Microsoft To Pull PDF from Office for Windows Only [Updated]

by , 12:10 PM EDT, June 5th, 2006

Following reports that negotiations with Adobe over the use of PDF in Microsoft Office broke down, Microsoft has decided to remove PDF export support from Office 2007 for Windows. According to Bloomberg, Microsoft also planned on including the ability to save files in its new XPS file format, but now will make that an option that PC manufacturers can remove if they want. XPS is Microsoft's own XML-based document standard that many see as a competitor to Adobe's PDF file format.

Adobe publishes the PDF standards and has historically allowed other companies to create their own PDF content creation and reader applications. Adobe's decision to ask Microsoft to charge for the ability to save Word, PowerPoint and Excel files as PDF documents is seen by many as an attempt to keep Microsoft from eroding Acrobat, Adobe's set of PDF creation and modification tools, marketshare.

Luckily for Mac users, Microsoft's decision won't impact them: PDF export is being removed only from the Windows version of the Office Suite. A Microsoft spokesperson confirmed that the company has no plans to drop PDF export support for the Mac.

Right now, Office 2004 includes a plug-in that lets you export to PDF if Acrobat is already installed on your Mac, and also supports the build-in print to PDF option in Mac OS X.

[This article has been updated with additional information regarding Microsoft's plans to remove PDF export features from the Office suite.]