Old SlickEdit before Visual Slick Edit

[tenox]

Hi All,

I'm writing an article about console mode text editors for Windows. http://www.os2museum.com/wp/wanted-console-text-editor-for-windows/.

Someone mentioned that SlickEdit before Visual Slick edit did have a console mode version for Windows and there was an evaluation version. Has anyone keep it or perhaps have a licensed copy and could supply a screenshot?

[Dan]

We did have one, and continued to sell it after the release of our GUI product, because it took us a little while to get to UNIX.  I will ask around and see if anybody has a copy, we should at least be able to find a screen shot.

[Dan]

Attached is a screenshot of SlickEdit 2.4 (it actually still runs).

Here are the two other stories that are true to the best of my knowledge:

• When Windows NT was being developed, the architect on the project wanted to use SlickEdit.  So our CTO actually went to the MS facility and ported SlickEdit to Windows NT before Windows NT was finished. Prior to the port, the Windows NT team was using the OS/2 textmode version of SlickEdit 2.3 to develop Windows NT. At the time of the port, Windows NT barely had a functional full screen console window with a blinking cursor. SlickEdit 2.3 was most likely the first commercially available 32-bit Windows application (although it was a console application).  Also, some may remember that NT was also available on DEC Alpha and MIPS in those days. SlickEdit was available for those platforms too.
• Somebody recently posted this on Quora https://www.quora.com/Who-designed-the-original-Windows-Blue-Screen-of-Death, suggesting that SlickEdit's default blue and white color scheme influenced the Blue Screen of Death colors.

We also had graphical OS/2 version later on.  We probably have a copy of it somewhere, we but nothing to run it on to get you a screenshot.

If you ever start writing about graphical editors, I can tell you another quirky Microsoft story

[tenox]

Thank you! This is exactly what I wanted.

I still run Alpha, MIPS and PowerPC editions of Windows. Would you happen to have evaluation versions of the old SlickEdit around? I would like to install and try it for the article.

[Dan]

That I don't know if we can come up with.  If we had it, it would be on 3.5" floppy disk, and there was a pretty big purge of this sort of thing before the last time the office moved (although I'm not sure we had it then).

Early versions of Visual SlickEdit were on NT Alpha and NT Mips too.  Also eventually a 64-bit version for the Alpha UNIX version (DEC Ultrix?).  I have no idea if these exist.

[Ding Zhaojie]

It would be great if SE could have an online museum for this 30 years old editor. Such as stories, screenshots, etc

[Dan]

It would be great if SE could have an online museum for this 30 years old editor. Such as stories, screenshots, etc

This is a neat idea, and it would be nice to do something to celebrate 30 years, but I suspect the resources we would use for this will be spent on SlickEdit 2018.

[tenox]

That I don't know if we can come up with.  If we had it, it would be on 3.5" floppy disk, and there was a pretty big purge of this sort of thing before the last time the office moved (although I'm not sure we had it then).

Early versions of Visual SlickEdit were on NT Alpha and NT Mips too.  Also eventually a 64-bit version for the Alpha UNIX version (DEC Ultrix?).  I have no idea if these exist.

Perhaps you could ask around? Maybe someone kept a disk or two and wants to sell it.

[Dan]

I wouldn't know where to start honestly.  Also, the old Unix versions came in some strange formats (one came on DAT tape, one came on 1/4" tape - I never even saw one of those before I worked here and haven't seen on in many years).

There are a few copies on eBay and a few copies of the book that was written by John Hurst.  John used to be a regular here, but I'm not sure if he still is.

[jbhurst]

Hi Dan (& others).

I'm an occasional lurker these days. I still have SlickEdit installed, though not using it much. :-(

Fascinating to hear about those old versions. I went through the IBM Personal Editor -> E -> E2 -> E3 -> EPM route to SlickEdit myself, if I remember right and if anyone else remembers those. Personal Editor was an IBM product for the original PC. (by Jim Wylie? How is my memory?) The 'E' line of editors were "internal use" at IBM, developed by Clark Maurer, who started SlickEdit. All text mode until EPM (E for OS/2 Presentation Manager).

Sadly, when I moved house a little over a year ago, the 3.5" floppies went in the bin. I think there were some of those old 'E' editors on them, among some other early IBM treasures.

John Hurst

[Dan]

There is a name for software that exists but the source code no longer exists (this is true of some of the old video games), but I can't remember what it is.  The concept intrigued me.  Some of these games they made "classic" versions of, and had to start over because the original source was lost.

In this case I think we have the source code but no redistributable software.