Consider the WP scene in the mid-80s when I first produced Precedents on Disk for what was then Longman Law Tax & Finance (since purchased by Sweet & Maxwell). We catered for the most common word processor formats of the day, including dedicated word processors like IBM Displaywriter, Decmate, Wang and Wordplex; DOS (PC) word processors including versions of Wordstar, WordPerfect (yay!) and (later) MS Word. We also catered for other OS: Wang OIS, Unix and even Amstrad PCW! We catered not only for differing WP formats, but differing disk formats: 8″, 5.25″, and 3.5″, single/double sided, single/double/high density.

We tried to satisfy the majority. PC formats we produced in-house using various document conversion utilities; the rest we sent out for conversion by a specialist company, though we did later purchase an AlterText system. What a nightmare.

Gradually the WP world standardised. Now we have Word/Open Office and all other apps will read those. Simples.

Check the list below of the formats then in use and weep.

List of legacy word processor formats from Disc Interchange:

AB Dick (Convergent Technologies) DEF
AB Dick Knowledge Worker
ABC 800/8000
AES 7200
AES 7300
AES AES-Plus
AES AESOP
AES C20
AES Multi-Plus
AES Super-Plus
AM 425
Alphatext 4000
Ami Pro
Amtex 425
Bitsy, Triumph Adler
Burroughs B20, B21, B22 (UNISYS) DEF file
Burroughs B20/B25
Burroughs Ofiswriter (UNISYS)
C3 C3/NGEN
CPT 6000, 6100
CPT 8000, 8100
CPT 8500 Series
CPT 9000
CPT Phoenix
CPT Phoenix Jr.
CTOS (DEF WP files)
CTOS NGEN (DEF WP files)
Canon Pagewriter
Claris Works (WP)
Compucorp 600
Compucorp 675 Level B
Compucorp 775 Level C, E
Convergent Technology (DEF WP files)
Convergent Technology NGEN (DEF WP files)
DCA/FFT
DCA/RFT
DEC All-In-1 WPS Plus, DX
DEC DECMate I, WS78
DEC DECMate II
DEC DECMate III
DEC DECMate List Processing
DEC DX File Exchange
DEC PC WPS Plus
DEC Rainbow WPS Plus
DEC VMS WPS Plus, DX
DEC WPS-8
DEC WS 200
DIF (Navy DIF)
Data General MV Series AOS
Data Point 1200 system
Deskworks
Displaywriter & Displaywrite – see IBM
Enable 2.0 (Word Processing files)
Exxon 500 (Level B Compucorp)
Exxon 500/5 1 0 (Level E Compucorp)
Exxon 500/510 (Level C Compucorp)
Exxon 510 (Level B Compucorp)
Gould MINI/MEGA Frame
Graphitex Compuscript
Harris Lanier PC Deskworks Software
IBM 5520
IBM 8100
IBM DCA FFT (Final-Form-Text)
IBM DCA-RFT (Revisable-Form-Text)
IBM Displaywrite 2, 3, 4
IBM Displaywriter
IBM Displaywriter Report Pack (Database)
IBM OS/6; 452,450,440,442,430
IBM Office System Six (OS/6)
IBM Visio 3 PC
IBM Visio 4 PC
IBM VisioText
IBM Writing Assistant
ISY 100 (CTOS DEF files)
Jacquard 100
Jacquard 425
Keystor
Lanier Business Concept 1200
Lanier Business Concept 1400
Lanier Business One Step
Lanier Business Products LBP 1000
Lanier Cluster Systems
Lanier LTE 3
Lanier LTE 4 Super No Problem
Lanier No Problem
Lanier PC Deskworks Software
Lanier Shared Systems
Lanier Super No Problem
Lanier Typemaster
Leading Edge WP
Lexitron
Lotus Manuscript
Mass-11 (PC)
Mass-11 VAX
Micom 2000, 2001, 2001E, 2002
Micom 3003, 3004, 3005
Micro-Data M1000
Microsoft RTF
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Works
Mohawk MDS Hero WP
Multimate
Multimate ADVANTAGE I & II
Multimate Advantage
NBI 3000, 3000S
NBI 4000, 4000SC
NBI OASYS8, 64, 64/ES
NCR WorkSaver 300 (DEF WP files)
Navy DIF
Navy DIF
New Word
Nixdorf 8840, 8860
Nota Bene
OfficeWriter
Olivetti 1010
Olivetti 2020 (Syntrex)
Olivetti ETV351
Olympia ETX- I Plus
PC Write
PFS First Choice
PFS Professional Write
PFS Write
Palantir
PeachText
Peachtext 5000
Philips 2000 Series 5 ”
Philips 5000 Series
Philips 5000 series, 5002, 5003, 5004
Philips 5020/1, 5020/2
Pmate
Prime Producer
PrimeWord
Quadratron Q-One
Radio Shack Scripsit (Model II)
Radio Shack Scripsit (Model III, IV)
Raythom RDS
Redactron II American Model II
Redactron II European Model 11
Samna I, II, III, IV
Siemens 6611
Smart Ware II
Spellbinder
Sprint
Syntrex Aquarius
TTX 80/90
Tase
Triumph Adler Bitsy
Triumph Adler Series E Model 1041
Uniplex II Plus
Visio 3 PC
Visio 4 PC
VisioText
Volkswriter
Volkswriter Deluxe
Wang OIS
Wang PC IWP
Wang PC running WP Plus
Wang VS (WPS Archive Disc)
Wang VS Alliance
Wang WITA
Wang WP Plus High Density
Wang WP Plus OIS, Wangwriter
Wang WPS
Wangwriter
Wordera AT&T, Pyramid, Plexus UNIX
Wordmarc Composer
Wordperfect
Wordperfect VAX
Wordplex 80-2, 3, 4, 5 (Gemini software)
Wordplex 80-2, 3 (FDOS software)
Wordplex 80-30G
Wordstar
Wordstar 2000
Writing Assistant
XYwrite
Xerox 630 – Memorywriter
Xerox 640 – Memorywriter
Xerox 8010 Star
Xerox 860
Xerox Writer II, Writer III