I wish I still had my old TRS-80 Model 100, my first computer. In some ways it solved for most of the problems I have with writing in public on a tablet or a laptop. Basically a big mechanical keyboard with a small low-res screen that ran for a long time on AA batteries.
WriterdeckOS
71–80 of 118 posts
Re: WriterdeckOS
#72Earlier quoted context omitted.
This is intended for people who want to use a laptop as a single use device for the purpose of writing. So basic file management and a word processor is all that is needed. WriterdeckOS is not meant to be an OS for general computing. Purppose built writerdecks are quite expensive. WriterdeckOS is a practical, inexpensive and resourceful alternative to a purpose build device. For more information on writerdecks check…
This is the main reason I keep my PS/2 around with WordPerfect 5.1. Sure I can go browse the web with Minuet, or I used to before https everywhere, but that means saving and exiting WP. And 30+ years later I'm still waiting for a word processor with a decent Reveal Codes.
I knew about IBM PS/2, but I temporarily forgot for a moment and was feeling confused about using WordPerfect 5.1 with PlayStation 2 haha.
Re: WriterdeckOS
#73No autosaving. That's the wrong way to try to be minimalist.
Thanks!
Re: WriterdeckOS
#74Nice! I have another idea: DerangedOS. An operating system that allows you to scroll social media and view short form video content. It immediately shuts down if you attempt to do anything productive.
Re: WriterdeckOS
#75Earlier quoted context omitted.
This is intended for people who want to use a laptop as a single use device for the purpose of writing. So basic file management and a word processor is all that is needed. WriterdeckOS is not meant to be an OS for general computing. Purppose built writerdecks are quite expensive. WriterdeckOS is a practical, inexpensive and resourceful alternative to a purpose build device. For more information on writerdecks check…
This is the main reason I keep my PS/2 around with WordPerfect 5.1. Sure I can go browse the web with Minuet, or I used to before https everywhere, but that means saving and exiting WP. And 30+ years later I'm still waiting for a word processor with a decent Reveal Codes.
AFAIK, the current version of Nota Bene -- a direct descendent of XyWrite -- still has this; the current feature list explicitly mentions "Editable Show Codes view so you can see exactly where commands take effect, and edit them as desired". Nota Bene has survived into the present day by moving pretty firmly into a niche academia market, though, and carries a pretty stiff price ($349).
Re: WriterdeckOS
#76I tried something like this a while back, where I just installed a very minimal ubuntu system with nano and vim and not much else on an older laptop (no X windows or Wayland for sure).
Re: WriterdeckOS
#77Why not just use a regular OS, install everything you need, then kill the internet connection?
This isn't really targeting Linux users. It's targeting people who want to write without distraction who might have never used Linux before.
Except that this is the most Linux brained way of approaching it: Here's a shell! It's running a funny text editor! IF you need anything just use bash :)"
Re: WriterdeckOS
#78Earlier quoted context omitted.
This is intended for people who want to use a laptop as a single use device for the purpose of writing. So basic file management and a word processor is all that is needed. WriterdeckOS is not meant to be an OS for general computing. Purppose built writerdecks are quite expensive. WriterdeckOS is a practical, inexpensive and resourceful alternative to a purpose build device. For more information on writerdecks check…
This is the main reason I keep my PS/2 around with WordPerfect 5.1. Sure I can go browse the web with Minuet, or I used to before https everywhere, but that means saving and exiting WP. And 30+ years later I'm still waiting for a word processor with a decent Reveal Codes.
I keep a Mac IIci that I purchased at a thrift store for $12 to remind me that we haven't progressed that far. It's not fast, but it runs Photoshop, Illustrator, and Vim. Not bad for a 35+ year old machine that will do 80% of what you need. No GPU, but I think that's losing the plot when people can't afford to pay their electricity bills while billion dollar companies continue to scale out the data centers that jack up prices for AI slop nobody wants.
Re: WriterdeckOS
#79Earlier quoted context omitted.
This is the main reason I keep my PS/2 around with WordPerfect 5.1. Sure I can go browse the web with Minuet, or I used to before https everywhere, but that means saving and exiting WP. And 30+ years later I'm still waiting for a word processor with a decent Reveal Codes.
I knew about IBM PS/2, but I temporarily forgot for a moment and was feeling confused about using WordPerfect 5.1 with PlayStation 2 haha.
Meanwhile my mind first jumped to the old, pre-USB connector used for things like keyboards and mice, and was wondering what wizardry they had built to turn a PS2 keyboard into a complete text processor!
Re: WriterdeckOS
#80A word of caution. > WARNING: This will erase everything on the laptop you install it on. Please make backups before beginning. I ran it a few months back without reading everything. I was trying a bunch of different linux distros via bootable USB drives, when I tried this one and it wiped the underlying drive. Luckily enough it was just a test machine, I didn't lose anything crucial.
It didn't ask you to confirm it would wipe things? You just booted and the data was gone? That seems like a massively user-hostile choice.
What did you think they meant by distraction-free? Vibes? Essays? Papers?