Are old manuals available ?

[Odessa]

I use Calibre 4.23, and know where to find old downloads of the program. But are old versions of the manual available ?

I have a pdf manual of Calibre 6.7.1. I was wondering whether I could find the equivalent for 4.23, as the one I have refers to some features which are lacking in my version of the program.

Thank you.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Odessa

I use Calibre 4.23, and know where to find old downloads of the program. But are old versions of the manual available ?

I have a pdf manual of Calibre 6.7.1. I was wondering whether I could find the equivalent for 4.23, as the one I have refers to some features which are lacking in my version of the program.

Thank you.

Can you update calibre? What OS do you run?

[Odessa]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Can you update calibre? What OS do you run?

No, I can't. I'm on Windows 7. Calibre 4.23 is the last compatible version, and on the download page, it's even mentioned that 3.48 is the one to stick to.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Odessa

No, I can't. I'm on Windows 7. Calibre 4.23 is the last compatible version, and on the download page, it's even mentioned that 3.48 is the one to stick to.

Is your computer a 64-bit system able to run Windows 10? If yes, you can upgrade for free. But you have to hurry as you won't be able to upgrade in 2025. Once running Windows 10 64-bit, you can install the latest calibre and keep your calibre updated.

[kovidgoyal]

No I dont maintain a collection of old manuals.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Is your computer a 64-bit system able to run Windows 10? If yes, you can upgrade for free.

Only sometimes, but if it doesn't register all that happens is the desktop background is black. Win10 is not free to ALL Win7 users, according to Microsoft.
Some 64 cpus with Win7 won't run Windows 10 64 bit properly, or won't install it, especially some Atom and similar CPUs where Intel limited addressable RAM to 4G.
They'll all run 64 bit Linux, though if there is a 32bit UEFI/BIOS install is a bit more complicated.
The 32 bit Linux (some are older versions) I think will run up to Calibre 5.44 version. The 64 Bit Linux will just about run on 2G RAM and 32 G Flash/SSD/HDD, though 4G and 80G is better. Only 3.3G of my 16G RAM is in use and 31 Gbyte of the NVMe SSD for OS is in use (512G and the 870G user files are on a 3T HDD, which includes a massive image library of PD art and all my files since 1994).

[theducks]

I have a copy of 4.17 in EPUB if it is OK with Kovid.

BUT
In most cases, the current manual should still work for earlier version, (sans the look and feel part), as almost all the changes are just ADDITIONAL features.

[kovidgoyal]

yeah you can probably find all the old versions on internet archive as well.

[Odessa]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

No I dont maintain a collection of old manuals.

Thank you for your answer.

[Odessa]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Is your computer a 64-bit system able to run Windows 10? If yes, you can upgrade for free. But you have to hurry as you won't be able to upgrade in 2025. Once running Windows 10 64-bit, you can install the latest calibre and keep your calibre updated.

It's 64-bit for sure. As for W10 compatibility, I've tried to check that in the past, and I think I'm OK, although I'm not sure. Thanks for the video.

Calibre is indeed one of the very few programs for which I'd be willing to upgrade, in order to benefit from new features. Maybe the only one.

I'd certainly not upgrade for Microsoft Office. I run on Office 2003, and I'm convinced that this 20-year old banger is better than what passes for Office nowadays.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by Odessa

I'd certainly not upgrade for Microsoft Office. I run on Office 2003, and I'm convinced that this 20-year old banger is better than what passes for Office nowadays.

How do you do docx?

I have Office 2002/XP with the docx upgrade, but it can't save docx.
I have Word 2003. No docx because it's installed on WINE and the add-in I had for Word 2002 wouldn't install.

I have Word 2007 on Win7, it has docx and I added a plugin for classic show everything menus.

But I've been using LO Writer for docx for years on Windows and now only on Linux.

[Odessa]

Originally Posted by theducks

I have a copy of 4.17 in EPUB if it is OK with Kovid.

BUT
In most cases, the current manual should still work for earlier version, (sans the look and feel part), as almost all the changes are just ADDITIONAL features.

Well, that would be awfully kind of you, as I've looked up in Archive.org and Manualzilla, and only found a few very old manuals. What's the easiest technical way for you to transmit me a copy ? (My forum practice is a bit rusty...)

[Odessa]

Originally Posted by Quoth

How do you do docx?

I have Office 2002/XP with the docx upgrade, but it can't save docx.
I have Word 2003. No docx because it's installed on WINE and the add-in I had for Word 2002 wouldn't install.

I have Word 2007 on Win7, it has docx and I added a plugin for classic show everything menus.

But I've been using LO Writer for docx for years on Windows and now only on Linux.

I don't do docx . Mind you, I could. I have an ages-old Microsoft add-on which allows me to read and write docx files. I use it very seldom when reading a Word file from outside.

I have toyed with the idea of saving my own documents in docx, but decided against it. I know it's theoretically better than doc, but the only real advantage, for me, would be smaller files. However, I don't need smaller files. Even with the smaller disks available on the market nowadays, I still have a huge amount of unused storage space.

And there was a definite disadvantage, for me, to using docx, which I do not remember presently, but it settled the matter for me.

I bought the 2018 edition of Soft Maker Office, which is nice, and offers the choice between docx and doc, but it still does not compete with Word 2003 for the things I do everyday (and are quite simple).

It also has (or had ?) a free version, which is not bad at all. As far as I remember, it has a Linux version as well. You might give it a try.

I tested Libre Office a while ago, and found it wanting as a Word 2003 replacement.

Do you manage to get Word 2003 menus on Word 2007 ? I've never used the ribbon, and it seems everybody hates it.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Odessa

Well, that would be awfully kind of you, as I've looked up in Archive.org and Manualzilla, and only found a few very old manuals. What's the easiest technical way for you to transmit me a copy ? (My forum practice is a bit rusty...)

It is a bit over 3MB. Not a PM
Can you send me a PM with a email account that can accept 3.3MB attachments?

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by Odessa

I tested Libre Office a while ago, and found it wanting as a Word 2003 replacement.

You do need to change the default settings. I find it far easier to use the style and outline "navigators". Also you need to edit in in odt and do an extra save as in docx. It's been better for stanalone use for years. The only reason to use MS Word is if in an office/company were everyone is using Word, but that can be solved too.

Originally Posted by Odessa

Do you manage to get Word 2003 menus on Word 2007 ? I've never used the ribbon, and it seems everybody hates it.

There is a 3rd party plug-in available. Ribbon is banished. Looks and works like Word 2003/2002 mostly.

I do have three iterations of 2007 compatibility for XP-2002/2003 Word. But my Word XP-2002 throws an error when I try to Save As in docx. It reads it OK.

MS doc format has about 4 incompatible versions and is nearly dead. Calibre exports in docx, not doc. Best input from Wordprocessor to Calibre to make epub is docx. I do an extra Save As in docx for calibre.

Upload of doc to Smashwords and Amazon (or docx to Amazon) is dreadful compared to epub.

LO Writer does perfect PDF export too. It will read & convert RTF, doc (several versions), docx etc. If you used doc or docx every load & save would be a conversion. Load doc ONCE, fix styles, and save odt.

I sold, installed and customised MS products inc. Office for over a decade.

Styles & Outlining work better in LO Writer. I only have bold, italic, reset formating, clear formatting, super and sub scripts on format bar. All "white space"/indents/margins etc are paragraph styles.