Anyone have any info on how word processors model their documents in memory?
#SoftwareArchitecture #SoftwareDevelopment #WordProcessing #DataStructures #DesignPatterns
#wordProcessing
Es hat ein bisschen gebraucht, bis ich mich durch Track Changes: A Literary History of Word Processing durchgekämpft hatte. Natürlich hat die Erwähnung alter Bekannter eine kleine Retro-Reise zu alten Schreibprogrammen ausgelöst, die noch nicht zu Ende ist. Ein paar Gedanken dazu für Interessierte hier:
https://blog.inpc.de/2025/05/31/track-changes-a-literary-history-of-word-processing/
A Look Back at Three Decades of Word Processors
https://bytecellar.com/2016/06/05/a-look-back-at-three-decades-of-word-processors/
#wordprocessors #wordprocessing
#retrocomputing #videoscritture
If our softwares were optimized, and if the web wasn't bloated, we could have dirt cheap computers. People already do a lot with RPi Pico.
I think the biggest problem is web. With an RP2040 you can do #gopher, #gemini, #email, #paint and #wordprocessing to say the least. A computer based on this could be very useful for schools. I am being tempted to do a startup or try getting a grant.
Looking into Printfox a bit and wonder if its coder, Hans Haberl, is still alive and might be open for a talk? Asking for a friend ... 😉 Any clues are very welcome!
#C64 #commodore64 #printfox #wordprocessing #Textverarbeitung #ITGeschichte
I’m pretty sure this has been talked about here before, but I can’t find the information at the moment. What is a decentralized word processing app that would be an alternative to Google Docs? #WordProcessing #writing #documents #googledocs #DataSecurity #decentralizedinternet #decentralizedapps
🎥📝 Behold the cutting-edge marvel of the "RARE" Toshiba Typewriter, plucked straight from the annals of YouTube's treasure trove. Apparently, Google's 2025 vision involves regurgitating relics from the past, while the creator feverishly taps away on their BW-2112, dreaming of the day word processors weren't a thing. 😂🔍
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZcui85b4EE #ToshibaTypewriter #Google2025 #VintageTech #YouTubeTreasure #WordProcessing #Nostalgia #HackerNews #ngated
Word processing on the VIC-20? This makes me cringe as much I love the VIC. Regardless, there is a nice review of the different options https://techtinkering.com/articles/word-processors-on-the-commodore-vic-20/ #commodore #vic20 #retrocomputing #wordprocessing
Ok this is kinda funny
#Tech #Computer #RetroTech #Retro #RetroTechnology #RetroComputers #VintageComputer #RetroComputing #Magazine #WordMARC #WordProcessing
This interview by @savetz with Rick Reaser, published under the auspices of @ataripodcast, is well worth a listen!
Rick talks a mile a minute and drops in gems about how the first generation of #GPS satellites used a pair of 4-bit bit sliced ALUs as their CPUs (not dissimilar to the CPU design on the #CenturionComputer that Dave from Usagi Electric has been working on?) and the next generation of GPS satellites ("block II") used a radiation-hardened microprocessor from Texas Instruments.
Rick describes #Commodore64 computers being used at #Rockwell to run test harnesses for the GPS satellites.
He also describes pushing the #Atari8bit to the max of its capabilities for productivity tasks like #WordProcessing, #Database, #Spreadsheet and communications applications.
Terrific stuff.
https://ataripodcast.libsyn.com/antic-interview-443-rick-reaser-current-notes-magazine
#RetroComputing #ComputerHistory #Histodon #Technics #SocietyAndTechnology
Empowering Writing with Markdown
I’ve long been a writer, but writing and publishing have been challenging. Pencil or pen and paper and then endless sheets of paper for rewrites. My writing took off when my parents sent me to college with a typewriter. Lots paper and ink were used, but the writing process became easier. Then came word processing. What a gift to be able to write, revise and rewrite without killing anymore trees or using more ink.
My journey with word processing began with FredWriter and AppleWorks. These tools allowed me to write with ease, highlight text, and cut or copy and paste. The ability to save changes to disk for later use was a game-changer. As time passed, I encountered MacWrite, MaxWrite, Microsoft Word, StarOffice Writer, Libreoffice Writer, and many more. Each new tool brought with it an evolution in the writing process, making it better yet more complex, a journey that never ceased to intrigue me.
Most of the writing I do is for the web and it’s not easy to convert from from Writer or Word to HTML. But it does not have to be that way because in 2004 John Gruber created Markdown. Finally a writing format easily accessible to all that can be created in the most inelegant text editor yet transformed into beautiful written content for the web. Markdown is easily mastered and could be taught to students as early as third grade.
In addition to providing an easily accessible word processor at minimal cost, students can also be introduced to the basics of programming. Markdown converts plain text into structured HTML, making it a simple tool for creating complex documents that can be easily shared with teachers and fellow students.
Markdown’s versatility is a game-changer, making it accessible to everyone, including students with varying technical skills. With a minimal learning curve, students can quickly start using Markdown to format text, create lists, insert links, and embed images. The fact that Markdown can be shared across various platforms, from mobile phones to PCs, regardless of the operating system, empowers students to use it for a wide range of tasks, from note-taking to essay writing and presentation creation.
Learning Markdown also increases students digital literacy by familiarizing them with basic concepts of markup languages and text formatting. It bridges the gap between plain text and more complex coding languages providing a foundation for further learning and web development. Platforms like Github and Gitlab rely on Markdown for documentation. Markdown is used in scientific documentation and most of the output from ChatGPT, Microsoft CoPilot and other LLMs is provided in Markdown format.
You don’t need a wordprocessor to create Markdown. You can use Wordpad on Windows, TextEdit on MacOS, gedit or vim on Linux. You will need to use the following tags and save your work with the .md file extension.
Headers:
# Header 1## Header 2### Header 3#### Header 4##### Header 5###### Header 6Emphasis:
*Italic* or _Italic_**Bold** or __Bold__***Bold and Italic*** or ___Bold and Italic___Lists:
Unordered lists:
- Item 1- Item 2 - Subitem 1 - Subitem 2Ordered lists:
1. First item2. Second item 1. Subitem 1 2. Subitem 2Links:
[Link Text](http://url.com)Images:
Block quotes:
> This is a blockquote.Code:
Inline code`code block`Code block: 3 back ticks on the line before the code and three back ticks on the line after the code. Horizontal rule:
---For more information on formatting be sure to consult this excellent guide on Github. Happy writing!
#Markdown #OpenSource #technicalWritiing #wordProcessing #writing
The vintage alternative to Word Processor
https://www.stefanopaganini.com/2016/12/08/the-vintage-alternative-to-word-processor/
This is pretty cool. Wordstar was definitely my tool of choice back in the day!
#wordstar #retrocomputing #oldsoftware #wordprocessing
https://www.theregister.com/2024/08/06/wordstar_7_the_last_ever/
Amazing.
[Robert J. Sawyer] "Included are not only full installs of the program (as well as images of the installation disks), but also plug-and-play solutions for running WordStar for DOS 7.0 under Windows, and also complete full-text-searchable PDF versions of all seven manuals that came with WordStar — over a thousand pages of documentation."
https://sfwriter.com/blog/?p=5806
#Software #WordStar #WordProcessing #RetroComputing #RetroSoftware #DOS #ComputerHistory
This is an excellent history of word processing and office automation. The origins of such systems go deeper in time and wider in enabling technologies than I thought. And the personal computer didn't play a major role until the mid 1980s.
#TestyTim reviews @ia #iAWriter, a quieter place to compose thoughts. #wordprocessing #writing #crossplatform #cloud #mac #testytim https://reviews.ofb.biz/sa1185
🔍 Ever wondered how to make your document visually appealing? It's all about the details—Text, Paragraph, and Page Formatting! 🖌️✨
Uncover the secrets: https://basicscomp.com/document-formatting
#DocumentFormatting #MicrosoftWordTips #TextFormatting #ParagraphDesign #PageLayout #DocumentDesign #FormattingSkills #WordProcessing #OfficeHacks #ProfessionalDocs #TechTuesday #LearnWithBasicsComp #OfficeProductivity #DesignTips #VisualAppeal #TechSkills #WordMastery #FormatLikeAPro #CreateWithWord
@Reb this brought up a obscure memory of some wordprocessor I used which used to do that, and I think it was probably View for the BBC micro... you could put a bell character in the ruler (along with tab stops and margins)
https://stardot.org.uk/mirrors/www.bbcdocs.com/filebase/software/apps/ViewGuide.pdf
(PDF Page 25, numbered page 19)
A new video is on the way.
I'm filming a new video currently, and this one will be on Final Writer for the Amiga. 😎
This should see a release within the next week or so. 👍
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