AtariWriter
Encyclopedia
AtariWriter is a word processing
application
for the Atari 8-bit computer
s. It is a 16KB
ROM
cartridge that works with either a cassette or disk drive.
and a word processor software. Atari needed a powerful word processor that was easy to use and could work with all Atari computers. The older Atari Word Processor software was disk based, required 48KB, incompatible with the XL computers and was copy protected
. A newer product was needed.
A new word processor was introduced in 1982. Named AtariWriter, it was Atari's first word processor on a cartridge. Compatible with all Atari computers with 16KB or more, AtariWriter had features taken for granted today. Word wrap
, full-screen editing, dual-column printing, search and replace, undo
, block editing and even a print preview feature that allowed users to view a printable page by scrolling across the screen.
Printing attributes were set directly into the document using control character
s. This allowed direct changes to formatting
such as margins, spacing, justification
, etc. AtariWriter has only one menu, the main menu, which featured creating and editing documents, file directory, file management and printing.
Because it was in cartridge form, users could use it immediately. Files could be saved on either cassette or floppy disk. With a floppy drive, files could be chain-printed plus a form of text merge was supported.
AtariWriter was originally derived from Datasoft
's Text Wizard. William Robinson, who programmed Text Wizard, decided to offer his program to Atari after his deal with Datasoft expired. Gary Furr was the designer and manager of developing the AtariWriter cartridge.
The cartridge only had built-in printer driver
s for Atari printers. Printer drivers for other printers were not available from Atari. However, third-party sources (like Gary Furr from Atari Program Exchange
) and driver kits were made available.
Word processor
A word processor is a computer application used for the production of any sort of printable material....
application
Application software
Application software, also known as an application or an "app", is computer software designed to help the user to perform specific tasks. Examples include enterprise software, accounting software, office suites, graphics software and media players. Many application programs deal principally with...
for the Atari 8-bit computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
s. It is a 16KB
Kilobyte
The kilobyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information. Although the prefix kilo- means 1000, the term kilobyte and symbol KB have historically been used to refer to either 1024 bytes or 1000 bytes, dependent upon context, in the fields of computer science and information...
ROM
Read-only memory
Read-only memory is a class of storage medium used in computers and other electronic devices. Data stored in ROM cannot be modified, or can be modified only slowly or with difficulty, so it is mainly used to distribute firmware .In its strictest sense, ROM refers only...
cartridge that works with either a cassette or disk drive.
Details
Home computers started to be bundled in packages. One of the more popular packages was word processing. This included the computer, printerComputer printer
In computing, a printer is a peripheral which produces a text or graphics of documents stored in electronic form, usually on physical print media such as paper or transparencies. Many printers are primarily used as local peripherals, and are attached by a printer cable or, in most new printers, a...
and a word processor software. Atari needed a powerful word processor that was easy to use and could work with all Atari computers. The older Atari Word Processor software was disk based, required 48KB, incompatible with the XL computers and was copy protected
Copy protection
Copy protection, also known as content protection, copy obstruction, copy prevention and copy restriction, refer to techniques used for preventing the reproduction of software, films, music, and other media, usually for copyright reasons.- Terminology :Media corporations have always used the term...
. A newer product was needed.
A new word processor was introduced in 1982. Named AtariWriter, it was Atari's first word processor on a cartridge. Compatible with all Atari computers with 16KB or more, AtariWriter had features taken for granted today. Word wrap
Word wrap
In text display, line wrap is the feature of continuing on a new line when a line is full, such that each line fits in the viewable window, allowing text to be read from top to bottom without any horizontal scrolling....
, full-screen editing, dual-column printing, search and replace, undo
Undo
Undo is a command in many computer programs. It erases the last change done to the document reverting it to an older state. In some more advanced programs such as graphic processing, undo will negate the last command done to the file being edited....
, block editing and even a print preview feature that allowed users to view a printable page by scrolling across the screen.
Printing attributes were set directly into the document using control character
Control character
In computing and telecommunication, a control character or non-printing character is a code point in a character set, that does not in itself represent a written symbol.It is in-band signaling in the context of character encoding....
s. This allowed direct changes to formatting
Typesetting
Typesetting is the composition of text by means of types.Typesetting requires the prior process of designing a font and storing it in some manner...
such as margins, spacing, justification
Justification (typesetting)
In typesetting, justification is the typographic alignment setting of text or images within a column or "measure" to align along both the left and right margin...
, etc. AtariWriter has only one menu, the main menu, which featured creating and editing documents, file directory, file management and printing.
Because it was in cartridge form, users could use it immediately. Files could be saved on either cassette or floppy disk. With a floppy drive, files could be chain-printed plus a form of text merge was supported.
AtariWriter was originally derived from Datasoft
Datasoft
Datasoft, Inc. was a video game developer and publisher founded in 1980 by Pat Ketchum. Based out of Chatsworth, California, Datasoft ported games from arcade systems to personal computers and acquired licenses for games from famous movies and TV shows....
's Text Wizard. William Robinson, who programmed Text Wizard, decided to offer his program to Atari after his deal with Datasoft expired. Gary Furr was the designer and manager of developing the AtariWriter cartridge.
The cartridge only had built-in printer driver
Printer driver
In computers, a printer driver or a print processor is a piece of software that converts the data to be printed to the form specific to a printer...
s for Atari printers. Printer drivers for other printers were not available from Atari. However, third-party sources (like Gary Furr from Atari Program Exchange
Atari Program Exchange
Atari Program Exchange was a division of Atari, Inc. that distributed software for the Atari 8-bit family of home computers through a quarterly mail-order catalog. APX, the brain-child of Dale Yocam, started in February 1981 and guided by Fred Thorlin. APX published quarterly catalogs until 1984,...
) and driver kits were made available.
Aftermath
Later versions:- AtariWriter Plus - disk only. Contained enhancements and a spell checker.
- AtariWriter 80 - disk only. Supported the XEP-80 80-column device.
- ST Writer - Atari STAtari STThe Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals...
computers. Provided free by Atari Corp, source was given to a programmer, Dr. Bruce Noonan. Dr. Noonan provided updates and enhancements at no cost. - MultiWriter - An ST Writer rewriteRewrite (programming)A rewrite in computer programming is the act or result of re-implementing a large portion of existing functionality without re-use of its source code. When the rewrite is not using existing code at all, it is common to speak of a rewrite from scratch...
by Dr. Noonan which used 68000 assembler in the most time consuming functions (such as searching for text).
Trivia
- According to Gary Furr, Atari sold over 800,000 cartridges, not including Atariwriter Plus. He himself sold over 10,000 printer driver diskettes.
- Furr wrote the original specifications for AtariWriter using an Atari 800 and the Atari Word Processor program.
- Page 19 of the AtariWriter manual contains an intentionally erroneous section of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland. This was used for tutorial purposes.
- On pages 21 and 22, the reader is taught how to search and replace text, using one of the errors on the previous page (the protagonist's name is corrected from "Edith" to "Alice").
External links
- AtariProtos.com - Prototype AtariWriter cartridge info
- Atariarchives.org - Carolyn's Corner - November, 1991
- Antic Vol.8 No.7 - AtariWriter 80
- AtariAge.com - AtariWriter - RX8036
- Antic Vol.5 No.2 - June 1986 I/O Board - Printer Drivers
- START Vol.1 No.3 - Winter 1986 ST Writer Secrets - Article