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Comment on WordStar: A Writer's Word Processor (1996)

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I grew up using WordStar on the Apple ][. It was great when all you had was an 80 column card, a green phosphor screen and a keyboard, but I was never sad to leave it behind when GUIs were invented. I have nostalgia for the time, sure, but not for that interface and the multi-key-stroke commands you had to learn by rote.

Each to their own, and of course finding an optimal writing environment is a very subjective thing -- but it's not like there aren't modern distraction-free writing interfaces that exist.

AFAIK, WordStar never ran directly on the Apple II. You must've had a CP/M card, probably the Microsoft Z-80 SoftCard. And I'll bet that 80 column card was a Videx. I eventually switched from WordStar to AppleWorks. Somehow, I never used Apple Writer.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Z-80_SoftCard

https://www.wiseowl.com/articles/a2fpga-videx-01-the-card-th...

I remember being quite excited at moving from a DOS based word processor (Word Perfect) to a GUI based one (Word). It looked like a step up.

In retrospect the quality, quantity and look and feel of the documents I created remained exactly the same.

leave it behind when GUIs were invented

GUIs were invented by the Xerox PARC team early 1970s, the IIc (I have one sitting on my desk :) was 1984. Totally beside your point so I apologize. I only mention it because PARC deserves a huge amount of credit.

I grew up using WordStar on the Apple ][.

I don't think you did. AFAIK it never ran directly on 6502.

Perhaps under CP/M using the Microsoft add-on card that DOS creator Tim Paterson designed for them?

a green phosphor screen

In the spirit of emacs-v-vim, I have to come down in favor of that other phosphor color of those days, amber. Better contrast !!!

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