Apple Writer
Encyclopedia
Apple Writer is a word processor
for the Apple II
family of personal computers. It was created by programmer and former NASA engineer Paul Lutus
and published in 1979 by Apple Computer
.
. Unlike the original, Apple Writer II could display both upper and lower case characters and, with a Sup-R-Term card in slot 3, could support both 40- and 80-column text. It also wrapped text too long to appear on the current line (rather than breaking it mid-word) and included a glossary and the Word Processing Language (WPL), a macro-like resources that allowed certain tasks to be automated. Apple Writer II files saved as standard text files rather than the older binary files.
's built-in 80-column display and full keyboard and featured the ability to create larger files, print files to disk and directly connect the computer keyboard to a printer for typewriter-like operation.
. It allowed users to set screen margins and to connect the computer's keyboard to a modem, allowing it to be used as a rudimentary terminal program.
, Apple discontinued the AppleWriter series. Creator Paul Lutus agreed in 1992 to make his program available on a freeware
basis: it could be copied freely and given away, but could not be sold for a profit.
Word processor
A word processor is a computer application used for the production of any sort of printable material....
for the Apple II
Apple II series
The Apple II series is a set of 8-bit home computers, one of the first highly successful mass-produced microcomputer products, designed primarily by Steve Wozniak, manufactured by Apple Computer and introduced in 1977 with the original Apple II...
family of personal computers. It was created by programmer and former NASA engineer Paul Lutus
Paul Lutus
Paul Lutus is a computer programmer and former NASA designer. Before becoming a software author, Lutus designed electronics for the NASA Space Shuttle and created a mathematical model of the solar system that was used by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory during the Viking Mars mission...
and published in 1979 by Apple Computer
Apple Computer
Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs and markets consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers. The company's best-known hardware products include the Macintosh line of computers, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad...
.
Apple Writer 1.0
The original 1979 version of Apple Writer ran from a 13-sector DOS 3.2 diskette and supported 40-column text display. It displayed text entirely in uppercase, but case could be toggled by pressing the ESC key; characters that the user signified as uppercase appeared in inverse (black on white) capitals, while characters in lowercase appeared as standard capitals. The names of the binary files Apple Writer 1.0 produced began with the prefix "TEXT".Apple Writer 1.1
Released in 1980, Apple Writer 1.1 took advantage of DOS 3.3 and ran under the newer 16-sector format. It also featured a spellchecker known as Goodspell and some minor bug fixes.Apple Writer II
Apple Writer II was released in 1981 and like its predecessor ran under DOS 3.3 on an Apple II PlusApple II Plus
The Apple II Plus was the second model of the Apple II series of personal computers produced by Apple Computer, Inc. It was sold new from June 1979 to December 1982.-Features:...
. Unlike the original, Apple Writer II could display both upper and lower case characters and, with a Sup-R-Term card in slot 3, could support both 40- and 80-column text. It also wrapped text too long to appear on the current line (rather than breaking it mid-word) and included a glossary and the Word Processing Language (WPL), a macro-like resources that allowed certain tasks to be automated. Apple Writer II files saved as standard text files rather than the older binary files.
Apple Writer IIe
Released in 1983, Apple Writer IIe took advantage of the Apple IIeApple IIe
The Apple IIe is the third model in the Apple II series of personal computers produced by Apple Computer. The e in the name stands for enhanced, referring to the fact that several popular features were now built-in that were only available as upgrades and add-ons in earlier models...
's built-in 80-column display and full keyboard and featured the ability to create larger files, print files to disk and directly connect the computer keyboard to a printer for typewriter-like operation.
Apple Writer 2.0
Apple Writer 2.0 was released in September 1984 and was the first version of the series to run under ProDOSProDOS
ProDOS was the name of two similar operating systems for the Apple II series of personal computers. The original ProDOS, renamed ProDOS 8 in version 1.2, was the last official operating system usable by all Apple II series computers, and was distributed from 1983 to 1993...
. It allowed users to set screen margins and to connect the computer's keyboard to a modem, allowing it to be used as a rudimentary terminal program.
Apple Writer 2.1
Published in late 1985, this version corrected a problem with parallel printer cards present in 2.0 and changed printed characters from low-ASCII to high-ASCII, correcting an issue with certain interface cards and printers.Freeware
Following the success of AppleWorksAppleWorks
AppleWorks refers to two different office suite products, both of which are now discontinued. Originally, AppleWorks was an integrated software package for the Apple II platform, released in 1984 by Apple Computer...
, Apple discontinued the AppleWriter series. Creator Paul Lutus agreed in 1992 to make his program available on a freeware
Freeware
Freeware is computer software that is available for use at no cost or for an optional fee, but usually with one or more restricted usage rights. Freeware is in contrast to commercial software, which is typically sold for profit, but might be distributed for a business or commercial purpose in the...
basis: it could be copied freely and given away, but could not be sold for a profit.