Does Microsoft Word have less than 60 days to live?

At first glance, that seems to be the bottom line of a judge's ruling in a patent infringement case in Texas.

On Aug. 12, Judge Leonard Davis of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas ruled that certain aspects of the software program violate a patent held by Canadian software company i4i. The judge ordered Microsoft to stop selling Word 2003 and Word 2007 within 60 days.

The consensus among tech pundits is that Redmond's software powerhouse will find a way to keep its iconic word-processing program on retailers' shelves, perhaps by writing a large check to the smaller company on top of the $240 million leveled in damages and court costs. Or by writing a patch for the program. Or by appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court.

But the decision raises the question: What might a world without Microsoft Word -- a program used to compose countless important and not-so important documents since its introduction in September 1983 -- look like?

Imagine: This guy, an executive type, walks into an electronics store, toting a big box that has obviously been opened, then reclosed.

"May I help you, sir?"

"I want to return this computer."

"What seems to be the problem?"

"It's got no Word."

"I'm sorry?"

"It doesn't have Word on it."

"Oh. But the display card said that Microsoft Word is not installed on this machine."

"Yeah, but ... I thought there would be a CD inside or something."

"Sir, we haven't put software on CDs since 2001."

"Is that on CD? I love that movie!"

"What I mean, sir, is that there was no CD for Microsoft Word included with your computer."

"Yeah, I know that. Where is it?"

"Sir, Microsoft Word does not exist anymore. They've stopped making it."

"How am I supposed to get any work done? Me and my administrative assistant use Word for all our writing."

"There's another word processing program on the computer sir."

"I don't want another word processing program! I can't use another word processing program! I will get confused! It will too hard to learn! What about all my Word documents? I won't be able to open them!"

"But sir, it's Word-compatible. You will be able to work with your documents."

"I want my Microsoft Word! I want my Microsoft Word!"

He collapses into a sobbing heap on the floor. The sales clerk calls for a custodian, who gently scoops him into a wheelbarrow and carts him to a shed in back to add to the collection of WIWs (Wordies in withdrawal).

It might not be that bad.

First, the ruling has no impact on the 47 bazillion copies of Word already installed on computers worldwide, including the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's copies of Word 97 (yep, you read that right).

Second, if people were forced to try other word processors, such as OpenOffice Writer, they might be pleasantly surprised at the usability (OpenOffice Writer is part of a software suite called OpenOffice, which can be downloaded for free over the Internet).

Third, the large numbers of people who never use the ever-growing list of features that have made Word -- as a software program -- grow to the size of New Jersey (and Office to the size of Montana), just might discover a little program that has come free with Windows for eons, called WordPad. Guess what? It's a word processor.

In short, there are options. So, if you hear furtive whispers about Word disappearing, just turn a deaf ear. If worse comes to worst, Microsoft can just buy i4i.

First Published: August 24, 2009, 8:00 a.m.