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MicaelS

(8,747 posts)
26. No, the ORIGINAL Word Processor...
Wed Jan 25, 2012, 02:16 PM
Jan 2012
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Word_processor

Word processor may also refer to a type of stand-alone office machine, popular in the 1970s and 1980s, combining the keyboard text-entry and printing functions of an electric typewriter with a dedicated processor (like a computer processor) for the editing of text. Although features and design varied between manufacturers and models, with new features added as technology advanced, word processors for several years usually featured a monochrome display and the ability to save documents on memory cards or diskettes. Later models introduced innovations such as spell-checking programs, increased formatting options, and dot-matrix printing. As the more versatile combination of a personal computer and separate printer became commonplace, most business-machine companies stopped manufacturing the word processor as a stand-alone office machine. As of 2009 there were only two U.S. companies, Classic and AlphaSmart, which still made stand-alone word processors. Many older machines, however, remain in use. Since 2009, Sentinel has offered a machine described as a word processor, but in actuality it is more accurately a highly specialised microcomputer, used for accounting and publishing.


Wang 1200 Word Processor.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wang_Laboratories#The_Wang_1200

The operator of a Wang 1200 typed text on a conventional IBM Selectric keyboard; when the Return key was pressed, the line of text was stored on a cassette tape. One cassette held roughly 20 pages of text, and could be "played back" (e.g., the text retrieved) by printing the contents on continuous-form paper in the 1200 typewriter's "print" mode. The stored text could also be edited, using keys on a simple, six-key array. Basic editing functions included Insert, Delete, Skip (character, line), and so on.

The labor and cost savings of this device were immediate, and remarkable: pages of text no longer had to be retyped to correct simple errors, and projects could be worked on, stored, and then retrieved for use later on. The rudimentary Wang 1200 machine was the precursor of the Wang Office Information System (OIS), which revolutionized the way typing projects were performed in the American workplace.
Maybe he forgot to charge the battery liberal N proud Jan 2012 #1
No... I mean... that many macs? redqueen Jan 2012 #2
Many schools now include a laptop in tuition liberal N proud Jan 2012 #8
Ah, yes... that would explain it... redqueen Jan 2012 #10
I think the University of Arizona provides Apples. I bet it's a competitive contract... MiddleFingerMom Jan 2012 #19
pen and paper kid gets an A+ limpyhobbler Jan 2012 #3
There are a few more pen and paper kids... redqueen Jan 2012 #5
I did quakerboy Jan 2012 #35
Those aren't pen and paper kids. They just ain't taking notes. Saving Hawaii Jan 2012 #38
The guy with the Acer will one day be their boss. deucemagnet Jan 2012 #4
I got through college with a pen and paper bigwillq Jan 2012 #6
what's a word processor? limpyhobbler Jan 2012 #7
Google it on your computer. bigwillq Jan 2012 #9
Remember microfiche and encyclopedias? Chan790 Jan 2012 #11
I loved Encyclos!!! bigwillq Jan 2012 #12
Me too! Chan790 Jan 2012 #15
I was also obsessed with the Atlas. bigwillq Jan 2012 #16
I used to read the encyclopedia too. Bake Jan 2012 #22
I remember using typewriters, but then went straight to computers. limpyhobbler Jan 2012 #13
Oh, it was big bigwillq Jan 2012 #14
Believe it or don't, but I went BACK to a word-processor. kentauros Jan 2012 #36
I like it limpyhobbler Jan 2012 #39
A word processing program, such as Microsoft Word or Word Perfect. RebelOne Jan 2012 #17
No, the ORIGINAL Word Processor... MicaelS Jan 2012 #26
As did I, deucemagnet Jan 2012 #18
I got through college with a pen, paper and.... zanana1 Jan 2012 #41
Easy. Macs are for children & others who can't be trusted with a real computer. baldguy Jan 2012 #20
Easy. Macs are for people who want quality and are willing to pay for it. NYC_SKP Jan 2012 #21
At least you know that the guy with pen & paper HappyMe Jan 2012 #23
Oh YEAH? Oh YEAH! Well, well, well, I hand-coded machine code using a hex keypad. HopeHoops Jan 2012 #24
I hand-coded an IBM 650. Lionel Mandrake Jan 2012 #29
Those were the days, eh? 6502/6510 is still my favorite machine. HopeHoops Jan 2012 #34
That's a lot of white people. hunter Jan 2012 #25
best response n/t YankeyMCC Jan 2012 #42
There is something to be said about Pen and paper. Lady Freedom Returns Jan 2012 #27
The professor might use some interactive software Duer 157099 Jan 2012 #28
I am SO glad that I went to college and grad school hifiguy Jan 2012 #30
They don't dictate? redqueen Jan 2012 #31
The ad agencies where I worked, as well as the lawyers HappyMe Jan 2012 #32
I've seen some really old-school guys hifiguy Jan 2012 #33
Yes, it's Photoshopped. kentauros Jan 2012 #37
Schools up here give the kids Mac laptops with most of their texts already loaded. freshwest Jan 2012 #40
Lighter and cheaper than textbooks, e-books are the future. NYC_SKP Jan 2012 #43
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