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Retro Word Ported to Windows 11
11 Aug
Summary
- A 1990 version of Word is now a native Windows 11 port.
- This port uses less than 1MB of RAM on modern systems.
- Building the port requires specific development tools and expertise.
A developer has successfully ported Microsoft Word for Windows 1.1a, codenamed 'Opus' and dating back to 1990, to run natively on Windows 11. This port is a fully functional, x64 version built from the original source code, which Microsoft released over a decade ago. The project modernizes the 16-bit assembly and platform limitations.
This retro word processor boasts an exceptionally small footprint, consuming less than 1MB of RAM on Windows 11, offering a stark contrast to modern software bloat. However, due to copyright restrictions on the original source files, it cannot be distributed as a simple download. Users interested in running it must follow specific instructions on GitHub and possess development tools like Visual Studio 2022 and CMake.
