A History Of Word Processing

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WP History

 Heyward Ehrlich ((no email))
 Sat, 7 Jun 1997 19:22:45 -0400

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>Path: dziuxsolim.rutgers.edu!rutgers.rutgers.edu!usenet.logical.net!news.mathworks.com!feeder.chicago.cic.net!ddsw1!news.mcs.net!ddsw1!not-for-mail >From: jorn@MCS.COM (Jorn Barger) >Newsgroups: comp.os.ms-windows.apps.word-proc >Subject: What was your first word-processor? >Date: 7 Jun 1997 10:08:29 -0500 >Organization: Spiral Solutions >Lines: 100 >Message-ID: <5nbthd$9aa$1@Mercury.mcs.net> >NNTP-Posting-Host: mercury.mcs.net

For FAQ on word-processors, I'd like to hear your own stories about all the different wp's you've tried, which of these you stuck with, what you liked and didn't like, why you switched when you did, etc.

To jog your memories, here's a rough timeline of micro word processing from 1976 thru 1985 (corrections appreciated), followed by a partial inventory of wp names for various micro platforms (Apple, Atari, C64, IBM, etc):

 1976: Michael Shrayer's Electric Pencil for Altair (1975)
 1978? Word Pro 1.1, a very slow, tape-driven line-editor for CBM Pet
 1978: MicroPro introduces WordMaster (CP/M?) by Rob Barnaby
 1979: MicroPro's WordStar for CP/M, by Rob Barnaby
 1979: Apple Computer releases Paul Lutus's AppleWriter? 1.0 for Apple2
 1980: Mark of the Unicorn's Mince (PerfectWriter/FinalWord?) for IBM,CP/M
 1980?: EasyWriter for Apple?
 1981?: EasyWriter by Capt Crunch/ John Draper for IBM
 1981?: Applewriter 2
 1982: Story Writer for CBM Pet
 1982: SSI ships WordPerfect 2.0 for DOS, for US$500 (v2.2 in October)
 1982: Wilton Jones begins writing MultiMate
 1983: Apple's bundled Lisa wp
 1983: VisiCorp?'s VisiOn?, integrated software for PCs, US$1765
 1983: Perfect Writer part of integrated sw
 1983: Coleco's Adam w/bundled wp?
 1983: SSI ships WordPerfect 3.0 for US$500.
 1983: SSI ships Personal WordPerfect for US$200
 1983: Microsoft ships Word 1.0 for US$375, $475 w/mouse
 1984: Apple bundles MacWrite w/Macintosh?
 1984: Ashton-Tate announces the integrated sw, Framework.
 1984: Microsoft releases Microsoft Word 1.1 for DOS.
 1984: Microsoft releases Microsoft Word 1.15 for DOS.
 1984: SSI ships WordPerfect 4.0 for US$500.
 1984: Apple's AppleWorks?, integrated sw by Rupert Lissner for Apple2
 1985: Microsoft releases Microsoft Word 1.0 for the Macintosh.
 1985: SSI ships WordPerfect Jr. for US$200 for the IBM PCjr
 1985: Microsoft releases Microsoft Word 2.0 for DOS.
 1985: Aldus PageMaker? for the Apple Macintosh, for US$495.
 1985: SSI ships WordPerfect 4.1 for US$500.
 1985: Don P. Bennett, Jr. ports Emacs to IBM PC and clones
 1985?: Borland's Sprint (aka Esprit) for IBM PC
 1985: SpeedScript freeware wp from Compute! magazine for Apple2, Atari 8-bit, Vic-20 

Apple2 wps: AE Typeset, AppleWriter? 1, 2, 2e, BeagleWrite? (GS), Broderbund's Bank Street Writer (2c), Easy Working Writer, Flex Text, Franklin ACEWriter (II), GeoWrite? 2.1, Jane Roathe's Write Away!, MECC Writer, Multiscribe (GS), Newsroom, Plus works II?, Print Master (Plus), Print Power, Printing Press Express, Publish It! 4, ReportWorks?, Sensible Speller, Seven Hills' GraphicWriter? III (2GS only), Springboard Publisher, Super MacroWorks??, Teach, Term Paper Writer, Timeout ReportWrite??, Webster's New World Spellchecker, Writer's Choice Elite GS

Apple3 wp: III EZ Pieces integrated sw by Rupert Lissner

C64 wps: Advantage's Textmaster, Batteries Included's PaperClip (II, III, Publisher, Elite?), Broderbund's Bank Street Writer, C64 Power Pack (incl wp), CBM's Easy Script w/Easy? Spell, CBM's The Word Machine?, Celery Software's Professional Word Processor, Celery Software's Swift Desktop Publishing, Codewriter's Speedwriter, Creative Writer, Digital Solutions' Pocket Writer 2, Font Master II, GEOS wp?, HES's HES Writer 64, Laing Marketinbg's Word Processor 64, Load N Go's Master Word?, Personal Choice Collection (incl wp), Prentice Hall's SkiWriter? (II), Sierra Online's Homeword, Spinnaker's Easy Working: The Writer, Springboard's The Newsroom, SuperScript, The Writestuff, Triomicro's The Printed Word, Value Ware's PowerWord?, Word Writer 3?

CBM Plus/4 wps: Script Plus

CBM 128 wps: Vizawrite 128, Word Writer 128, Spinnaker's Better Working: WordPro? 128

IBM wps: Ami Pro, Claris Works?, Context MBA (integrated), DG CEOWrite 3.0, DisplayWrite 5, FrameMaker?, FrameWork? II, IV, HP AdvanceWrite? Plus, IBM Writing Assistant, Interleaf (Publisher), Legacy 1.x, 2.0?, Letter Perfect, Lotus Freelance?, Lotus Manuscript 2.0, 2.1, MS Windows Write, MS Works, MultiMate (Advantage, II), Nota Bene, Office Writer, OfficePower?, PC Write, Peachtext, PFS: First Choice, PFS: Write, Professional Write (Plus), Q&A Write, Rapid File (memos), Samna Word IV (Plus), Total Word, Uniplex?, Volkswriter (Deluxe), Wang PC v3, WiziWord?, WordStar (2000), WordStar for Windows, WriteNow??, XyWrite III (Plus, IV, for Windows)

TRS-80 Model II wp: Scripsit

CP/M wp: Magic Wand

Atari 8-bit wps: Atari Word Processor, AtariWriter

Atari ST wps: Atari Works, Word Writer, First Word (Plus v3.20), Papyrus

CBM Amiga wps: TextCraft? 1.0 (Plus), FinalWriter (II), Final Copy (II), WordWorth? (2, 3.1, 5), TextEngine? 5.01


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