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Ask HN: Why haven't people vibe coded popular 80s word processors as TUI apps?

6 points by amichail 19d ago

Is it due to potential IP issues?

orionblastar 19d ago
It is easier to run them in DOSBOX-X than vibe code them.
gtadesktop1 19d ago
Vibe coding sounds easy 'cause the ai makes all the work. but it's much easier to code per hand because ai can make mistakes that a human don't see. also you have to prompt in the right way. if you don't prompt "right" the ai makes a thing you don't want you can write the ai "write me a word clone" and the ai gives you a simple texteditor code where you can write text and save it but you haven't hypermarker, ruler, image inserts, video inserts, link previews, etc. so you have to describe the ai exactly what you want into the least detail. thats very complex so most developers don't vibe code or vibe code only easy parts or complex parts that takes usually months to develope but a ai can do this in 10 seconds if you prompt "right". usually you use prebuild projects.
- amichail 19d ago
  Maybe one issue is that word processors from the 80s are not described in sufficient detail on today's web.
  - gtadesktop1 18d ago
    yeah that's a true point. But that also means that a human can't code it either. except the person comes from that time so the person has to be over 40 years old and can code or can prompt in the "right" way that the ai can reproduce this.
    - krapp 14d ago
      Humans are perfectly capable of writing code for old systems. Not all of the documentation that exists, exists on the web. If it doesn't, operations can be discovered by reverse-engineering the hardware, mapping the memory, etc. People do this all the time.
tmpsvc2695f5 19d ago
[dead]
blater 17d ago
In the 80's in business non-verbal communication was by physically moving printed pieces of paper from desk to desk. Producing these was noisy and laborious. Laser printers in were an absolute breakthrough technology and together with print focussed word processors optimized that paradigm to its peak. In today's world, does word perfect give you anything that markdown in obsidian doesn't? (other than weird key bindings and file format) Maybe it does - distraction-free writing is a thing. Something vibed off wordstar but made more relevant could be pretty cool.

6 points by amichail 19d ago

Is it due to potential IP issues?

orionblastar 19d ago

It is easier to run them in DOSBOX-X than vibe code them.

gtadesktop1 19d ago

Vibe coding sounds easy 'cause the ai makes all the work. but it's much easier to code per hand because ai can make mistakes that a human don't see. also you have to prompt in the right way. if you don't prompt "right" the ai makes a thing you don't want you can write the ai "write me a word clone" and the ai gives you a simple texteditor code where you can write text and save it but you haven't hypermarker, ruler, image inserts, video inserts, link previews, etc. so you have to describe the ai exactly what you want into the least detail. thats very complex so most developers don't vibe code or vibe code only easy parts or complex parts that takes usually months to develope but a ai can do this in 10 seconds if you prompt "right". usually you use prebuild projects.

amichail 19d ago
Maybe one issue is that word processors from the 80s are not described in sufficient detail on today's web.
- gtadesktop1 18d ago
  yeah that's a true point. But that also means that a human can't code it either. except the person comes from that time so the person has to be over 40 years old and can code or can prompt in the "right" way that the ai can reproduce this.
  - krapp 14d ago
    Humans are perfectly capable of writing code for old systems. Not all of the documentation that exists, exists on the web. If it doesn't, operations can be discovered by reverse-engineering the hardware, mapping the memory, etc. People do this all the time.

tmpsvc2695f5 19d ago

[dead]

blater 17d ago

In the 80's in business non-verbal communication was by physically moving printed pieces of paper from desk to desk. Producing these was noisy and laborious. Laser printers in were an absolute breakthrough technology and together with print focussed word processors optimized that paradigm to its peak. In today's world, does word perfect give you anything that markdown in obsidian doesn't? (other than weird key bindings and file format) Maybe it does - distraction-free writing is a thing. Something vibed off wordstar but made more relevant could be pretty cool.