[REQUEST] SAMNA Word for DOS (any version)

SokilOff

Samna Corp. is mostly known as the developer of Ami - the first commercial GUI word processor for MS Windows 2. But earlier this firm developed another word processor for DOS called Samna Word. It's first version was released in 1982 or 1983, the last one - Samna Word IV v3.0 (a bit odd version numbering) - in January 1991, when Samna already turned into the Word Processing Division of Lotus Development.

So I'm looking for any version of Samna Word for DOS since it's nowhere to be found on abandonware related sites.

menage

Ami was not the first commercial word processor for Windows 2. It arrived in early 1989.

In early 1988, NBI released Legend which was later renamed Legacy and became best known as the basis for Wordstar for Windows.

In late 1988, Palantir introduced WinText which was roughly equivalent to Windows Write with spell checker and ability to import DisplayWrite files. The spell checker was also available seperately as WinSpell.

Sorry for the correction but even failed software products need their proper history to be noted.

There is a copy on Ebay marked as Samna Plus IV (omitting Word in the name). Should be fairly cheap since searches for Samna Word won't find it.

SokilOff

Thanks a lot for this information ! I've done a small research and here's what I found.

1. According to InfoWorld (December 12, 1988, page 48) NBI began shipment of it's Windows-based text editor Legend in July 1988, so it's definitely earlier than Samna Ami 1.0 release (end of November 1988). Yet NBI Legend was more like desktop publishing system than a simple text processor. Here is a big review / comparison of 4 desktop publishing systems: NBI Legend, The Office Publisher, Aldus Pagemaker and Ventura Publisher.

2. Even more interesting story with Palantir WinText. Palantir announced WinText along with a few other Windows applications in summer 1987 (!!!) (InfoWorld, June 1, 1987 page 10). Not sure when the program was exactly released, but again according to InfoWorld (March 28, 1988 page 60) WinText has been already on sale, which makes it indeed (one of ?) the earliest commercial text editor for Windows (older than NBI Legend). Here's a small review of WinText

So indeed your note about both products is absolutely correct.

I saw Samna Plus IV on Ebay (Samna Plus had built-in spreadsheet comparing to non-Plus edition), but unfortunately $24 for the program itself + $45 shipping to Europe hardly makes it an attractive buy.

SomeGuy

Thanks for pointing out NBI Legend. It is often hard and subjective as to who was "first" at something. And lesser known products can pop up and invalidate what people commonly claim.