I’ve been reading up on the new Office 12 formats, which will be based on XML. Hmmm. Way smaller than existing binary formats. Distributed in Zip format. Easier to recover data from a corrupted or damaged file. Open. Easy (well, easier) to repurpose content.
OK, Scoble, maybe you’re right and this is a big deal after all.
Office 2003 has XML formats, but we barely mention them in Special Edition Using Microsoft Office 2003, because (as Brian Jones acknowledges in the Channel 9 video), they were pretty crude and essentially useless. I don’t know of anyone who’s seriously using XML in Office 2003, and anyone who is probably deserves a medal. This approach looks like the Office team is finally taking XML seriously.
So, when does the beta start? And is the Office team going to give technical beta testers enough time and input to really work out the kinks in these new formats and the rest of Office 12? In the past two beta cycles, the Office team has done a miserable job of communicating with beta testers, in my opinion. I hope this changes.
Update: Microsoft’s press release is here.
Ed Bott 
Ed: I’ve been burned so many times by the “this Office version is going to do XML right/better” mantra. In fact, I’m sure that back in 1998 when we started drafting proposals and outlines for “Special Edition Using Office 2000,” XML was one of the new features then that was going to turn Office on its head. Kughen, you reading this, am I right?
Fast forward to 2002, I’m at Wiley instead of Que, 2 office versions later (skipping over XP to 2003) and I was hearing “XML is really done right in Office this time. yeah, we know no one uses it in XP but they will in 2003.” We’re not the only publisher who has Office 2003 & XML books that are at the bottom of our overall sales charts.
I wouldn’t bet against Scoble but I doubt there will be much that will convince publishers or bookstores to publish or stock Office “12” XML books. Coverage within your general Special Edition Using Office book this time makes sense though.