Redux--docXConverter 1.0 works All the Time

In our hands-on review of docXConverter by Panergy, we lauded it for beating Microsoft's Mac BU "to market" with a Mac converter for Word 2007 documents in their new default XML format. But we also noted that docXConverter 1.0 failed to convert two widely available sample Word 2007 XML (or .docx) documents (.doc 1 and .docx 2). However, docXConverter converted a dozen or so other .docx documents just fine.

Daniel Pohoryles of Panergy wrote us with an explanation:

"The reason why some docx files could not be opened by docXConverter is because the sample.docx file available from OpenXMLDeveloper.com was done with Word 2007 beta 1 TR. This file cannot be opened by the Word 2007 released version because the docx format has changed between beta 1 TR (March 2006) and the final release. About the file from from OSNews it is certainly a similar problem as Word 2007 detects it as a corrupted file. In both cases the Word 2007 released version (the one of 30 November 2006 that Microsoft is selling) does not open these files."

We confirmed that our copy, a trial copy, of the shipping version of Word 2007 can not open either sample .docx document that stumped docXConverter 1.0. Therefore, we are unaware of any instance where docXConverter 1.0, $20 shareware, has failed to convert a Word 2007 .docx document so it can be read on a Mac. Daniel told us that a v1.0.1 would be out soon with improved error messages. [Bill Fox]