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To: Paul R.

Slightly off-topic, but how long do you expect your output to be usable? When I retired I had 35+year-old-files that were still the same as the day I wrote them. I stuck with simple ASCII text files. Yeah it ain’t pretty but it is durable, and with attention to formatting can look reasonable.

Those who used word processors or spreadsheets would find their files unusable after the next 2 or 3 “latest greatest upgrades”. I was there for 39 years so a few upgrades were done and a LOT of information/data was lost. Upgrades included a switch from a VAX cluster to all microsoft stuff. What a goat-rope that was....

Wandering off-track some more, Libreoffice is better at opening older microsoft word files than word is. That extends the file life an unknown amount.

Good luck with your font problem. Some of the entries I see display a LOT more knowledge on the problem than I have.


17 posted on 06/24/2025 11:57:17 AM PDT by dagunk
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To: dagunk
...simple ASCII text files...

You'd really like Wordstar.

21 posted on 06/24/2025 4:32:13 PM PDT by GingisK
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To: dagunk

Well, I’m almost 70, so, my guess is that my own use for the info. may last only 15 years or so (based mainly on how my parents held up.)

But, some of the “extra info’s” usefulness (beyond a simple inventory accounting / tracking) may outlive me, such as when I sell off what’s left of the business.

In any event, your thought is one reason I still have old (and still running) computers around. I have software that just won’t easily run on new machines.

In the case of documents, I still have Word 2000 to open old doc files. My “old” address book’s database is, actually, really just a big ASCII text file, so, I can always go retrieve stuff from it, although almost all the info. is by now outdated, and at least 1/3 of the people in it are now longer with us... :-(

Thanks, take care, and good luck in all your endeavors. :-)


27 posted on 06/25/2025 7:23:49 PM PDT by Paul R. (Old Viking saying: "Never be more than 3 steps away from your weapon ... or a Uriah Heep song!" ;-))
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