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johngordon

Modern versions of Word for Mac can't open old Word file formats. [support.microsoft.com] Bit shocking really. My Word 95/97 Windows docs can't be opened.

johngordon

... I found Word 2007 in an old XP VM and it could open the Word 97 documents. If nothing else, I thought Word would be able to open old Word documents.

johngordon

... I mean, that's the kind of cr*p I expect from Apple...

33mhz

@johngordon Oh, I thought there was just a compatibility pack that allowed it. Maybe not for Mac.

johngordon

@33mhz Doesn't seem to exist for Mac, but Office 365 license gives me Word I can try out in my WIn 10 VM. My Word 97 from XP VM just opened a WordPerfect file from 1990 ...

johngordon

@33mhz I confirmed the compatibility pack is windows only. I'll try my Word 365 Win version sometime.

joeo10

@johngordon Wow, I thought Word compatibility mode works for Macs. I guess not...

clarkgoble

@johngordon @33mhz I always just keep a VM with XP for old documents.

clarkgoble

@33mhz @johngordon Yup there’s the Office Migration Manager but it’s Windows only. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=21888

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clarkgoble

@33mhz @johngordon There was a program called MacLinkPlus that did pretty good conversions of all formats from the 80’s and 90’s. Unfortunately its PPC. I’m pretty sure I have a copy on my old G5. (Which hasn’t been booted in years)

clarkgoble

@33mhz @johngordon Reportedly LibreOffice can do the conversion as well. http://www.libreoffice.org/download/libreoffice-fresh/

jws

@johngordon Suspect they maybe dropped a lot of old code with the move away from Carbon?

clarkgoble

@33mhz @johngordon Huh. An other interesting option. A version of WordPerfect under a fully functional SheepShaver. I was never able to ever get that to work, so this is interesting. http://www.columbia.edu/~em36/wpdos/mac-intel.html

clarkgoble

@33mhz @johngordon Wow that all works. Completely illegal I’m sure. It includes not just Apple’s ROMs but copies of Word Perfect, and lots of other apps from the 90’s including ATM and MacLink Plus.

johngordon

@clarkgoble that is SO awesome. I have an original WordPerfect function key card. When they were in a left kb block as God intended. @33mhz

johngordon

@clarkgoble I remember maclinkplus @33mhz

johngordon

@clarkgoble … used it long ago. There are web sites that will do conversions. Wonder if they use MLP in a VM.

johngordon

@clarkgoble Really need someone to assemble ultimate DOS 3.1 VM with all productivity apps of the 80s. Borland, SMART, Ami…

johngordon

@clarkgoble @33mhz On Twitter Charles Stross also favored LibreOffice

33mhz

@johngordon @clarkgoble ah, of course. LiberOffice gots the juice.

clarkgoble

@johngordon @33mhz Yeah MacLink was a cool program. Surprised they didn’t bother to keep it up. It’s one of those apps that probably doesn’t take a lot to develop but people are willing to pay a lot for.

clarkgoble

@johngordon @33mhz The MacLink they include isn’t installed so you still need your registration number. Bummer. As I said I have the PPC OSX version on my old G5.

clarkgoble

@johngordon @33mhz Still now I wonder if there’s a way to hook a floppy up to your Mac so I can install Strategic Conquest and party like it’s 1995.

johngordon

@clarkgoble doubt I have my old registration number but I’ll look @33mhz

clarkgoble

@johngordon @33mhz I think part of the problem that makes it more difficult is typically registration number only applies to a particular version number.