Word processor software

Typewriters had defined document creation for a century. Corrections meant retyping entire pages. Revisions required starting over. The electric typewriter and later dedicated word processing machines (like IBM's MT/ST) improved the experience, but these were expensive systems available only to secretarial pools in large organizations.

Microcomputer word processors democratized writing technology. Electric Pencil (1976), created by Michael Shrayer for the MITS Altair, was the first word processor for personal computers. WordStar (1978) from MicroPro became the dominant platform in the CP/M era. WordPerfect (1979) and Microsoft Word (1983) followed, each generation bringing more capabilities and larger user bases.

The adjacent possible required several streams to converge. Microcomputers provided affordable hardware. Video display terminals showed text as it would appear. Sufficient memory allowed documents to be edited in RAM. Floppy disks enabled document storage and retrieval. The concept of full-screen editing—moving a cursor anywhere in the document—replaced the line-by-line approach of earlier systems.

WordStar's success demonstrated the market's potential. Its command structure (Ctrl+K for block operations, Ctrl+Q for quick functions) became so ingrained that users demanded compatibility for years. The keyboard shortcuts influenced subsequent word processors and even modern text editors. Path dependence was visible in how early choices constrained later designs.

The graphical user interface transformed word processing again. WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) displays showed formatting as it would print. Apple's MacWrite (1984) and later Microsoft Word for Macintosh pioneered graphical word processing. By the 1990s, Microsoft Word for Windows had achieved market dominance that persisted for decades.

Geographic factors reflected the personal computer industry's structure. Shrayer wrote Electric Pencil in California for the Altair. WordStar came from MicroPro in San Rafael, California. WordPerfect emerged from Brigham Young University in Utah. Microsoft Word was developed in Seattle. The software industry's dispersal across the American West contrasted with hardware manufacturing's concentration in Silicon Valley.

The cascade effects restructured document production. Professional typists declined as authors typed their own work. Publishing workflows transformed as manuscripts arrived as files rather than paper. Desktop publishing combined word processing with layout. The ease of revision encouraged longer documents and more drafts. Email replaced typed memos, but formal documents still required word processors.

By 2025, cloud-based alternatives like Google Docs challenged Microsoft's dominance by enabling real-time collaboration. But the core paradigm—text editing with formatting, document structure, and print output—remained recognizable from WordStar four decades earlier. The word processor had become invisible infrastructure for written communication.