Remember WORDPERFECT? - Where Are They Now

WordPerfect and WordStar are placed in a broader tour of productivity software history, tracing how early DOS and cross‑platform editors shaped the PC era. The video begins by highlighting WordStar as one of the first widely adopted word processors to implement what you see is what you get editing, along with keyboard shortcuts that feel natural today, such as underlining with Ctrl U. It explains how WordStar’s cross‑platform portability helped it gain traction through the mid‑1980s, but also how the rising dominance of IBM PC compatibles with new features and mouse‑driven interfaces sealed its decline by the late 80s, culminating in the eventual cessation of development in 1999. The narrative then moves to WordPerfect, praising its rich feature set,macros, footnotes, automatic line numbering,and even noting a humorous, almost cultish support ecosystem that grew around it, including a dedicated “hold jockey” idea, which the host uses to underline the intense user support of that era. By the early 1990s WordPerfect commands a commanding market share, yet its fate becomes tied to a transition to Windows where Microsoft Word and the Office ecosystem prove more stable and better tuned for mouse‑driven interaction, leading to WordPerfect’s gradual eclipse. The segment closes by contrasting other legacy suites like Microsoft Works, which bundled a word processor, spreadsheet, and database in a lighter, home‑user friendly package, with the later shift in the market toward more unified, widely adopted Office suites that did not rely on proprietary formats. The host then turns to Claris/AppleWorks on the Macintosh, describing its evolution from GS/Works to a broader AppleWorks to its eventual replacement by iWork, while noting that old documents can still be opened in modern Apple software, framing a throughline of compatibility despite the changing dominant platforms. The narrative ends with a light, nostalgic note inviting viewers to share their memories of obscure software like Lotus, while segues into a brief sponsor plug that emphasizes problem solving and curiosity through Brilliant.org. Throughout, the video contextualizes how market dynamics, platform shifts, and user expectations shaped which productivity tools endured and which faded from the mainstream.

Topics · history · software · technology · computing