Return of the Old-School Text App?

An Anonymous Coward asked this insightful question: "Remember Lotus 1-2-3? The breakthrough app that opened the door to PCs in the workplace? Remember the (gasp) TEXT version? What about the TEXT version of Wordperfect? I'm no big fan of X, I don't like to handcuff myself to the mouse. These text apps would be wonderfully suited for a port to Linux! Take the old 1-2-3 UI, add in all the new functionality, slap it into ncurses (or whatever floats your boat) and set it free (or release it for Linux). There must be dozens of these older 'dos' programs that are considered dead that could have new life breathed into them by Linux (and BSD, don't forget BSD). Think if we pestered IBM they could let something like the old 1-2-3 go? What do you think?" Hmmm! This idea has some possibilities, but would the software companies go for it?

Comments

text versions vs. hot keys

[Davorama]

Are you drawing a distinction between the ease of use of text apps vs GUI's with hot keys? If not, why not just spend some time making the current apps more keyboard controllable rather than trying to add modern features to all the old apps? I hate having my hand always bouncing back and forth too but It's not so much X's fault as the app GUI designer's is it?