[net.micro] Wang to UN*X file transfer

filed01@abnjh.UUCP (H. Silbiger) (07/18/83)

Anyone know how to transfer a text file from a Wang word processor
to a  Release 5 UN*X system?
H.R. Silbiger
ABI Morristown
...!eisx!pyuxll!filed01

steve%brl-bmd@sri-unix.UUCP (07/19/83)

From:      Stephen Wolff <steve@brl-bmd>

We actually had to do this (well, it was to V6/7 and 4.1BSD, but no matter).
Our original data were on Wang floppies, which turned out to be incompatible
with most of the rest of the universe - including other Wangs.

			-=> FLAME ON <=-

The sad truth seems to be that the WP turkeys don't want to be compatible with
anything; they'd much rather lock you into their stuff so you never get the
chance to find out there may be something better!  In our case it had just the
opposite effect - we ultimately threw away the word processors.

			-=> FLAME OFF <=-

We finally got the data into UNIX files; it took about a year from start to
finish and involved (in quantity) eye of newt, tongue of bat and a lot of
widdershins about the whatnot.  Drop a note to Sam Chamberlain <wildman@brl>;
he knows the ropes and bears the scars.