by hilbert42 | 2025-09-03 08:27:19+00:00
I'm a great WordStar fan and I still use the MS-DOS version (ver 7) occasionally running under emulation in MS Windows. I still have archived documents that I wrote in WordStar in the 1980s and whenever I need to access them I'll fire up WS—it's easier than converting them to DOC/X or ODT format.

If I recall correctly Microsoft had a converter/import filter which would allow MS Word '97 to open a WordStar text file but they dropped it in Office 2000 although it was still available in O2K as a supplemental add-on.

In the '80s and early '90s I had WordStar running on three operating systems: Tandy TRS-DOS, CP/M (on a Godbout CompuPro 8/16) and an IBM compatible (AST). I always preferred WordStar to WordPerfect probably because I learned it first. Also, WS just seemed more 'streamlined'— quicker to use after the 'WS diamond' became second nature.

A couple of anecdotes, I still own a WordStar T-shirt with 'WordStar' emblazoned in 2" high lettering across the front. It still exists only because it was the last one the WS rep had and it was too small so it ended up a souvenir rather than being worn.

I must stress my comments only apply to the original versions of WS (3 to 7) and not WordStar 2000 which was a first-class flop. WS 2000 was the quintessential example of where a company attempted to update a very successful product and it failed miserably.

MicroPro, WS's developers, tried to respond to complaints that WS was difficult to learn (it wasn't of course), so with WS 2000 they attempted to simplify everything and in the process broke the very thing that made WordStar famous and loved by users—its wonderfully ergonomic CTRL key commands! We users were mightily pissed off, moreover potential new users couldn't see any advantage over WordPerfect—especially so after WS-2000 got such bad reviews from the tech press. It's worth reading the Wiki on this (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/WordStar).

What's more, yours truly made that abundantly clear to MicroPro at the time, in fact I couldn't have taken my complaint to a higher authority! The local WS rep—the one who gave me the T-shirt—knew me well as I was instrumental in having WordStar installed in the establishment where I worked and we purchased lots of copies. That pulled strings and he got me an intro to the top.

Just after WordStar 2000 was released there was a large computer show in Sydney and it was important enough for Seymour Rubinstein, the founder of MicroPro International, to cross the Pacific to promote his new product. Being a valued customer the local rep introduced me to Rubinstein and he (SR) invited me up to his hotel room for a discussion. Accompanying me was an IT colleague (a WS user) from another organisation.

Only three of us joined Rubinstein in his hotel room, the local WS rep my colleague and I. I'll spare you the lengthy, detailed and quite civilized discussion but after leaving hotel room I recall feeling sorry for Rubinstein because our arguments essentially left him defenseless.

I doubt very much that Rubinstein ever received a more intense ear-bashing about WS-2000 at any time let alone during his promotional tour (my colleague was just as didactic as I was, we made a formidable team).

I must stress again the discussion was cordial and friendly and our approach was positive and constructive but from Rubinstein's reaction there was no doubt in our minds that he knew that we users had very good reason not to adopt WS-2000.

Edit: I thought I ought to mention NewStar a similar program to WS developed by ex MicroPro employees. In many ways it was a clone of the original WS but included more advanced features. At the time there was no local importer so I imported several dozen copies (at one point I even contemplated becoming the local agent but it was complicated, also it was more expensive than WS so there was little margin in it.)