7.

Would make a nice skin for MS Copilot.

While I get the sentiment, this is also true for certain versions of Office 2007 and Windows XP (volume license).

Government organizations, educational institutions and large corporations had access to a version of WinXP and Office 2007 which didn't need to be activated.

That’s why I liked Windows 2000, its was like a leaner version of XP without the hassle of online activation.

ncmark wrote on 2024-12-13, 13:59:

The title says it all - ode to windows 98 and office 97 […]
Show full quote

The title says it all - ode to windows 98 and office 97

1. Installation does not require an internet connection

2. Neither requires product activation

3. Neither requires a micro$oft account or annual fees

4. No advertising crammed down your throat

5. No attempts to force you into storing your files online aka OneDrive

6. If drive crashes you can reinstall without the assumption that you are criminal and having to explain what you are doing

Fortunately, all that can be also said about Linux and LibreOffice...

...AND THERE'S NO THAT RETARDED THING CALLED "CLIPPY"!

Grzyb wrote on 2024-12-13, 19:12:

ncmark wrote on 2024-12-13, 13:59:

The title says it all - ode to windows 98 and office 97 […]
Show full quote

The title says it all - ode to windows 98 and office 97

1. Installation does not require an internet connection

2. Neither requires product activation

3. Neither requires a micro$oft account or annual fees

4. No advertising crammed down your throat

5. No attempts to force you into storing your files online aka OneDrive

6. If drive crashes you can reinstall without the assumption that you are criminal and having to explain what you are doing

Fortunately, all that can be also said about Linux and LibreOffice...

...AND THERE'S NO THAT RETARDED THING CALLED "CLIPPY"!

True.

My subjective favorite is still Office 4.3.

darry wrote on 2024-12-14, 04:42:

Grzyb wrote on 2024-12-13, 19:12:

ncmark wrote on 2024-12-13, 13:59:

The title says it all - ode to windows 98 and office 97 […]
Show full quote

The title says it all - ode to windows 98 and office 97

1. Installation does not require an internet connection

2. Neither requires product activation

3. Neither requires a micro$oft account or annual fees

4. No advertising crammed down your throat

5. No attempts to force you into storing your files online aka OneDrive

6. If drive crashes you can reinstall without the assumption that you are criminal and having to explain what you are doing

Fortunately, all that can be also said about Linux and LibreOffice...

...AND THERE'S NO THAT RETARDED THING CALLED "CLIPPY"!

True.

My subjective favorite is still Office 4.3.

The newest Office version which runs on Windows 3.1.

feipoa wrote on 2024-12-14, 07:23:

darry wrote on 2024-12-14, 04:42:

Grzyb wrote on 2024-12-13, 19:12:

Fortunately, all that can be also said about Linux and LibreOffice...

...AND THERE'S NO THAT RETARDED THING CALLED "CLIPPY"!

True.

My subjective favorite is still Office 4.3.

The newest Office version which runs on Windows 3.1.

Yup!

It's a kind of magic, to me at least.
I don't expect anyone else to understand or care.

I do kinda have a softspot for office 97... It did everything modern office does (more or less), in a memory footprint geared for 16 mb systems.

(Compared to modern office that needs a few hundred just for itself and its endless api wrapper and ux/ui bullshit.)

But I concur about libreoffice on linux. Xubuntu is quite robust and easy, and feels quite like an old desktop metaphor system.

My soft spot was Word Perfect for DOS.

As with any word processor, I never had the need to upgrade to later versions. At one point, I was forced to upgrade to Office 2003 because I needed to use its template to write my thesis and for journal publications.

feipoa wrote on 2024-12-14, 08:53:

My soft spot was Word Perfect for DOS.

George R.R. Martin, is that you? 😁

Learned 10 finger typing on WP 5.1 so I have a soft spot for it as well.
Printing homework on an Epson 9-dot matrix printer and all ...

You can even run Office 95 & 97 on Windows 11 (if you prefer)

More eye candy of several versions:

Remember those 88x31 pixel GIFs in the 90s?

More info

On various systems I've installed Office 4.3, 97, 2000, XP/2002, 2003, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019 and 2021.
Each has its place and time.

ncmark wrote on 2024-12-13, 13:59:

The title says it all - ode to windows 98 and office 97 […]
Show full quote

The title says it all - ode to windows 98 and office 97

1. Installation does not require an internet connection

2. Neither requires product activation

3. Neither requires a micro$oft account or annual fees

4. No advertising crammed down your throat

5. No attempts to force you into storing your files online aka OneDrive

6. If drive crashes you can reinstall without the assumption that you are criminal and having to explain what you are doing

Best part was missing.

It still works and works very well even after all these years.

Joseph_Joestar wrote on 2024-12-13, 14:14:

While I get the sentiment, this is also true for certain versions of Office 2007 and Windows XP (volume license).

Government organizations, educational institutions and large corporations had access to a version of WinXP and Office 2007 which didn't need to be activated.

Yep.
I have academic versions of Office XP, Office 2003 and Office 2007 and they all install without needing activation and they just work.

1541 wrote on 2024-12-14, 16:32:

You can even run Office 95 & 97 on Windows 11 (if you prefer)

AFAIR, there were 32-bit variants of some pre-95 Office stuff, intended for Windows NT.
I would expect them to run under modern Windows as well...

Well - I am just becoming more and more resistant to the subscription-based software. They can keep it. If that means I continue to use old software then that's what it means.

Windows 98/ Office 97 was the end of Pre NT era I guess and did seem to be a winning combination that lasted in business until been replaced with XP + Office XP/03 setups.

Office 97 was well easy to use and did everything I needed, but the later ones felt more refined, especially Outlook.
Was never a fan of the ribbon bar, even now but admit Office has too many options for it to work in a traditional menu, but then Office has too many options overall IMHO.

Win98 good compromise during the dos/win32 changeover but don't think I'd want to use it as my daily anymore. Even back then Bluescreens during work was just part of a normal day.
At least NT4 or 2k you had half a chance of saving work before rebooting.

I think I quickly replaced office 97 with 2000 when that was a thing,
but, to this day I use office 2007...