Discussion on:

Ancient word processors highlight the lack of modern software diversity

Writer's Digest once did a word-processing software annual. I believe it was in 1985. As the main contributor to that, I tried everything from ScriptSit to XyWrite. I got sick of word processors after writing three dozen reviews--using WordStar, which I found superior to the rest, for me.
--Mike Banks

You and me, we have to stop using "ancient". These people have found a home for it.

Suggest: antediluvian.

Perhaps Devolution development since we are missing a link or two.

I always used WordStar for DOS and even upgraded to WordStar for Windows when it came out.

I used Wordstar and Wordperfect. Now I use JOE. JOE is a Wordstar clone for Linux, its simple and just works, a bit like the original software!. I use OpenOffice.org when I need WYSIWYG for fancy layouts.

Amazing piece of software, that ran on a number of platforms, starting with (I believe) the HP3000 mini, but you had to have one of their incredibly expensive (and incredibly big) proprietary intelligent terminals to run it.

Then it was also available for the HP150 PC, a completely re-engineered (8086-based, but not compatible) PC that ran a completely re-engineered version of DOS 2.11, but the software looked the same and behaved indentically. You got a comprehensive set of keyboard overlays with it, to remember the keystrokes - it used a completely different paradigm for moving around in your text (e.g. the numeric keypad moved the cursor, not up / down / sideways, but back / forward by one letter / one word / one sentence. Wierd).

And eventually HP released it for the IBM / compatible PC when they saw the writing on the wall and dropped their proprietary PC format. The IBM PC version of HPWord still used the strange keyboard layout but didn't last long, I think that by 1992 it had died.

The biggest challenge when HPWord was eventually dropped was that the conversion process they provided for downloading documents from the HP3000 or HP150s to PC format only gave you formatted ascii text - oh boy you should have heard the users whine about that...

Using C64....

GeoWrite (GeOS) already had GUI

MiniOffice already understood the importance of integration of business applications (spreadsheet, database, wordprocessor)

Ahead of it's time and pure. Just another sad could-a-been on the Microsoft highway of domination. At least MS could have copied it ..

The best documentation publishing/word processing system of the early 90's and way ahead of its time.

Pity it was so expensive.

Les.

My instructor (while digressing on a PageMaker lecture) mentioned she used Interleaf for her master's because Interleaf could set up multiple master pages for each chapter of her dissertation. But how often do you need that much capability?

Having the power to insert 400 new pages into a 1200 page document, etc., etc. puts you in charge. What would be the point if each of the billions in the world all had the same tools ? tools that limit their capacity to the same low level? How is anyone to rise to the occasion and produce more than the next when we are all condemned to produce the same? It not the least bit easy to take the words of 25 contributors from random formats to produce a readable uniform product. As for Interleaf keep in mind that?s its current purpose is to fund healthy retirements to the executives limiting its availability.

Life is short, I have lot to do you need power.
Creative use is enabled by exploring the power dimension.
We are trying to get above the AVERAGE, if the average is a fixed constant, we cannot get above AVERAGE when all the tools the same for everyone, all we get is the internet.

Interleaf has a CEO problem.
The technical world should know that LISP is the "language" of choice, if for the only reason is that it is extensible by the user to add facility to the base application. Not making the capability doable, complete ends the improvement process.

Didn't see this one out there among the many replies. Actually my first was "Edlin" within the DOS program.

All the secretaries used it back then. Piece of crap in my opinion.

It looks like I'm not the only old WordStar guy here. While at University of Maryland I got a Wyse 100 terminal (metal case, great keyboard) for remote mainframe access (1983). When my brother (I have an "evil twin") and I were unpaid interns the following summer we used WordStar for word processing and (in good 'ol non-document mode) program text editing. At the end of the summer we got a nice check at the end and used that to buy an Altos multi-user 80186-based machine running MPM-86 and another terminal and, of course, WordStar. Then, even better, we got WyseWord EPROM for the terminals which programmed all the function keys, arrows, etc. for WordStar and showed function key labels on the 25th line - actually made WordStar easier to use than on an IBM PC.

My main word processing now is Word (by default since most customers use it) but I still use WordPerfect when I can and at home I have WordPerfect and OpenOffice but not Word (why waste the money on it). WordPerfect still does a far better job with labels and mail-merge than Word and "Reveal Codes" is still a vital function missing from Word.

For me, WordStar still lives on. I program with Vedit+ which has a totally confgurable keyboard which I have set in WordStar mode. And I still occasionally find remnants of WordStar like Control-Y to delete a line in many programs.

I come from Iron Age (Big Iron = IBM Mainframes) and have used 18 word processors over 35 years. If the PC represents the present era then BC could represent the Iron Age at ~20BC (not Before Computers). In '69 IBM created Script (word processing/formatting) SPF (Structured Programming Facility) and SGML (Standardized General Markup Language a precursor to HTML) It also supported from its RJE method a product called ATS. From there I remember it passing to NBI. I do not expect any converts to the Old Testament religions in discussing this prehistory, but I want to point out a few things mentioned in the 61 replies see so far by [key] word where a more extensive discussion may be requested (limits my off topic capability).
[One write says a word-processing programmer did not like the mouse] Does anyone annoyed with carpal tunnel syndrome like the mouse? Well no one anyone near me likes the constant screams of pain needed sustain more that and hour?s worth of writing. Reducing the keyboard to a laptop reduces me to using a very uncoordinated left hand only that does not help my inability to type anything worthwhile (oops ah current essay excluded) Yes that idiosyncratic hand shaking sure looks weird (should I take up Karate?) And when I have to stop a car trip to find a comfortable position for my arm I wonder when someone?s going suggest genetic engineering to reduce my fat stubby fingers to ET/wimp size. And by the way if you have plans for oversized keyboard I can make in a wood shop please send it along.
[Someone mentioned capitalism limiting software development suggesting that it should be free should definitely look up Richard Stallman (Free Software Foundation?s barefoot cross between Jesus and Charles Manson who is fond of animals, weird animals). Two things; free software means ?no software? (not software I would like to change to meet my needs) but ?no software? that competes with ?cost? software such that ?cost? software is never written since it should be free except for a donation and a required disclaimer. On those rare cases where capital is at risk or was once at risk I remember old software?s current purpose is to fund healthy retirements to the executives who have limited its availability.
[Really: Technical Improvement?] Of those 18 word processing systems I have used there are none that roll up all the good features of each one. Strange things are missing, [EOL] = End of line or putting the cursor at the end of the current line w/o having to arrow, space or mouse click to death. [WORD = Advance to beginning of the next word to step through a badly written sentence and rewrite it]. [Selecting for Cut and Paste] not wasting time botching a cut and paste session and having to start over or saving 100 versions to guard against error. [OOPS - Hitting some mystery key combination and losing the whole session. [Column editing ? Never mind use Excel and get a new arm.]

1) As far as the whole keyboard/mouse/etc. thing. I use a trackball at home & office and for me that is far superior to a mouse. Most people (e.g. my wife & kids) adjust just fine. It takes less space and, more importantly, seems less stressful for my right hand. I think the key is that everyone should be able to choose the input devices that work best for them.

2) Free vs. paid software. I write software (so paid is definitely worth something IMHO), but I use both free & paid software - it all depends on what I need to do. But I do agree that were it not for the paid software market there would be little free software and the result would be far less software of any type.

3) I use VEDIT for my text-editing. With the Wordstar key configuration (but it can be configured to match ANYTHING), I have (and use) quick 1-or-2 key commands for BOL and EOL, next/previous WORD, selecting by keyboard (real mark begin/end like Wordstar) or mouse, very robust Undo (warns if something can't be undone which is usually only with very large files), and column editing (which is an absolute must for editing raw database files, reformatting heavily nested code, etc.)

Unfortunately, VEDIT doesn't have a real WYSIWYG mode for word processing - it is a fantastic replacement for Non-document Wordstar but not for Document mode.

Another couple I used back in the day were Borland's Sprint (on PCs) and Lanier, which ran on a stand-alone system.

In reality, my first "word processor" was a typewriter. I had a couple of computers before I could afford a printer. One was a CP/M, and came with WordStar.

I really liked it, up through and including WordStar 4. I liked it so much that, when I contracted to write a book about WordPerfect, I ran WordPerfect on one DOS machine, and WordStar on another.

I liked XyWrite III+, as well, and switched to it for a time after WordStar changed up. Eventually, the magazines for which I was writing started demanding manuscripts in Word format. I think quite a few did that, because they offices were based around Word.
--Mike Banks

ProText version 4 (I think) on the Atari ST.

PC Write was a shareware DOS wordprocessor that, while quirky, did everything WordStar did for a lot less. I still have the original install ZIP file.

I used a word processor called NBI. I can't remember what it stood for, but it was all green screen, and you had to memorize all your function keys. The 2nd one was DisplayWrite. I absolutely hated Displaywrite, and did the happydance when we switched to WordStar.

Even though the new Ribbon in Office 2007 should be considered the worst "feature" in the history of mankind, Word is still the best of all the ones I've used.

The first word processor I used was Peachtext, on a Zenith 120 running CP/M. Much more intuitive for editing than WordStar, with a separate print formatter. Then came WordPerfect...

Oh, well!

but 'ancient' has been driving me up a wall for a couple of days now. The Parthenon is ancient. The Pyramids are ancient. Stonehenge is ancient.

Word processors didn't exist when I was a kid. I'm definitely not 'that' old.

Back in 1987 if memory serves me correctly I think I used something called "Perfect Writer" or similar on an Oliveti PC perhaps an M20 using MS DOS 3.x.

Wordstar, followed by Wordworth, then Final Copy II, Final Writer. Ahh the days of the Amiga... The I "upgraded" to a Windows PC with Word.

I used my C64 and OmniWriter right through college to 1992. The 80-column
mode took a bit of imagination/squinting. After that, I had an Apple, but didn't
do Word Processing with it. Didn't really come back to Word Processing again
until 1996, with Word for Mac, which definitely felt different from OmniWriter.

I work with DTP solutions using Word for Windows now. IMO, Word works well,
but you have to use the right features for every job. There are 5 different ways
to accomplish different tasks, but this is a best way. Do it another way and you
can have a crashy mess on your hands.

Hmm -- diversity WITHIN Word. That's scary.

Any one remember Ashton Tate's Multimate with its lovely keyboard template? Start of my user support career with a private client stockbroker meant I had to learn this fast. Quirky but able to do the job.

The first microprocessor word processor I used was Worstar on CP/M. I also wrote my own for a pre-IBM home machine.

The first time I bought MS Office with my own money was the XP version. The reason? I was starting a business where I would need to receive WP files from the general public. Pointless to get any other. Every year, this requirement becomes more critical.

Maybe if the new ODF standard really takes off, this will open up the market again. Provided the average user can figure out how to save with it.

Aside from the Word Star I used on my Osborne, my first real PC word prossessor was PC-Write and its trim cousin, PC-Write Lite. The latter was perfect for my job as a journalist: fast, clean and just the ticket for what I needed. My current versions of Word (2007) and Word Perfect (X3) are massive programs that offer a ton of features I will never use.

I STILL use WP, but I have had to load Word as well, because so many idiots used to send me Word files like everyone should have it. Why use WP? Hey, it's just a word processor .. get over it. I always publish docs in PDF anyway, which WP does quite nicely with Internet links and embedded fonts if I want it. And unlike Word, WP always gets the page numbers right, and I know where to ALWAYS find the commands.

Has anyone used the Open Access suite? I was turned onto this SW by a consultant in 1985 or '86. It was a good package with DB and SS software packages included. We coupled it with Harvard Graphics a few years later.

Leading Edge Word Processor

Scripsit on a Tandy Model I clone.

The first WP (besides Wang WP, which came too late to PCs) my wife and I used seriously was WriteNow on the Mac. She is still using WriteNow 4.0 (mostly because it still runs on MacOS X 10.4 [but apparently not 10.5, Leopard]. Nothing else seems able to import its obscure file format. She is also using Word (MS Office V.X), since many of her students use Word. I eventually switched to ClarisWorks/AppleWorks, but that's now deprecated as well. I write so little (in letter form) these days that I seem to get by with HTML pages (SeaMonkey), and for text: TextEdit or Wordpad!

Anyone remember Volswriter "the first word processor developed for the new IBM PC". After using vi on a Unix box, it was realy slick. Then I switched to Jim Button's PC-WRITE.

My 1st word-processor was AtariWriter (wrote my MS thesis with it).

Mine was MS Works for DOS, 1989.

Bank Street Writer on a Commodore PC10-2

(no text)

I used CANDE (Command and Edit) for Burroughs - ran on all different stack based o/s - mini, small, medium, and large. When they acquired Redactron (a leder in word processing dedicated equipment) our team wrote converson software to move files between systems.

Being in the military we were fortunate enough to have a word processor, spreadsheet and database ensemble called Enable that came with came on government computers from Zenith. It was terrible. After I had a report destroyed by an accidental cut and paste I switched to WordPerfect.

I think one of WordPerfect's biggest mistakes when producing a windows version was shifting all of the function keys. Instead of a shift F7 it was now a shift F8.

My first wordprocessor was Applewriter in a lab on campus. When I bought my
first computer, a Zenith w/o HD and a 5.25" floppy I moved to PC-Write. Later I
bought a laptop, no HD and two 3.5" floppy drives. It came with Wordstar. That
setup wrote many a paper when I was doing my graduate work. I really liked
WordStar and the idea of having key-combinations so that your hands never
had to leave the keys! Today Office 2003 and 2007 both at home and work.
Playing with OPenOffice both places too. Curious, is there a modern WordStar
equivalent that runs under windows?

Long before Quark was known for xPress, they had a word processor for Apple][ called WordJuggler. It had a lot of advanced features including a cache for copy/cut that allowed you to select an item from the cache to insert into the document. WordStar was great for DOS, I used it in conjunction with an early version of Adobe PageMaker that came bundled with a run-time version of Windows(1 or 2 ?) in the early PC prepress systems I set up (nothing like early windows on a 286). WordPerfect was very good in both DOS and Windows until version 8. By then Word had become the "default" as it was given away with most new Win3 and early win95.