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Easy to use Word Processor

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mbbrutman

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I'm setting up a PCjr in my (nearly) seven year old's room for her to write stories on. An old DOS machine is the perfect choice:

- Dirt simple OS. I can hide almost everything about it by dumping it into the word processor when it boots up.
- 80x25 screeen. No windows to move around and play with. No icons to delete. Eetc.
- PCjr keyboard only has 62 keys .. not too intimidating.

I think I'm going to custom write a little text editor to make things simple, but before I head down that path does anybody have any suggestions for an easy to use text editor/word processor for a child?


Mike
 
I think an early version of MS Works will run on a Peanut, won't it? It's a good combination of simplicity to use, along with some powerful features. It's also pretty easy (cheap) to come by a copy these days.
(When my son was nine, he was forced to cut his teeth on WordStar 3.3 under CP/M 2.2, not exactly the friendliest of environments, but still not beyond the reach of a reasonably-evolved nine-year-old).

--T
 
Last edited:
mbbrutman wrote:

> I'm setting up a PCjr in my (nearly) seven year old's
> room for her to write stories on. An old DOS machine
> is the perfect choice:

> - Dirt simple OS. I can hide almost everything about
> it by dumping it into the word processor when it
> boots up.
> - 80x25 screeen. No windows to move around and play
> with. No icons to delete. Eetc.
> - PCjr keyboard only has 62 keys .. not too
> intimidating.

> I think I'm going to custom write a little text
> editor to make things simple, but before I head down
> that path does anybody have any suggestions for an
> easy to use text editor/word processor for a child?

Personally I like "T - The Text Editor", which is one of the
smallest programs going around (hence large text files), it's
not bad when you get use it - this program has like a command
line - you press [ESC] to go from the editor to this - or the
F keys can be used which easily lists which they do at the
bottom. It's also the editor you get when you use OS/2 - but
yeah, works well in DOS though! :)

Oh yeah, it has this wonderful help file - which lists every
single thing it can do - which is quite neat!

CP/M User.
 
Actually, I was thinking of something simpler than all of those. Something like the ESC command mode in T would trip her up at this point. (I want her to write, not to learn how to use a computer.)

If I write something (because I can't find a kid friendly one) it will be really simple:

- No funny key combinations.
- Undo
- Auto-Save

I can add features later .. as she grows into it. She's 6. Old enough to start writing, but not really interested in learning DOS. :)
 
mbbrutman wrote:

> Actually, I was thinking of something simpler than
> all of those. Something like the ESC command mode in
> T would trip her up at this point. (I want her to
> write, not to learn how to use a computer.)

> If I write something (because I can't find a kid
> friendly one) it will be really simple:

> - No funny key combinations.
> - Undo
> - Auto-Save

> I can add features later .. as she grows into it.
> She's 6. Old enough to start writing, but not really
> interested in learning DOS. :)

Then I guess TED is no better? That's pretty easy to use -
load it & your ready to type.

EDIT: Yeah, you can't Auto-save in TED - or in any DOS
application for that matter - that's a Windows thing. TED is
perhaps the next best thing, cause you when you close the
program (one F keypress away) it asks for a filename & saves
it.

I was pressing [CTRL] [SHIFT] [ESC] when I was 7 - so surely
she's not far off?

CP/M User.
 
I used a suite called PFS: First Choice for a long time. Easy to use word processor, spreadsheet, database. Fits on one 720K floppy with room to spare for files. Run in DOS. The word processor has drop-down menus. It seems just a bit easier to use than EDIT.COM (EXE?) that comes with DOS 5.0 and up.

Kent
 
I hope the copy con: file was a joke .. that's not a text editor. Not by any definition. Even edlin beats that.

I was thinking of things like PFS:Write, HomeWord, Electric Pencil, Electric Desk, Writing Assistant, etc. (I cut my teeth on WS 3.31 but I was quite a bit more advanced at that time.)

I'm going to try Electric Desk and Writing Assistant before trying to write my own. I can do it, but life is short enough without starting another project ...
 
Yes, Copy Con: was a joke....

I hate edlin though, I always used EDIT or something I had on a 5.25 floppy.....

-VK
 
PFS: is kewl, along with a half-a-dozen other cheep programs from the time, including 'EasyWorking', etc. These programs used to be sold as 'impulse' items, displayed in the 'check-out' isle of the local supermarket, right next to the tabloid section (A Bigfoot (disguised as Elvis) took my baby into a UFO!).

--T
 
vlad wrote:

> Yes, Copy Con: was a joke....

> I hate edlin though, I always used EDIT or something
> I had on a 5.25 floppy.....

Still, it's actually possible to use COpy Con: to write text &
indeed same text. Unfortunately, it requires a CTRL-Z on the
end to close the file & save it. You just need to do this -
COPY Con: myfile.txt, start typing - when finished CTRL-Z & is
saved as myfile.txt! ;-)

CP/M User.
 
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I was going to recommend PFS: Write or PFS: Professional Write. Those were very easy to use word processors. I think I may still have a licensed copy around here somewhere...
 
DoctorPepper wrote:

> I was going to recommend PFS: Write or PFS:
> Professional Write. Those were very easy to use word
> processors. I think I may still have a licensed copy
> around here somewhere...

I must confess - when I started WP on my IBM XT I used PFS:
Write I think it was. Yeah, I thought it was great to use -
didn't need a mouse (don't think my XT had one when I got it)
- I just felt slightly limited in that it didn't offer any
simple borders for graphics.

Otherwise it was pretty good.

CP/M User.
 
One last one, for the Edlin fans...

One last one, for the Edlin fans...

Or to quote Miranda from UserFriendly: "I used to edit the individual inodes by hand, with a magnet". :)
 
Well, here is how it is turning out.

For the original child/victim, I decided on an old electric typewriter. For her age it is perfect - instant feedback.

For the older child/victim, the PCjr went on her desk. She is a little older and she can probably deal with something like PE2, DAED, or any of the other small text editors. When she gets good with those she can move up to a word processor.
 
I may have mentioned before, my son was only 10 or 11 when I set him up on the Kaypro II, and introduced him to WordStar. It was not beyond his capabilities, but OTOH, my daughter couldn't seem to comprehend anything more complex than the Mac II (OS 6.-something) that I set her up with. It really depends on the child (Jessica is totally right-brained). Nobody knows your kidz as well as you do, so your own instincts are the only criteria that really count. Jessica is pointy-clicky oriented (like her mother), and Jeff is more CLI-inclined (takes after me).

--T
 
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