WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.400 Odds are when you sit down at your computer to write yet another exciting TPS report, 00:00:04.400 --> 00:00:08.400 you're either using Microsoft Office or Google's G Suite, which together 00:00:08.400 --> 00:00:11.440 own nearly the entire market in the United States. 00:00:11.440 --> 00:00:16.720 But it wasn't always this way. So today, we're going to look at some adulting software from 00:00:16.720 --> 00:00:20.320 yesteryear in the third installment of our something part series. 00:00:20.320 --> 00:00:26.960 Where are they now? Let's start with one of the first ever widespread word processors, 00:00:27.040 --> 00:00:30.880 WordStar. Not to be confused, by the way, with that hip-hop YouTube channel. 00:00:31.440 --> 00:00:36.160 Released in 1978, WordStar was the first word processor to feature 00:00:36.160 --> 00:00:40.880 what you see is what you get text editing, meaning that what you saw on the screen 00:00:40.880 --> 00:00:44.720 more or less looked like what you'd get once you printed out your document. 00:00:44.720 --> 00:00:48.240 It also featured keyboard shortcuts that we take for granted today, 00:00:48.240 --> 00:00:51.280 such as Ctrl-U to underline your highlighted text. 00:00:51.920 --> 00:00:56.000 These interface improvements coupled with the fact that it was coded to work across 00:00:56.000 --> 00:01:01.840 a variety of systems meant that by the mid 1980s, WordStar had become immensely popular. 00:01:02.400 --> 00:01:08.160 But as computing power grew, this portability became WordStar's downfall. 00:01:08.800 --> 00:01:13.600 Other word processors written for the increasingly dominant IBM PC and its 00:01:13.600 --> 00:01:19.200 compatibles offered PC-specific features that WordStar couldn't compete with, 00:01:19.200 --> 00:01:21.840 and the product was in trouble by the late 1980s. 00:01:22.480 --> 00:01:28.720 Development ultimately ceased in 1999, but that doesn't mean it doesn't still have its fans. 00:01:28.720 --> 00:01:32.000 Notably, George R.R. Martin, of Game of Thrones fame, 00:01:32.000 --> 00:01:35.440 still uses WordStar for MS-DOS to write his novels. 00:01:35.440 --> 00:01:38.720 Maybe that's why it takes so long to write a damn book. 00:01:39.440 --> 00:01:43.760 Moving on, one of the programs that displaced WordStar was WordPerfect, 00:01:43.760 --> 00:01:50.080 which brought lots of useful features, such as macros, support for a wide variety of printers, 00:01:50.080 --> 00:01:56.160 footnotes, and automatic line numbering, which is really important for lawyers and academic writers. 00:01:56.160 --> 00:02:02.400 In fact, WordPerfect was so feature-packed that it needed a 600-page manual and a small 00:02:02.400 --> 00:02:07.840 army of tech support staff. They even hired what were called hold jockeys to keep their 00:02:07.840 --> 00:02:11.840 customers entertained while they were waiting to speak to tech support. Wait, hold on a second. 00:02:11.840 --> 00:02:17.600 Is that still a job? Where do I apply to be a hold jockey? No? Alright. 00:02:17.680 --> 00:02:21.440 By 1993, WordPerfect controlled over 60% of the market 00:02:21.440 --> 00:02:28.400 and was eventually sold to Corel in 1996, who envisioned it as becoming the Pepsi to Microsoft's 00:02:28.400 --> 00:02:34.800 Coke. WordPerfect even became integrated into a full office suite. But unfortunately, 00:02:34.800 --> 00:02:40.320 when it came time to release WordPerfect on Windows, the transition wasn't very smooth, 00:02:40.320 --> 00:02:45.760 and Microsoft took full advantage by releasing the familiar MS word along with the rest of 00:02:45.760 --> 00:02:52.000 Microsoft Office. Now, because Microsoft Office was designed by the same company to be far more 00:02:52.000 --> 00:02:57.600 stable on Windows, WordPerfect was left to play catch-up, especially since Word and MS Office 00:02:57.600 --> 00:03:02.800 relied more on the mouse, which was easier for mainstream users to use than trying to memorize 00:03:02.800 --> 00:03:07.760 key combinations. In the following years, WordPerfect lost much of its former popularity, 00:03:07.760 --> 00:03:13.520 but some law offices and government agencies still do swear by it, and it's actually still 00:03:13.520 --> 00:03:18.160 available to buy from Corel with the newest version dating back to only last year. 00:03:18.160 --> 00:03:23.040 But not every Microsoft productivity software was a smash hit that crushed its competitors. 00:03:23.040 --> 00:03:28.480 If you owned a PC any time in the 1990s, you probably found a copy of Microsoft Works 00:03:28.480 --> 00:03:33.760 pre-installed. Like other office suites, it had a word processor, a spreadsheet, and a database 00:03:33.760 --> 00:03:39.440 manager, and a huge part of its appeal was its low cost. If it wasn't bundled with your PC, 00:03:39.440 --> 00:03:43.040 it was easy to get a copy for far cheaper than most other suites. 00:03:43.680 --> 00:03:48.240 Now, although it was stripped down and didn't offer a feature set nearly as extensive as the 00:03:48.240 --> 00:03:54.080 full FAT Office suites, its ease of use made it popular for home users, and unlike the full-blown 00:03:54.080 --> 00:03:59.200 version of Office, Works was actually just one program. The database manager, spreadsheet, 00:03:59.200 --> 00:04:04.000 and word processor all ran in the same window, meaning that it was much easier for lower spec 00:04:04.320 --> 00:04:10.080 computers to run. However, while Works could open Word documents, 00:04:10.080 --> 00:04:14.640 Works files themselves were stored in a proprietary format, making the program 00:04:14.640 --> 00:04:21.200 unpopular with larger organizations. And once more robust free alternatives like G Suite started 00:04:21.200 --> 00:04:27.120 hitting the scene, Works was eventually replaced by a starter edition of Microsoft Office in 2010. 00:04:27.760 --> 00:04:31.840 Finally, we don't want to forget about our good friends that prefer using a Mac. 00:04:31.840 --> 00:04:36.880 During the 90s, a program called Claris Works became very popular, and if you went to school 00:04:36.880 --> 00:04:42.000 during the era where Macs with their fancy graphical interface were the most coveted systems in the 00:04:42.000 --> 00:04:47.520 computer lab, chances are that you remember it well. Claris was actually an Apple-created 00:04:47.520 --> 00:04:53.360 software studio that bought a program called GS Works from a different company, which became 00:04:53.360 --> 00:04:58.240 its own Office suite both bundled with Macs and sold on store shelves. Actually, there was even 00:04:58.240 --> 00:05:04.320 a Windows version. Designed to compete with Microsoft Works, Claris Works was very well 00:05:04.320 --> 00:05:10.240 reviewed, and it even added a presentation program in a later version, something MS Works didn't have. 00:05:10.240 --> 00:05:15.680 The suite also had drawing and painting programs, making it a do-it-all program in a way that MS 00:05:15.680 --> 00:05:22.080 Works wasn't. In fact, Claris Works outsold Microsoft Works for a good chunk of the 90s, 00:05:22.080 --> 00:05:28.240 but by 2005, Claris Works, having since been renamed Apple Works, was being displaced by 00:05:28.240 --> 00:05:33.360 iWork, a more traditional, fully featured Office suite that has been Apple's main offering ever 00:05:33.360 --> 00:05:39.600 since. Apple stopped selling Apple Works in 2007, but you can actually still open old files created 00:05:39.600 --> 00:05:45.280 using the software in iWork. So guys, is there a rather obscure piece of software that you used 00:05:45.280 --> 00:05:50.320 to bang out your school reports on? Lotus, anyone? Let us know down in the comments, 00:05:50.320 --> 00:05:54.160 but if you'll excuse me for now, I suddenly have an urge to see if I can get my old typewriter 00:05:54.160 --> 00:05:58.880 working again. So thanks for watching guys, like, dislike, check out our other videos, 00:05:58.880 --> 00:06:02.240 and leave a comment if you have a suggestion for a future fast as possible.