Volkswriter - Revision history

Thorsted at 22:00, 21 October 2022

2022-10-21T22:00:12Z

Dan Tobias at 23:39, 23 April 2018

2018-04-23T23:39:46Z

Dan Tobias at 12:49, 7 June 2013

2013-06-07T12:49:03Z

Dan Tobias at 12:45, 7 June 2013

2013-06-07T12:45:12Z

Dan Tobias: Created page with "{{FormatInfo |formattype=electronic |subcat=Document |extensions={{ext|vw}}, {{ext|vw3}} }} '''Volkswriter''' was a popular word processor for the PC-DOS platform in the 1980..."

2013-06-07T12:43:27Z

Created page with "{{FormatInfo |formattype=electronic |subcat=Document |extensions={{ext|vw}}, {{ext|vw3}} }} '''Volkswriter''' was a popular word processor for the PC-DOS platform in the 1980..."

New page

{{FormatInfo
|formattype=electronic
|subcat=Document
|extensions={{ext|vw}}, {{ext|vw3}}
}}

'''Volkswriter''' was a popular word processor for the PC-DOS platform in the 1980s. Originally released by Lifetree Software, it was later bought out by some of its employees and spun off as a separate company (which was lauded for a while as a successful move), but never managed to successfully transision to the newer, Windows-based PC market.

Like most word processors of that era, Volkswriter was not that far removed from a text editor (the distinction between text editors and word processors was nowhere near as solid then as now). The plain-text parts of a document are stored as normal [[ASCII]], and so should be recoverable even lacking a program with specific Volkswriter import capability. However, a number of special embedded commands such as control codes and "dot command" lines were used, which might cause a document to show up with lots of enbedded gibberish if loaded into a program that doesn't understand these codes.

('''TO DO''': if somebody can find a Volkswriter manual or other documentation which explains the specific embedded commands, that would be very useful information to add here.)

Due to its popularity at the time, there was sometimes a Volkswriter import mode in slightly-later word processors including [[WordPerfect]]. However, this is rarely found now since Volkswriter is considered so archaic.

== Software ==
* [http://www.macdisk.com/conven.php WinConv] - software to handle text conversion between various formats including Volkswriter; commercial software with limited trial mode

== Links ==
* [[Wikipedia:VolksWriter|Wikipedia article]]
* [http://www.personalcomputernews.co.uk/pcnb/html/076/personal_computer_news_076_volkswriter_deluxe_ibm_pc.html Volkswriter review]
* [http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1986-02-01/business/0190390031_1_layouts-program-easy-to-learn 'Volkswriter 3' Is Word-processing Program Not Likely To Be Outgrown]
* [http://www.thefreelibrary.com/The+Volkswriter+turnaround.-a09631667 The Volkswriter Turnaround]

@@ Line 20: / Line 20: @@
 == Links ==
 * [[Wikipedia:VolksWriter|Wikipedia article]]
 * [http://www.personalcomputernews.co.uk/pcnb/html/076/personal_computer_news_076_volkswriter_deluxe_ibm_pc.html Volkswriter review]
 * [http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1986-02-01/business/0190390031_1_layouts-program-easy-to-learn 'Volkswriter 3' Is Word-processing Program Not Likely To Be Outgrown]
 * [http://www.thefreelibrary.com/The+Volkswriter+turnaround.-a09631667 The Volkswriter Turnaround]

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 |formattype=electronic
 |subcat=Document
 |extensions={{ext|vw}}, {{ext|vw3}}
 |released=1982

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-'''Volkswriter''' was a popular word processor for the PC-DOS platform in the 1980s. Originally released by Lifetree Software, it was later bought out by some of its employees and spun off as a separate company (which was lauded for a while as a successful move), but never managed to successfully transision to the newer, Windows-based PC market.
+'''Volkswriter''' was a popular word processor for the PC-DOS platform in the 1980s with a name inspired by Volkswagen. Originally released by Lifetree Software, it was later bought out by some of its employees and spun off as a separate company (which was lauded for a while as a successful move), but never managed to successfully transision to the newer, Windows-based PC market.
 Like most word processors of that era, Volkswriter was not that far removed from a text editor (the distinction between text editors and word processors was nowhere near as solid then as now). The plain-text parts of a document are stored as normal [[ASCII]], and so should be recoverable even lacking a program with specific Volkswriter import capability. However, a number of special embedded commands such as control codes and "dot command" lines were used, which might cause a document to show up with lots of enbedded gibberish if loaded into a program that doesn't understand these codes.