Brother Word Processor Software Needed

[99.9%]

My dad purchased a Brother Word Processor
through eBay. It was manufactured in 1996.
Most of these machines that are still around
today look really old. The plastic is usually
a faded yellow color and the letters on the
keyboard are often barely legible.

The machine my dad found looks new!
Whoever the original owner was probably
used it a few times and lost interest.

The model number is WP575ODS.

There is a problem. My dad thought he was
getting the owners manual and original
software on floppy disks. He didn't. I found
the owners manual and downloaded it for
$3.00. So far, so good. Now he needs copies
of the software.

We have a picture of 575ODS which shows
the owners manual and three floppy disks
that contain the software. The letters "WP"
are visible on the disks.

We contacted Brother. They can't provide
copies of these disks.

I realize its like looking for a needle in a
very large haystack! Any help or suggestions
would be appreciated.

[Chuck(G)]

Brother marketed two general types of typewriters (this is what the WP5750 DS is classified as); the ones that used DOS-formatted 360/720K diskettes and ones that used Brother's proprietary 240K GCR format. The latter was more common on the low-end typewriters.

If it's the 240K format, simply sending you diskette images isn't an option--you need the physical floppies. I've got all the software for the WP3550 that might work on your system, but it's hard to say if it will. Brother offered a bewilderingly large range of typewriters and personal word processors.

[billdeg]

Try to boot whatever mid version of DOS (v's 2 through 5) you can find so you can rule out that option. In the past I remember messing with my sister's Brother word processor and booting it to DOS, and also running IBM's Display Write Assistant program on it.
There are places you go to download an image of a DOS boot disk, and that self extract to a boot diskette at 720K.

On my web site you can download a build a DOS 1.1 boot disk, but this version may be incompatible with your system. From my site search "DOS 1.1" for the link.

bd

[99.9%]

Hi Chuck(G)

Fortunately, the seller provided a lot of info about this
word processor.

She says 575ODS has a 3.5" 720KB floppy drive. It can
convert files to ASCII so they can be used on a pc. This
machine must be DOS compatible. She tried 1.44MB
diskettes with this model and they worked ok.

She had another Brother Word Processor for sale. Model
WP365OD. She had the disks for this model, but they
would not work with 575ODS. 365OD used the proprietary
240K GCR format as you described.

If your WP3550 also has a 720KB floppy drive which uses
DOS-formatted diskettes, then it seems logical that the
software you have should work with 575ODS.

My dad wanted this word processor because he's retired
and really doesn't need a modern pc. He spends several
hours each day typing letters. I built a desktop for him,
but all he needs is a word processor, like the 575ODS.

I think he might smile for two seconds if your software
works with his word processor. A minor miracle to be sure!

If all this makes sense to you, let me know where I can
download the software.

[Chuck(G)]

Nope, sorry, the 3550 uses the 240K format (which is mostly why I have it around). I'll look around in my diskette library to see if I've got anything for your system, though. I probably do--but it might take some time.

If you do use 1.44MB media, remember that the Brother is "blind" to the density hole, but your PC isn't, so cover it over if you want to handle the diskettes on your PC.

[Tinkerer]

Dan at 'Dans 20th Century Abandonware' has a model WP-2600Q which also has the 3½" 720K floppy drive. It might not hurt to contact him as e collects all sorts of Legacy stuff.

[99.9%]

OK Tinkerer, I contacted Dan Rose. If someone with his great
interest and knowledge about vintage computing can't help
me, I'm calling it quits.

I found this strange web page with a lengthy list of old software:

http://members.chello.nl/mlampers/PC%20Software.htm

It has a listing that looks interesting:

Brother PC software :
MS DOS 4.01 (3x 3,5"),
MS Windows versie 3 (7x 3,5”),

There are no links, so I'm not sure what this list is all about.

[Chuck(G)]

I found this site:

http://www.mpsupplies.com/brotherwordprocessorsupplies.html

And it mentions the "Elements of Style" software:

For WP-230B_ 330MDS_ 335B_ 800MDS_ 1350DS_ 1450DS_1700MDS_ 2410DS_ 2450DS_ 2500Q_ 2600Q_ 2800Q_3900DS_ 5500DS_ 5550MDS+_ 5600MDS_ 5750DS_5900MDS_

I'm going to guess that all of these systems will run the same software, so there's a bit more grist for your mill.

[99.9%]

In addition to "Elements of Style" they list "Forms Typing
Software." Unavailable, of course!

If you type the software title and model number into Google
only one online business appears, mpsupplies.com.

In my original post I compared it to finding a needle in a
haystack. In this case, that would be child's play. Its
more like finding a needle on the surface of the moon.

I hope this Dan Rose is worlds greatest expert on vintage
software, otherwise I'm out of luck.

One of the most important lessons in life is to learn when
to cut your losses and move on. I think it's almost that
time.

[Chuck(G)]

Check the office equipment service people in your area. Those Brother WP typewriters are still in use in a lot of places and many times, the service guys have spare copies of the software squirreled away.

Reminds me of the time I had to find a Smith-Corona PWP to convert some 2.8" floppies. A local typewriter repair guy had not only the drive, but a complete PWP portable, complete with software for cheap. I still have it.

[Tinkerer]

http://members.chello.nl/mlampers/PC%20Software.htm

It has a listing that looks interesting:

Brother PC software :
MS DOS 4.01 (3x 3,5"),
MS Windows versie 3 (7x 3,5”),

There are no links, so I'm not sure what this list is all about.

Oh yeah, I've seen that guy's website. He lives in the Netherlands. I have that site boomarked, ummm, someplace. If you go to http://members.chello.nl/mlampers/ there is an e-mail link at the bottom.

There is another website that sells old computer software and hardware in the U.S.A., his stuff is priced mid to high end. I'll see if i can find it. Found it: http://www.oldsoftware.com/ The only Brother stuff he has at the moment are two labeling systems.

[99.9%]

Before I forget, I just want to thank you guys. Its not always possible
to solve every problem, but that's ok. I really do appreciate your
ideas and suggestions.

I kept typing various combinations of words using Google's mamoth
search engine. I thought I had struck gold with this listing:

Brother typewriter Free Download
Brother typewriter Free Download,Brother typewriter Software Collection Download. ... Size: 1.08MB License: Shareware Price: $35.00 By: Mach5 Software ...
http://www.brothersoft.com/downloads...ypewriter.html - 18k

When I pointed my browser at this link the software collection was no
where to be found. I tried their search engine several times and
came up with nothing. The next step was to go straight to the source.
I typed "Mach5 Software" into Google. The URL is mach5.com. I was
expecting a dead link. The Mach5 site is very much alive! The problem
is its a B2B company that has something to do with website management
or creation. (Just a guess, I'm not really sure how they make their
money.)

OK guys, you can start playing that music from the old Twilight Zone
tv show. I don't know what the heck this Google listing is all about.