HELP trying to open Microsoft Works document from PC on a Mac

[robrod55]

My daughter has been given a .wps document from the PC version of
Microsoft Works. Does anyone know how to open and view this document
on a Mac? I've tried Appleworks 6, Office 2004, OpenOffice, TextEdit.


Thanks!

 

[Michel Bintener]

The Microsoft Works format is slightly obsolete, as the Microsoft Works word
processor has been gradually phased out over the years to be replaced by
Microsoft Word. One solution would be to find a Windows PC with Microsoft
Word on it, since Win Word has a .wps converter, if I remember correctly. Or
better yet, you could ask the person who sent you the document to save it in
a different file format, such as .rtf. There are almost no options available
on the Mac platform to read that file format; there is Dataviz' MacLink
Plus, but it's a commercial solution and probably not worth the investment
if you only need to open a single document.

My daughter has been given a .wps document from the PC version of
Microsoft Works. Does anyone know how to open and view this document
on a Mac? I've tried Appleworks 6, Office 2004, OpenOffice, TextEdit.


Thanks!

--
Michel Bintener
Microsoft MVP
Office:Mac (Entourage & Word)

***Always reply to the newsgroup.***

 

[robrod55]

The problem here is that Works is apparently freely distributed on new
PCs, so it isn't an extinct file format.

I tried MacLinkPlus, but it doesn't have a translator for MS Works.
Amazing.

Microsoft offers one (and I believe two) PC executables that translate
Works to Word format. I think it's a major oversight that the
Macintosh Business Unit hasn't ported that code to the Mac.

Bob Rodenburg

 

[John McGhie [MVP - Word and Word Macintosh]]

Hi Bob:

Sorry, Michel's right. I think yours is the 3rd request for a Works
converter for Mac in the past 12 months. Out of 300-million Microsoft Users
that's not a *high* priority.

If we had 100,000-odd requests for it, then it might be a "major oversight".
As it is, of all the many things Mac Business Unit could spend our money on,
that one is not up at the top of the list.

Word for OS 9 has a Works converter in it. Current versions of PC Word have
a Works converter. And the current word-processor in Works is Word, which
will convert the old version of Works to RTF, which can be read anywhere,
including the Mac.

Cheers

The problem here is that Works is apparently freely distributed on new
PCs, so it isn't an extinct file format.

I tried MacLinkPlus, but it doesn't have a translator for MS Works.
Amazing.

Microsoft offers one (and I believe two) PC executables that translate
Works to Word format. I think it's a major oversight that the
Macintosh Business Unit hasn't ported that code to the Mac.

Bob Rodenburg

--

Please reply to the newsgroup to maintain the thread. Please do not email
me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie <[email protected]>
Microsoft MVP, Word and Word for Macintosh. Business Analyst, Consultant
Technical Writer.
Sydney, Australia +61 (0) 4 1209 1410