Compatibility

Ever since I first became aware of computers as a young teen, I have been aware of the issue of compatibility. Back then, in the pre-Windows dominated world of personal computers (yes, such an era did exist), the big issue was between DOS and Apple operating systems. A file saved in one system couldn't be used in another (or so I believe, as I never did encounter an Apple system in those days). The rise of Windows and the decline of Apple reduced the compatibility issue to a large extent...until now. The new Office 2007 software looks a whole lot different than the Office 3.x-Office 97 versions, and the default file extension is .docx not .doc. Why is this important? Well, Office 2007 was installed in my company's offices last year, and has more recently been installed in my client's offices in Qatar. I had written something in a Word document the other day, and saved. When I came back to my hotel and tried to open the file on my own laptop, it wouldn't. I had saved it as a .docx file, not .doc. Thankfully, in this day and age, we are not left to our own devices. We may be little lambs lost in the wood, but there's always Google to help us out. A search led me to the Digital Inspiration blog, which pointed me to the wonderful service at zamzar.com. The free file conversion was completed in less than 10 minutes. Thanks, fellas.