Learn Wordstar 2
Wordstar, The Grandfather of Word Processors….
My first personal computer was a Sanyo model 1150, CP/M machine. It came with a word processing program on several 5 1/4 inch disks named WordStar.
WordStar was manufactured by MicroPro and was part of a suite of programs that also included database and spreadsheet programs. WordStar was released in 1979 and was the most powerful word processing software of its day.
I remember the formatting commands of WordStar required as if it were yesterday: Control b ^B for bold, Control s ^S for underline. If you forgot to properly pair up the control codes, your document ended up a mess.
Here is a short sentence with boldface and underline code: ^B^SThe Great Gatsby.^S^B
WordStar was very confusing and difficult to learn. It was a powerful tool during an era when most of us were just being introduced to word processing. Mastering these wonders of modern technology required a new mindset. There was a major learning curve because using a personal computer was very cutting edge in the early 1980’s.
Though it wasn't easy, once you mastered the control key system all other word processors seemed simple. I am writing this description with Microsoft Word on my Mac and I have been using Word for many years. Today, it is the industry leader. However, WordStar was the leader back then.
Although I use Word, I still have a directory on my Windows based computer (in the closet) for my old WordStar program. I never boot it up, but keep it for old-times sake. As a closing note on this subject, do you remember how cool the first spelling checkers were? The spell checker in WordStar was SpellStar. Back in the early days MicroPro’s suite of software programs retailed for about $500.00.
This image is of the back side of a flyer I created during the early days of computers. My plan was to teach newbies how to use Wordstar. I had a few students sign up.
Learn Wordstar 2
Wordstar, The Grandfather of Word Processors….
My first personal computer was a Sanyo model 1150, CP/M machine. It came with a word processing program on several 5 1/4 inch disks named WordStar.
WordStar was manufactured by MicroPro and was part of a suite of programs that also included database and spreadsheet programs. WordStar was released in 1979 and was the most powerful word processing software of its day.
I remember the formatting commands of WordStar required as if it were yesterday: Control b ^B for bold, Control s ^S for underline. If you forgot to properly pair up the control codes, your document ended up a mess.
Here is a short sentence with boldface and underline code: ^B^SThe Great Gatsby.^S^B
WordStar was very confusing and difficult to learn. It was a powerful tool during an era when most of us were just being introduced to word processing. Mastering these wonders of modern technology required a new mindset. There was a major learning curve because using a personal computer was very cutting edge in the early 1980’s.
Though it wasn't easy, once you mastered the control key system all other word processors seemed simple. I am writing this description with Microsoft Word on my Mac and I have been using Word for many years. Today, it is the industry leader. However, WordStar was the leader back then.
Although I use Word, I still have a directory on my Windows based computer (in the closet) for my old WordStar program. I never boot it up, but keep it for old-times sake. As a closing note on this subject, do you remember how cool the first spelling checkers were? The spell checker in WordStar was SpellStar. Back in the early days MicroPro’s suite of software programs retailed for about $500.00.
This image is of the back side of a flyer I created during the early days of computers. My plan was to teach newbies how to use Wordstar. I had a few students sign up.