Hi there! Come, let me tell you the remarkable history of the first word processor to take the personal computing world by storm – WordStar!
Overview
Before we get rolling, let‘s briefly recap what word processors actually do. They allow you to digitally type and format documents on computers for printing. Early word processors were bulky expensive machines used mainly in offices.
The idea that average consumers could have their own affordable word processor to use at home seemed a dream in the 1970s. WordStar made this dream a game-changing reality as the first commercially successful microcomputer word processing software, kickstarting mainstream home computing productivity!
1978 – Partners in Productivity: Rubenstein and Barnaby
The WordStar origin story began in 1978 when Seymour Rubenstein, the marketing director at a computer company called IMS Associates quit his job. Frustrated by the limitations of using computers for writing at the time, Rubenstein decided to build his own microcomputer word processing software for the consumer market.
Rubenstein convinced IMSAI‘s programming wizard Rob Barnaby to join him in this risky new venture. Now Rubenstein had the business and marketing smarts, while Barnaby brought elite coding skills to the table. The scrappy startup they founded, MicroPro International, set out to launch WordStar and conquer the nascent home computing software industry!
Grueling Teething Troubles
Ah, but turning this vision into reality wasn‘t easy! Early versions of WordStar had debilitating bugs that crashed computers regularly. They struggled for months to debug the code to even get it working decently on the CP/M operating system.
Rubenstein kept spirits up with pep talks, while Barnaby pull off all nighters chained to his terminal pounding out code. The partnership somehow muddled through the engineering nightmares – driven by their belief they were building the future of consumer computing.
Explosive Debut
In 1979, WordStar 1.0 finally arrived in moderately working form for CP/M microcomputers. And despite the lingering gremlins, it blew consumers away! Just the ability to edit formatted text on screen and print documents was revolutionary compared to clumsy typewriters.
The feature we take most for granted today – copy-paste – amazed early adopters. Mail merge form letters boosted business productivity. For the first time, small business owners and individuals could affordably type, edit and print all their documents at home.
WordStar sales exploded from $500,000 initially to $5 million by 1981. Rubenstein and Barnaby knew they had struck gold by unlocking mainstream consumer creativity.
Riding the IBM PC Wave
Now hopping onto the IBM PC bandwagon took WordPerfect into the stratosphere commercially…
[Article continues documenting the later key events and versions over 15+ year history]