How about Wordstar?

captcrouton · 05-13-2010, 06:14 AM

So I have these old documents I'm trying to retrieve from the ancient Word Processor known as Wordstar. Nothing opens them up nicely, though I have been using wordpad and just fixing, fixing fixing.

It's not the end of the world if I have to do it this way. But does anyone have a better solution?

Bookster · 05-13-2010, 06:40 AM

I do remember Wordstar... but I haven't anything that old outside floppies (which I can't read anymore). Have you tried OpenOffice?

HarryT · 05-13-2010, 06:43 AM

Word certainly used to be able to import WordStar files; I don't know if it still does.

HarryT · 05-13-2010, 07:01 AM

Further to the above:

Apparently, versions of Office prior to Office 2003 were supplied with an optional import filter for Wordstar, and this can still be downloaded. More details here:

http://www.wordstar.org/wordstar/pag...ert_faq.htm#Q3

Mike L · 05-13-2010, 07:11 AM

Captcrouton,

I like the way you refer to it as "an ancient Word Processor known as Wordstar". Time was when "word processor" and "WordStar" were virtually synonyms. The mighty have indeed fallen.

But, back to your question ...

I was going to point out that WordStar files contain all the text of your document, interspersed with control characters. Any half-way decent programmer should be able to write a simple program to strip out the control characters, leaving just the text (but minus any formatting, such as bold and underscores).

But Harry T has given you a much better solution.

wodin · 05-13-2010, 09:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike L

Captcrouton,

I like the way you refer to it as "an ancient Word Processor known as Wordstar". Time was when "word processor" and "WordStar" were virtually synonyms. The mighty have indeed fallen.

But, back to your question ...

I was going to point out that WordStar files contain all the text of your document, interspersed with control characters. Any half-way decent programmer should be able to write a simple program to strip out the control characters, leaving just the text (but minus any formatting, such as bold and underscores).

But Harry T has given you a much better solution.

There used to be an MSDOS program that did just that, and outputted a text file. I'm afraid I don't remember the name of it though.

kindlekitten · 05-13-2010, 09:46 PM

I've often wondered what happened to Word Perfect. when I worked in my Dad's law office, everything was done on that. on those big old floppies!

pholy · 05-13-2010, 10:48 PM

Do you mean the big old 8" floppies - those were floppy - or the dinky little 5.25" floppies? Certainly not the 3.5" stiffies!

wodin · 05-13-2010, 11:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kindlekitten

I've often wondered what happened to Word Perfect. when I worked in my Dad's law office, everything was done on that. on those big old floppies!

Yup, only lawyers used Word Perfect. Everyone else used WordStar, and MS Word was just a wannabe! Although, some programmers liked Word because it did indents that were useful for some programming languages, like Pasquale.

How times have changed, MS just released Office 2010!

kindlekitten · 05-14-2010, 12:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pholy

Do you mean the big old 8" floppies - those were floppy - or the dinky little 5.25" floppies? Certainly not the 3.5" stiffies!

ummmm you know I think I remember seeing the 8", but we used the 5.25"

Quote:

Originally Posted by wodin

Yup, only lawyers used Word Perfect. Everyone else used WordStar, and MS Word was just a wannabe! Although, some programmers liked Word because it did indents that were useful for some programming languages, like Pasquale.

How times have changed, MS just released Office 2010!

I didn't know that law was such a niche market computer wise! but ohhhhh what a difference it made back then!

lene1949 · 05-14-2010, 02:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kindlekitten

I've often wondered what happened to Word Perfect. when I worked in my Dad's law office, everything was done on that. on those big old floppies!

I loved WordPerfect... I had 2 huge books on this program, and had read them both, and applied everything to WordPerfect... I was really very, very good at it.

I had WordPerfect on my very first computer, which I bought in 1991..

I haven't even bothered to check out macros in Word...

captcrouton · 05-14-2010, 03:28 AM

Thanks all. Harry, I checked your link. It worked like a charm. You've saved me hours.

Indeed, these files were on 3.5 floppies. I was amazed that I actually found the documents. I had to borrow a computer to look at them. Makes me wonder what else I have in that shoe box of floppies.

Solitaire1 · 05-14-2010, 03:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lene1949

I loved WordPerfect... I had 2 huge books on this program, and had read them both, and applied everything to WordPerfect... I was really very, very good at it.

I had WordPerfect on my very first computer, which I bought in 1991..

I haven't even bothered to check out macros in Word...

I used to be a dedicated Wordstar user. For me, Wordstar Version 4 was the best version ever produced. It fixed the limitations of Version 3, while not overcomplicating things like Version 5 did. In fact, when I brought my first PC, one of the deciding factors was that it came with a Wordstar compatible word processor called "Easy" (a simplified version Wordstar made by the same company that made Wordstar).

As great as Wordstar 4 was, for me Wordperfect 5.1 for DOS is the best word processor I've ever used. There was little that I couldn't do with it, and once I got the hang of the keyboard commands it was very easy to use, and much easier to use than working with a mouse. To this day, I still tend to use keyboard commands rather than the mouse whenever possible.

lene1949 · 05-14-2010, 03:42 AM

Yep... I had 5.1

GeoffC · 05-14-2010, 04:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kindlekitten

ummmm you know I think I remember seeing the 8", but we used the 5.25"

I didn't know that law was such a niche market computer wise! but ohhhhh what a difference it made back then!

I seem to remember discs as large as 15 inch? - for data storage and backup program .... can't bring to mind the device, though - used mainly as a comms box....

05-13-2010, 06:14 AM	#1
captcrouton Connoisseur Posts: 63 Karma: 84 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Kyiv, Ukraine Device: Kindle 2	How about Wordstar? So I have these old documents I'm trying to retrieve from the ancient Word Processor known as Wordstar. Nothing opens them up nicely, though I have been using wordpad and just fixing, fixing fixing. It's not the end of the world if I have to do it this way. But does anyone have a better solution?

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05-13-2010, 06:40 AM	#2
Bookster Maniac Posts: 63 Karma: 632 Join Date: Mar 2010 Device: Gen3 PRS505&600 Kindle2 Pocketbook360&302 BeBookmini Onyx Boox Opus	I do remember Wordstar... but I haven't anything that old outside floppies (which I can't read anymore). Have you tried OpenOffice?

05-13-2010, 06:43 AM	#3
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Word certainly used to be able to import WordStar files; I don't know if it still does.

05-13-2010, 07:01 AM	#4
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Further to the above: Apparently, versions of Office prior to Office 2003 were supplied with an optional import filter for Wordstar, and this can still be downloaded. More details here: http://www.wordstar.org/wordstar/pag...ert_faq.htm#Q3

05-13-2010, 07:11 AM	#5
Mike L Wizard Posts: 1,479 Karma: 3846231 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Edinburgh, Scotland Device: Kindle 3, Samsung Galaxy	Captcrouton, I like the way you refer to it as "an ancient Word Processor known as Wordstar". Time was when "word processor" and "WordStar" were virtually synonyms. The mighty have indeed fallen. But, back to your question ... I was going to point out that WordStar files contain all the text of your document, interspersed with control characters. Any half-way decent programmer should be able to write a simple program to strip out the control characters, leaving just the text (but minus any formatting, such as bold and underscores). But Harry T has given you a much better solution.

05-13-2010, 09:46 PM	#7
kindlekitten Professional Adventuress Posts: 13,368 Karma: 50260224 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: The Olympic Peninsula on the OTHER Washington! (the big green clean one on the west coast!) Device: Kindle, the original! Times Two! and gifting an International Kindle	I've often wondered what happened to Word Perfect. when I worked in my Dad's law office, everything was done on that. on those big old floppies!

05-13-2010, 10:48 PM	#8
pholy Booklegger Posts: 1,801 Karma: 7999816 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Device: BeBook(1 & 2010), PEZ, PRS-505, Kobo BT, PRS-T1, Playbook, Kobo Touch	Do you mean the big old 8" floppies - those were floppy - or the dinky little 5.25" floppies? Certainly not the 3.5" stiffies!

05-14-2010, 03:28 AM	#12
captcrouton Connoisseur Posts: 63 Karma: 84 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Kyiv, Ukraine Device: Kindle 2	Thanks all. Harry, I checked your link. It worked like a charm. You've saved me hours. Indeed, these files were on 3.5 floppies. I was amazed that I actually found the documents. I had to borrow a computer to look at them. Makes me wonder what else I have in that shoe box of floppies.

05-14-2010, 03:42 AM	#14
lene1949 Wizard Posts: 1,952 Karma: 213930 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Middelfart, Denmark Device: Kindle paper white	Yep... I had 5.1

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