Sick of PDF? Turn to Microsoft's XPS for Windows Vista

XPS is one of the new technologies and initiatives from Microsoft that is still making its first baby steps, even through it has been around since 2006. Pre-dating the commercial release of Windows Vista, XPS will never pick up from the ground by itself. Along with the HD Photo format, the success of XPS is synonymous with the ubiquity of Windows Vista.

XPS can be described in various ways. Microsoft for example is interpreting it as a new document standard, "platform independent, openly published and available royalty-free". However, it is in fact Microsoft's alternative to Adobe's PDF. Going against Adobe's PDF is no easy task – not even for Microsoft – just because PDF is universal, as much as the JPEG format is for images. But the Redmond Company has one more ace up its sleeve.

Or in this case, it has two: its flagship products, and Microsoft's main cash cows. The new versions of the Windows platform and the office system made available in 2007, will also serve to deliver XPS to users. The issue with all new standards is that they have to be adopted by users. This of course can be an active action, controlled by the consumers, or a passive takeover. Because as Windows Vista and the Office 2007 System become ubiquitous as they erode and replace Windows XP and Office 2003, the user base of XPS will also grow.

While being a native format in Windows Vista and Office 2007, XPS can also be brought to Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. In mid April 2007, Microsoft has updated the XPS Essentials Pack 1.0. The pack is supported on Vista, XP and Windows Server 2003, and will deliver a stand-alone viewer for XPS documents. Users will be able to access XPS documents outside of .NET Framework 3.0 and Internet Explorer 7. Still, this will be a long and silent battle, but in the end, XPS will match PDF, taking into consideration the installed base of Windows Vista.

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