Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

WordStar: A Writer's Word Processor (1996)

sfwriter.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

61–70 of 94 posts

Re: WordStar: A Writer's Word Processor (1996)

#61

Post by euroderf »

epihelix wrote: post #28

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 thin…

> 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 !!!

Re: WordStar: A Writer's Word Processor (1996)

#62

Post by euroderf »

gramie wrote: post #57
mkovach wrote: post #49

I still like to start the first draft of anything substantial by moving to a single screen, opening FreeDOS, maximizing the window, and typing in Wordstar as if it were 1987. Hell, sometimes I'll even put on a nylon windbreaker. I always preferred WordStar to WordPerfect, largely because WordStar's keybindings were easy to learn and remember. WordPerfect, by contrast, seemed to require keyboard templates, a manual, a…

I learned to love WordPerfect. I still miss the ability to "Reveal Codes" and see exactly where it had placed the non-printing codes to turn on/off bold, italics, to change margins, etc. When MS Word screws your entire document's formatting by typing a single letter, or moves stuff around the page seemingly randomly, your only option is to undo or reload the document. You can read an insider's story of WordPerfect by…

Didn't MS Word have Reveal Codes ? At least for some years ? I doubt it is (or was ever) in Mac Pages.

Re: WordStar: A Writer's Word Processor (1996)

#63

Post by mkovach »

gramie wrote: post #57
mkovach wrote: post #49

I still like to start the first draft of anything substantial by moving to a single screen, opening FreeDOS, maximizing the window, and typing in Wordstar as if it were 1987. Hell, sometimes I'll even put on a nylon windbreaker. I always preferred WordStar to WordPerfect, largely because WordStar's keybindings were easy to learn and remember. WordPerfect, by contrast, seemed to require keyboard templates, a manual, a…

I learned to love WordPerfect. I still miss the ability to "Reveal Codes" and see exactly where it had placed the non-printing codes to turn on/off bold, italics, to change margins, etc. When MS Word screws your entire document's formatting by typing a single letter, or moves stuff around the page seemingly randomly, your only option is to undo or reload the document. You can read an insider's story of WordPerfect by…

Wow, I'd completely forgotten Peterson's book existed. Thanks for the link.

My long-running quarrel with WordPerfect was always the keybindings. I can still tear through WordStar, and anything wearing WordStar's clothes, like Turbo Pascal, Turbo C, or Joe in jstar mode, like an overcaffeinated chipmunk that's made a series of questionable but deeply committed life choices about caffeine.

WordPerfect, though. WordPerfect and I never achieved détente. I never managed to internalize those key combinations. This is, on paper, a personal failing. In practice, I continue to hold WordPerfect entirely responsible.

Re: WordStar: A Writer's Word Processor (1996)

#64

Post by 2b3a51 »

anthk wrote: post #47
jszymborski wrote: post #4

I've long considered getting a netbook, slapping freedos on it and running WordStar or WordPerfect as a writing deck. I'm not sure how I would get my files I create off the device since USB support isn't really a thing.

Hyperbola GNU/Linux and Wordgrinder or jstar (from the Joe package) and Markdown, or even Groff as the basic syntax can be easy enough. Then you run groff file.troff -step -k > file.pdf And you can now enjoy a formated book in the spot. If any, check Groff with Mom macros, with does what you need with ease: https://www.schaffter.ca/mom/ Online manual: https://www.schaffter.ca/mom/momdoc/toc.html For a quick command:…

Just a footnote to parent post: Groff is developed as a complete set of programs and macro files. Debian, hence Ubuntu and other derivative distros, segment groff into a base package with what you need to display man pages (using the man macros) that comes as part of a base install and an additional package that has the mom macros and all. Just 'apt install groff' to get the full groff distribution.

Re: WordStar: A Writer's Word Processor (1996)

#65

Post by kjellsbells »

bigfatkitten wrote: post #42
amarant wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Out of curiosity, what kind of documents are those typically? Surely UK businesses don't need to keep financial records for 40+ years (or however long it's been since floppies were common)?

Legal matters often have decades long histories. Especially things like deceased estates.

Jarndyce v. Jarndyce in fiction, and many others in reality, such as the UK PPI scandal, the Maxwell pensioners, and (US) all the malpractice cases like Vioxx and asbestos...

Re: WordStar: A Writer's Word Processor (1996)

#66

Post by kjellsbells »

euroderf wrote: post #62
gramie wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I learned to love WordPerfect. I still miss the ability to "Reveal Codes" and see exactly where it had placed the non-printing codes to turn on/off bold, italics, to change margins, etc. When MS Word screws your entire document's formatting by typing a single letter, or moves stuff around the page seemingly randomly, your only option is to undo or reload the document. You can read an insider's story of WordPerfect by…

Didn't MS Word have Reveal Codes ? At least for some years ? I doubt it is (or was ever) in Mac Pages.

Yes, around the Word 6 era. It also had a plain-blue-screen mode for the real WP diehards.

Re: WordStar: A Writer's Word Processor (1996)

#67

Post by jszymborski »

UncleSlacky wrote: post #58
jszymborski wrote: post #4

I've long considered getting a netbook, slapping freedos on it and running WordStar or WordPerfect as a writing deck. I'm not sure how I would get my files I create off the device since USB support isn't really a thing.

https://github.com/lproven/usb-dos "To get your work off the key, just insert the key into a computer that's already running any more modern OS than DOS."

This looks like a winner, thx!

Re: WordStar: A Writer's Word Processor (1996)

#69

Post by ErroneousBosh »

amarant wrote: post #40
ErroneousBosh wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the UK at least it crops up a lot in legal circles. Quite often solicitors have stuff on 3.5" or even 5.25" floppies that need read, converted from WordPerfect into something modern, and delivered as maybe a PDF or Word Doc. Fortunately, solicitors tend not to be short of money (that they bill their client for) so they can often find "a guy who knows a guy" who can get that precious floppy onto a USB stick. Occasi…

Out of curiosity, what kind of documents are those typically? Surely UK businesses don't need to keep financial records for 40+ years (or however long it's been since floppies were common)?

I don't know, I don't speak solicitor and I don't care to read them.

Probably stuff to do with property ownership.

Last PC I saw in daily use with floppies in daily use was about five years ago.

Re: WordStar: A Writer's Word Processor (1996)

#70

Post by FerretFred »

WordStar was my first (WP) love and I found it on a CP/M computer which was being used to great effect for all sorts of office things. They later binned the computer for an IBM PC and I salvaged it. Worked great for a few more years and I really, really missed WS when it failed.
Post reply on HN