCR.


"Gary S. Terhune" <none> wrote in message
news:OBxwzi19IHA.2332@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Bob Buckland ?:-)" <75214.226(At Beautiful Downtown)compuserve.com>
wrote in message news:%23p7gsPq9IHA.4820@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hi Gary,

The Word 2007 viewer is basically the Word 2003 viewer with the
Compatability Pack included in the download. You can view .docX and
.docM files with it.

No, you can't. You can view only those docs after they've been
converted, but not in their original formatting. That's my point.
For every version of Word before this, there was a Word Viewer that
rendered it properly.
Using either approach (upgrading/installing the new viewer pack) or
installing the Office 2007 compatibility pack with your Word
2003 viewer should generally allow you to open Word 2007 documents
for viewing, not editing.

Not for viewing as intended by the author. What you get is a Word
2003 DOC file that you can read, not edit.

The Office 2007 compatibility pack also adds to versions of Word
2000, 2002/XP and 2003 the ability to both open and save in the
.DocX/.DocM formats. It does not upgrade those older versions to
be able to use all of the new features of Word 2007, and some
content that is 'active' (editable) in Word 2007 will be static
(picture of) in earlier versions and the viewer. If you run Word
2007 in compatibility mode you also shut off several of the new
Word 2007 only features.

As is the case with the Adobe Reader, the viewers are free, and
it's the first time in over a decade that Microsoft has chosen to
change the document file format. The XML based docucments can be
edited and manipulated (and even viewed) without having any
Microsoft Office products on your computer if you're willing to
locate other apps or create your own :)

When Office 97 came out with the then 'new format' the same choices
(get a viewer, add a conversion pack or 'save as' in the old
format were basically the ones presented).

Of course folks with Access 2007 files don't have any worries about
folks with older versions of Access being able to 'just open'
those files too? <g>

As I've pointed out, you totally misss the poiint. Yes, there was a
Word 97 Viewer that showed you exactly what the document would look
like in Word 97. There is NOT a Viewer for Word 2007 DOCX/DOCM
formats that show the content as it was intended to be seen by the
author. There is only the option to convert it to Word 2003 and then
view that Word 2003 document. --
Gary S. Terhune
MS-MVP Shell/User
http://grystmill.com


=============
<<"Gary S. Terhune" <none> wrote in message
news:%23lQwQrm9IHA.1428@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
<rant>

Is it Microsoft's position that only those who actually possess Word
20007
get to see DOCX files in their original format? That all anyone
else can do
is convert to an earlier format, thereby losing possibly important
components, layout, etc.?

Microsoft (if you're reading this) or Office MVPs, if you care to
carry the
message: When I go to Downloads and ask for the Word Viewer 2007
and it gives me "Word Viewer" and says that it replaces Word Viewer
2003, is it unreasonable for me to assume that this new Word Viewer
will allow me to open and view Word 2007 documents? After all,
there's one for PowerPoint 2007, and one for Visio 2007, and though
I'm not sure about the Excel viewer, it says it lets you view Excel
2007 documents (though maybe this one
is like the Word one and only works by using the Conversion pack to
convert
it to some earlier format?)

Word 2007 users just don't rate? My Word 2007 was really only worth
upgrading to if I'm *only* collaborating with other Word 2007
users? For anyone else, I have to save in an earlier format, or
depend on the other user to install "Conversion Kits" and obsolete
Word 2003 viewer? Which incredible mess I can simply bypass by
creating the DOC file in Word 2003?
Where's the value in upgrading?

It's a downright crappy way to treat Word 2007 users.

</rant>

Thank you for listening. Did I get any facts wrong? Should I simply
uninstall my Office 2007 and go back to Office 2003? It was
certainly easier
to work with. Should I, in the future, strongly recommend against
upgrading
to Office 2007 unless my client is going to upgrade his whole
office, his whole family and all of his friends, not to mention
others he might like to
impress with features that only Office 2007 users can view properly?

Or, is there really any difference between the new format and the
old? Is anything really lost when you convert back to Word 2003
format? --
Gary S. Terhune >>
--

Bob Buckland ?:-)
MS Office System Products MVP

*Courtesy is not expensive and can pay big dividends*






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