WordStar isn't that difficult once you master the diamond keystrokes—E,S,D,X—and the keys adjacent to them. In fact, WordStar's control key 'diamond' was very well thought out. After one mastered the sequence which probably took several days one could enter text very quickly and efficiently. I just found this site which provides an excellent explanation:
Whose (vi) keybindings I learned in 1987 on a SunOS system where it was simply the best editor available stock (about 1/2 of the user population in those days used emacs instead but you had to install that). And I can still use them to this day! Whereas I've forgotten the WS ones.
I was about to yell in indignation "BUT WHAT ABOUT EMACS!" and then I finished reading the first sentence. Alas, it is true, emacs was not installed by default. I learned just enough vi to modify basic files in /etc on old school unices (Ultrix, SunOS, Solaris, HP/UX, IRIX, etc.)
And the weird thing is... to this day... when I edit something in /etc, I always use vi instead of emacs. It just seems sick and wrong to edit config files with anything else.
Actually realizing you're referring to my "might still be fun", the fun is in discovering how things used to be. Not using the old tools for production use. Unless, I suppose, you have a daisywheel type printer that's sitting idle.
WordStar isn't that difficult once you master the diamond keystrokes—E,S,D,X—and the keys adjacent to them. In fact, WordStar's control key 'diamond' was very well thought out. After one mastered the sequence which probably took several days one could enter text very quickly and efficiently. I just found this site which provides an excellent explanation:
https://benhoyt.com/writings/wordstar-diamond/
As I mentioned above I ran WordStar on multiple operating systems and I still have it running under an emulator under Windows.
It was fun in much the same way that vim is fun.
Whose (vi) keybindings I learned in 1987 on a SunOS system where it was simply the best editor available stock (about 1/2 of the user population in those days used emacs instead but you had to install that). And I can still use them to this day! Whereas I've forgotten the WS ones.
I suspect that I just have to say Control+K Control+D to awaken some memories. (-:
I was about to yell in indignation "BUT WHAT ABOUT EMACS!" and then I finished reading the first sentence. Alas, it is true, emacs was not installed by default. I learned just enough vi to modify basic files in /etc on old school unices (Ultrix, SunOS, Solaris, HP/UX, IRIX, etc.)
And the weird thing is... to this day... when I edit something in /etc, I always use vi instead of emacs. It just seems sick and wrong to edit config files with anything else.
Most first-rate tools aren't meant to be fun. WS was very effective once you memorized the more common keybindings.
Actually realizing you're referring to my "might still be fun", the fun is in discovering how things used to be. Not using the old tools for production use. Unless, I suppose, you have a daisywheel type printer that's sitting idle.