WordStar DOS 7.0d -- Chromebook

[rcentros]

I thought maybe Robert Sawyer would get a kick out of this. (Probably no one else cares.)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JIR...ew?usp=sharing

I think this will be clearer if you download it — or maybe Google likes Windows better than Linux, I don't know. It's actually recorded at a pretty decent resolution for the screencast that comes built into Chromebooks now.

I used WordStar for DOS for about 20 years, until I went to Linux. It actually works pretty well in DOSBox, but to use the files in Linux I just convert to ASCII and use that in my word processor (after cleaning it up in Jstar, but that's more of a DOS text file to Linux issue).

I own WordStar 3.3, 5.5, 6.0, 7.0d, 2000 and WordStar for Windows (which really wasn't WordStar).

I still like the simplicity of the WordStar for DOS screen.

[Quoth]

Or G R R Martin. He uses Wordstar.

I used it for years. It's pointless now.
Wordstar 2000 and later for DOS are not Wordstar. Bought in and incompatible. I wrote a Pearl script to convert pre-2000 Wordstar

MicroPro focused on creating a clone of it[*] which they marketed, in 1984, as WordStar 2000. WordStar 2000 supported features such as disk directories, but lacked compatibility with the file formats of existing WordStar versions and also made numerous unpopular changes to the interface.
—Wikipedia

[* IBM ported Displaywrite to PC and Wordstar was a bought in clone]

For Plain text, Notepad++ or KATE is better (Jota on Android) and for actual Wordprocessing ANY Word for Windows from 2.0a onwards (maybe up to 2007 ) or LO Writer.

There are plenty of free text editors that will run in Dosbox (which runs on nearly anything Android to Linux to Symbian to Windows)

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by Quoth

There are plenty of free text editors that will run in Dosbox (which runs on nearly anything Android to Linux to Symbian to Windows)

I like the WordStar keystrokes for navigation — they're hard-wired into my fingers. When I started using Linux (16, or so, years ago) I moved JOE (Joe's Own Editor) because it had WordStar "flavor" called Jstar with most of the WordStar key bindings.

But I still like the WordStar screen better. If I ever write short stories again, I'll use WordStar to do it. Just "feels" right.

[gmw]

WordStar never did it for me - the navigation keystrokes in particular seemed somewhat perverse (I understand it was trying maximise portability, but since I wasn't that wasn't a priority for me). QEdit was what I eventually settled on for plain text (can't remember what I used before that), and WordPerfect for more sophisticated documents.

[Quoth]

I remember pre-IBM keyboards with no navigation keys at all in CP/M era, which is what WS ran on originally.

[gmw]

And I remember 2400 baud modems, but that doesn't mean I want to put a limiter on my broadband connection.

[JSWolf]

WordPerfect for DOS.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by gmw

WordStar never did it for me - the navigation keystrokes in particular seemed somewhat perverse (I understand it was trying maximise portability, but since I wasn't that wasn't a priority for me). QEdit was what I eventually settled on for plain text (can't remember what I used before that), and WordPerfect for more sophisticated documents.

I like keeping my hands on the "home" row when typing. WordPerfect's use of the Function keys frustrated me. Never did warm up to it. But, as Quoth mentions, WordStar's keystrokes predated "standard" IBM PC keyboards. WordStar keystrokes were used in Borland DOS products and several editors at one point.

I vaguely remember QEdit, may have even tried it. Can't remember for sure. I know I used some other editor that also had the WordStar keystrokes option. Maybe that was QEdit?

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by gmw

And I remember 2400 baud modems, but that doesn't mean I want to put a limiter on my broadband connection.

I don't find WordStar limiting. Actually I see it the opposite way. A text screen (without GUI elements) makes it easier for me to concentrate on writing.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

WordPerfect for DOS.

Seemed convoluted to me. But a lot of people liked it. That used to be the "big software purchase" when people bought a new computer in the early 90s (and probably the late 80s). I was used to WordStar (still am).

[gmw]

Originally Posted by rcentros

I don't WordStar limiting. Actually I see it the opposite way. A text screen (without GUI elements) makes it easier for me to concentrate on writing.

I was having a dig at the fact that the navigation keystrokes were designed to support old keyboards without navigation keys - as if living with outdated limitations was a good recommendation. (Of course, that feature could be handy again now with compact portable keyboards, so it's not necessarily a bad thing either - but is putting up with that limitation for decades really worth it?)

As for minimal screen interface, WordStar was not alone here. Even WordPerfect for DOS had what, a single menu line at the top and a single status line at the bottom and happily supported 50 line mode. Several other plain text editors had minimal interfaces too.

Let's face it, it's what you program into your fingers that counts. My fingers rejected WordStar but accepted WordPerfect and a myriad other programs that failed to follow WordStar's lead. (I admit the WP choice made it something of a PITA when WordPerfect was taken over by Novell and then Corel and slowly became unusable. But, I adapted.)

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by gmw

I was having a dig at the fact that the navigation keystrokes were designed to support old keyboards without navigation keys - as if living with outdated limitations was a good recommendation. (Of course, that feature could be handy again now with compact portable keyboards, so it's not necessarily a bad thing either - but is putting up with that limitation for decades really worth it?)

Sorry I missed the point. I do that too much.

Originally Posted by gmw

As for minimal screen interface, WordStar was not alone here. Even WordPerfect for DOS had what, a single menu line at the top and a single status line at the bottom and happily supported 50 line mode. Several other plain text editors had minimal interfaces too.

You're right about WordPerfect's screen. Even cleaner than WordStar's. I just couldn't get used to the Function Keys. But, to be honest, I already liked WordStar, so I probably didn't give WordPerfect much of an effort. I remember WordPerfect always had that Function Key template. But you could also bring up the Menu by pressing some key (can't remember which one now).

Originally Posted by gmw

Let's face it, it's what you program into your fingers that counts. My fingers rejected WordStar but accepted WordPerfect and a myriad other programs that failed to follow WordStar's lead. (I admit the WP choice made it something of a PITA when WordPerfect was taken over by Novell and then Corel and slowly became unusable. But, I adapted.)

I understand. Obviously I was in the minority because, until Windows came along, WordPerfect quickly became the king of word processors and WordStar nose-dived into oblivion. Novell was huge for a while — my younger brother started his computing career by getting a Novell certification. But if I remember right, both Novell and WordPerfect were on the way down by then. Novell also ended up with DR DOS, which is what came with my original PC.

I remember buying Corel Office (Windows) at CompUSA because it was cheap. I installed it, but I never used it.

Sorry, I'm rambling.

[Pierre Lawrence]

Anyone recall Vedit? Or Geoworks?

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by rcentros

Seemed convoluted to me. But a lot of people liked it. That used to be the "big software purchase" when people bought a new computer in the early 90s (and probably the late 80s). I was used to WordStar (still am).

The thing is, back then, WordPerfect was better then Word. Even when we had Windows version of both. It's just that somehow Word got to be the program to use even though it was not nearly as good.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by Pierre Lawrence

Anyone recall Vedit? Or Geoworks?

I remember Geoworks. Never used it though.

https://tedium.co/2019/06/20/geoworks-geos-history/

Not sure about Vedit. The name seems familiar in some way.