need examples of non-free format abandonment
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For example: a non-free software proprietor stops software/security updates to old-format, and introduces new-format, to encourage everyone to buy new-software.
Links to articles would be great if you know of any.
Microsoft? They abandoned .doc and switched to OOXML (although .doc support is still there)
I would say that's an improvement as .doc, .xls, and .ppt were binary and not standardized. At least with the new formats, they are XML based and more open even if Microsoft doesn't follow the ISO standard.
Best example: the microsoft works database.
Microsoft works is an old office suite which has been abandoned years ago.
If you have stored all your data in works formats, then good luck converting them!
I know that it's pretty hard when it comes to the database files.
What if you use this program in Office 2003 or 2007 and then save in a newer format or OpenDocument via a plugin or native support in 2007?
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=12
FYI this is the other plugin for older Office: http://sourceforge.net/projects/odf-converter/
This refers to the works word format, not the database.
In fact, I found quite a few converter for "works word" as well as for "works excel", but none for works database.
Appleworks is a great example.
The current version of iWork cannot open the older Appleworks format. Older versions of iWork that can read them are not available from Apple and may be difficult to come by and the PowerPC translation layer, Rosetta cannot be installed on OS X Lion and up making it impossible even to use Appleworks itself.
There is an article called "Abandoning Appleworks"; I won't link it here as it suggests using nonfree software. It does show how much of a headache it is to migrate away from Appleworks.
Fun fact.. documents created in iWork may also embed a PDF version of the document which can be extracted. I haven't touched an iWork file since 2010, but I remember that option.
ISTR a web article by an author/writer back in the day about how by the time of Office 95 Microsoft had abandoned Word v2 format. He was annoyed to say the least, because as a writer he needed long term access to his text. Fortunately he hadn't thrown away the old computer with Word 2 on. He moved to ASCII as it was then. I can't find the article again on a quick search, but it might be worth a dig.
You might also try writing to the secretary of your local/regional GUIDE (z/OS) and VMSHARE (z/VM) user groups. Mainframe owners were on the case of open formats when I started in software back in '84. Unless they've changed lots don't mention W$ to them, it's not polite, generally mainframe people hate it with a passion. :-)
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