Dear Computer Lady,
I love your column. How to you feel about windows 7. I currently have windows XP. I have installed on that wordperfect 6.1 As as one of my word processing programs. I like it for it’s simplicity…. Will windows 7 accept this program.
Thanks, Sandy in Fryeburg, Maine
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Dear Sandy,
I have been using windows 7 since December, and I like it. It is different from windows XP, but that is to be expected. Every operating system is a little bit different from the one before it.
Wordperfect 6.1 Is an older version of wp and was designed for windows 95. Corel (the company that created wordperfect) also supported it on windows 98, but is no longer creating updates for it, or supporting it on newer operating systems. There is always a chance that it might work in windows 7, but I would not assume that it will.
You have a few options available to you for simple, and inexpensive word processing programs. I think that open office at www.Openoffice.Org is an excellent option. It is free, and will allow you to open documents created in word.
There is also a free word processing program at http://Www.Abisource.Com called abiword. I have not tried this program, but it is open source (which means that it is created by volunteers) and it works with all major document types including word and wordperfect. I was so impressed by the description on their website that I decided to download it and give it a try. It downloaded in 6 seconds, installed without any problem and even has spell check.
So, even if your older version of wordperfect does not work on a new windows 7 computer, you still have options that are free, and simple to use.
Elizabeth
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Hi Elizabeth;
I can completely understand someone wanting to keep an old program that they are used to; I used AOLPress 2.0 on my computer for many years after it was totally obsolete, because it was the HTML editor I learned on. I now use either NVU or Seamonkey.
The Open Office Writer is wonderful, and I have used it for years. I got a new computer a couple of years ago with Microsoft Office installed, and I promptly uninstalled it and put in Open Office! It is great, and it is free, and does everything I need.
You do a wonderful job, Elizabeth. Thank you.
There is another option called XP Virtual Machine. This runs an “image” of XP inside of Win7 where you can install applications that won’t run under Win7
Elizabeth-
I have AbiWord on a portable apps suite, and it is easy, with one exception. Does an “envelope” option exist somewhere in its depths, or do I have to format and print a new page size in order to do an envelope?
Hope you’re not completely snowed under and frozen in.