A Brief History and Functionality of Word Processors in the Geosciences - Prof. John Congl, Study notes of Geology

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GEOL2002 – APPLIED COMPUTING FOR THE GEOSCIENCES

Last week

• Hardware

Last week

Hardware

This week

Word Processors

This week - Word ProcessorsNext week – Operating Systems

January 21, 2009

Word ProcessorsWord

Processors

• A word processor is a computer program

A word processor is a computer programthat is used to compose, format, edit, andprint documentsprint documents

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f th

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• Word processing was one of the earliest

forms of office productivity softwaredeveloped for desktop computersdeveloped for desktop computers

Word ProcessorsWord

Processors

• IBM’s Contributions

• IBM developed a group of machines that enabled

a typist to automate redundant tasks

e g

creating form letters that had several

• e.g., creating form letters that had several

variable fields, like name, address, date

• IBM Magcard I Selectric Typewriter was the

IBM Magcard I Selectric Typewriter was theparagon of word processing, in its day (1969)

Magcard II - 1969

Selectric II - 1973

Magcard II

1969

Word ProcessorsWord

Processors

• Other Early Word Processors

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• Lexitron (1970)

Lexitron (1970)

• Vydec (1974)

Word ProcessorsWord

Processors

• History of Word Processing

History of Word Processing– Most word processing machines of the 1970’s

were affordable only for mid- and large-sizewere affordable only for mid

and large size

companies

• Specially-trained office personnel were

Specially trained office personnel wereneeded to operate these machines

• With the advent of desktop computers and

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word processing programs in the early 1980’s,all this changed

Word ProcessorsWord

Processors

• PC Word Processing Programs

g

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• Wordstar was one of the early word

processing programs:

Word ProcessorsWord

Processors

• PC Word Processing Programs

g

g

• WordPerfect had a split-screen function that

allowed the user to perform tag-based editingon text, while viewing a WYSIWYG versionabove it

Word ProcessorsWord

Processors

• PC Word Processing Programs

g

g

• True word processors today are capable of

performing complex automated functions:

• batch mailing using mailmerge• indexing keywords and their locations• indexing keywords and their locations• creation of tables of contents• creation of tables of figures• creation of tables of figures• cross-referencing with page numbers (“see

also” references embedded in text)also

references embedded in text)

Word ProcessorsWord

Processors

• Programs sometimes confused with Word

g

Processors– Text editors: e.g., Notepad, Wordpad

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• Desktop Publishing: graphics and layout

programs, but with limited support for wordprocessing. Examples include:

• Printshop Pro

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• MS Publisher• PagePlus• Publisher Pro