Tight situation... WordPerfect

[BarfBag]

Our church secretary just got a new PC. It's a really nice multimedia PC. She's upgrading from a Pentium II with 64 MB of Ram and Windows 98, so there's a HUGE jump in software.

Unfortunately, she's simply not open to change. If she had her way, I don't think she'd even use a computer. We "rediscovered" this when we set up the PC with newer software (OpenOffice, Windows XP, etc). Basically, we HAVE to have use her old software. No compromising.

All of her documents are WordPerfect. OpenOffice opens them fine, but as I said - it has to be WordPerfect. I need some guidance. She doesn't have the original CD/Floppy on hand (it's that old), but thinks she knows where it is. Is there any way of getting this old version to run under XP? I'm not sure of the exact version, but it's long before Corel bought it.

An alternative would be to install a Linux distro, and skin it to look identical to Windows 98. That wouldn't be a problem - there are already distros that are made to look that way (Puppy, for example). Are older versions of WordPerfect compatible with Wine or Crossover? Can they print under emulation? Another crucial app is PowerChurch. I hadn't heard of it until I worked on this, so I don't expect you guys to know much about it either.

Any help is appreciated.

[.t.]

I suggest she learn to live with it. Sorry. Admittedly, that wasn't very helpful. However, I'm sure that she'd soon adapt (especially if she were to be using Ubuntu, say), and enjoy doing so.

[SishGupta]

I suggest she learn to live with it. Sorry. Admittedly, that wasn't very helpful. However, I'm sure that she'd soon adapt (especially if she were to be using Ubuntu, say), and enjoy doing so.

I am assuming this person is oldish (50+)
It can be much harder for an older person to use something new. Studies have shown that the learning curve increases exponentially with age.
I have to agree that she learn to live with it though, but i would try to convince her with tact. Tell her that in the end she and the church can be more productive by using newer software, but she must take the time and chance to use it properly.

Printing under wine should theoretically be possible, though I don't know if it is. Again wine is not an emulator.

Powerchurch sounds like a friggin' ripoff for what it does. Its $600 usd for the latest version.
I don't know if it would be a suitable replacement, but if you could convince her to try new software maybe something like school tool, which is a python webapp found in the ubuntu main repository.

is the old version of wordperfect a dos version? why doesn't it work in XP?
If it is because it is a dos version, try dosbox for either ubuntu or windows.

[slimdog360]

just tell her its a new version of wordperfect, god will punish you if you dont.

[teet]

Is it wordperfect 6.1 by chance?

I tried to install that under Windows XP once (using the original 11 floppy disks which all were still good, surprisingly) and it didn't work...just so you know.

-teet

[Sammi]

Try Abiword instead of OpenOffice. It's simpler and should be less of a shock.

[adam.tropics]

just tell her its a new version of wordperfect, god will punish you if you dont.

I like that! Skin the splash screen, she'll never know the difference!!

[Dr. C]

I would first find out which version of Wordperfect she has. If it is a 32bit NT compatible version it will likely install and run fine in XP. Windows 3.xx versions and Windows 95 / 98 versions may also work. I also found that most Windows 3.xx office software will install and run fine in Windows XP provided it was not infected with copy protection (the DRM of the day). I recently installed an old Win 3.1 application that was on 5 1/4 in floppies in Windows XP running in VMware on Ubuntu Dapper, by networking the 5 1/4 in floppy drive of an old Pentium 200 MHz running Windows NT 4.

DOS software is another matter so i wonder if thet version of Wordperfect 6.1 mentioned before was a DOS version.

Other options are getting a new version of Wordperfect for XP. it is not that expensive, unlike MS Office, Getting the old Worperfect 8 for Linux. It can still be found online. Installing it and dealing with the dependencies is real tricky. Running DOS, Win 3.1 or 98 etc in VMWare with the version of Wordperfect. etc.

[adam.tropics]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Corel-WordPerfect-Office-X3-Standard-Word-Perfect-13_W0QQitemZ330097532123QQcategoryZ51338QQrdZ1QQss PageNameZWD9VQQcmdZViewItem

[userundefine]

Agreed... customize OO to be as close to WP as you can get it (toolbars in the same order, etc.).

[DoctorMO]

Why would someone ask for windows xp help on an ubuntu forum? don't we have some sort of windows heathen forum specially for these problems so us linux zealots don't sully our eyes with them?

[adam.tropics]

Why would someone ask for windows xp help on an ubuntu forum? don't we have some sort of windows heathen forum specially for these problems so us linux zealots don't sully our eyes with them?

I think it's a confidence booster! So he can nudge the Lady into Linux without her knowledge. Clearly he wonders if that is acceptable behavior, and equally clearly, of course it is!

[K.Mandla]

Why would someone ask for windows xp help on an ubuntu forum? don't we have some sort of windows heathen forum specially for these problems so us linux zealots don't sully our eyes with them?
Nope, we embrace all types here -- XP, Linux, Mac ... all the way back to the lowly Atari 2600 and beyond. For the really tough Windows questions there's a special place to ask them.

http://www.ubuntuforums.org/forumdisplay.php?f=170

:popcorn:

[DoctorMO]

Nope, we embrace all types here -- XP, Linux, Mac ... all the way back to the lowly Atari 2600 and beyond. For the really tough Windows questions there's a special place to ask them.

Do I have to hug them? I'm worried I might catch something ;-)

[siimo]

Show her ubuntu christian edition :biggrin:

[use a name]

Hehe, yeah, indeed.

Maybe you can get it to work in dosbox?

[Michl]

WordPerfect 6.1 installs and runs without a hitch
in Windows XP. I installed it on three different
computers running XP. Of course, it also runs
on Windows 2000.

I am a WordPerfect fan of all versions up to and
including 6.1. Recently, I have switched to oo and
one thing I like about it is that it is as flexible
and easy to use as Word Perfect. I know it has a
MSweird look, but in terms of layout and choices
it is quite close to WordPerfect. I bet you can
get her to switch to Open Office. A lot of us older
folks stuck it out with WordPerfect because we
hated how Microsoft was shoved down our
throats at work. Open Office is the perfect
solution.

Michl