WordStar: A Writer's Word Processor (1996)
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WordStar: A Writer's Word Processor (1996)
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Re: WordStar: A Writer's Word Processor (1996)
#2WordStar was actually also a pretty good programming editor - I used it on Z80 CP/M and 8088 IBM systems for programming.
On the Z80, I actually had to write small assembly language routines to read the keyboard and write to the screen (by default it came with integration with CP/M only, which was pretty poor), for which WordStar provided quite a good patching tool to integrate the routines into the main executable. You could also do scary things with the printer interface.
Re: WordStar: A Writer's Word Processor (1996)
#3For a long time, I used Joe's Own Editor [1], which featured a WordStar keybinding mode. I still use it from time to time.
Re: WordStar: A Writer's Word Processor (1996)
#4I guess I’m too young for WordStar. WordPerfect 6.2 is immediate enough for me and the Alt-based menubar feels very familiar. To each his own.
Re: WordStar: A Writer's Word Processor (1996)
#5WordStar was actually also a pretty good programming editor - I used it on Z80 CP/M and 8088 IBM systems for programming. On the Z80, I actually had to write small assembly language routines to read the keyboard and write to the screen (by default it came with integration with CP/M only, which was pretty poor), for which WordStar provided quite a good patching tool to integrate the routines into the main executable.…
I built a Z80 machine a couple of years ago and have had great fun learning about CP/M on it, I'm curious what was poor about using the BDOS (I assume) to access the keyboard?
Re: WordStar: A Writer's Word Processor (1996)
#6For a long time, I used Joe's Own Editor [1], which featured a WordStar keybinding mode. I still use it from time to time. [1] https://joe-editor.sourceforge.io/
I've been using joe since the 90s. One time I was helping someone with their computer and they used WordStar, so I knew the keybindings pretty much for free.
Re: WordStar: A Writer's Word Processor (1996)
#7WordStar was actually also a pretty good programming editor - I used it on Z80 CP/M and 8088 IBM systems for programming. On the Z80, I actually had to write small assembly language routines to read the keyboard and write to the screen (by default it came with integration with CP/M only, which was pretty poor), for which WordStar provided quite a good patching tool to integrate the routines into the main executable.…
I built a Z80 machine a couple of years ago and have had great fun learning about CP/M on it, I'm curious what was poor about using the BDOS (I assume) to access the keyboard?
BDOS was slow, and depending on platform might not support single keystrokes or single screen updates well. Going through the machines BIOS (or direct hardware access) was generally much more satisfactory, and you could also take advantage of the hardware peculiarities, which BDOS didn't unless it had been well-tailored, which it often wasn't.
Re: WordStar: A Writer's Word Processor (1996)
#8I began using WordStar in 1980 for development (in "non-document mode") on CP/M. It was the best thing ever available for that platform, and it had some features that I've never seen duplicated elsewhere (such as "column mode" cut and paste). Back when I was using it, the standard computer keyboard had the "control" key directly to the left of the "A" key (where the "Caps Lock" key is now). I was never happy that IBM moved the control key, and I was even less happy when Sun Microsystems followed suit (but for a while you could still order the Sun keyboards with the control key in the right place). I got in bad habit of moving my left hand one key left so I could use my left pinky to hold control down while using the "magic diamond" to move the cursor around. It took me many years to un-learn that bad habit.
By 1996 (when this article was written) WordStar had already committed suicide by pushing "WordStar 2000" on everybody, which completely broke the old user interface.
Re: WordStar: A Writer's Word Processor (1996)
#9I've used many wordprocessors but WordStar still is my favorite, I first used it under CP/M and later on the IBM PC. Anyone who has used it knows that once you got the feel for the WordStar keystroke diamond it was magic to use. I still have hundreds of files in WordStar format and I can either import them into a GUI WYSIWYG WP or I can still use them in WordStar 7 running under an emulated environment in Windows.
WordStar came in various varieties with version 7 the last before it changed direction to WordStar 2000 (which, incidentally, was well before the year 2000). This put death knell on WordStar as its keystrokes were different to previous ones. Making a stupid and unpopular change like that ought to be a lesson for every software developer
When WordStar 2000 was released I recall that when at an exhibition having an argument with Seymour Rubinstein, CEO of MicroPro, WS's developer, about these stupid changes. I told him bluntly that I would not be upgrading from version 7 as I saw no reason why I should relearn all the hard-earned keystrokes for little advantage. The fact that WordStar 2000 failed, it seems that I was far from being alone with that view.
Incidentally, for those who are not familiar with WordStar, MicroPro or Seymour Rubinstein—Seymour Rubinstein was the inventor of the now infamous EULA—End User License Agreement! WordStar was close to the first program to have an EULA attached (from memory I think WordMaster (an earlier WP that predated WordStar), was actually first—someone correct me if I'm wrong).
Re: WordStar: A Writer's Word Processor (1996)
#10I always remember this exchange with real writer when I see & hear WordStar :)