Sending a odt file format to windows user

[Graham Todd]

On Mon, 4 May 2009 05:43:33 -0600
Allen Meyers <texas.chef94 at gmail.com> wrote:

> I have occasion to e-mail attachments to a die hard MS user (business
> contact) and he goes bonkers when he cannot open it.
> (a) what to change the odt to
> (b) how about the font only one I seem to remember from windows that
> is available is century (but not sure 10 pitch)
> Pardon basic nature of this, but this guy is real pain and will not
> agree to even a coverter.
> 
> Thanks

Answering b) first, the core Windows fonts can be downloaded by opening
up in a terminal (console):

sudo apt-get install msttcorefonts

or by typing in:

sudo apt-get install ubuntu-restricted-extras	(this will load
a whole lot of other non-free stuff as well).

You are supposed not to download this if you haven't ever accepted the
Windows EULA, but if you have it doesn't conflict with any licences.

Now to question a):

The Open Document Format (which is .odt) is not supported by
Microsoft....yet.  They made a big song and dance about accepting more
open standards, but since then they have come up with formats that are
neither open or standards.  The Open Office Standard is (AFAIK) the
only format accepted by both the ISO and the EEC, so tell you friend
there will be a need for him/her to send documents in that format
soon, especially if he/she lives in Europe.  Applications that are
available for Linux and Windows are Abiword and OpenOffice, so he/she
could get one of these. In the meantime, using either of these
applications, convert your file by saving it in the .doc version for
XP.  As an alternative, save it in Rich Text Format (.rtf) which Word
can use.

This is a perfect opportunity to extoll the virtues of free (as in
unfettered) software, and how explain that Microsoft want Windows users
to pay out ever more money when compatibility with accepted standards
can be effected by the use of free software that is also available for
Windows.

-- 

Graham Todd