WordStar, launched in 1978, marked an important milestone in the history of word processing software. It was the first mass-market software, and it became a prominent tool for writers and professionals for over a decade.
It was developed for MS-DOS, and although it fell out of use in the early 1990s in favor of other programs, this text editor has managed to maintain its relevance over the years, as notable figures such as author George RR Martin and screenwriter James Gunn continue to use it for their work.
WordStar stands out for its keyboard-first design. That is, it eliminates the need for a mouse, and offers a typing experience free of the modern distractions you have today, such as pop-ups or constant notifications.
This minimalist approach not only allowed for a much deeper immersion in the creative process back then, but also set a standard of efficiency for tasks related to text editing.
If you are a fan of retro technology and want to try the distraction-free writing experience of modern software, you may want to consider using WordStar 7.0 for free. This is the latest version released in 1992 and offers a unique opportunity for you to take advantage of it.
In this article, you will learn where and how to download it to your computer.
Where and how to download WordStar
The WordStar download includes both the original software, which weighs approximately 680 MB, as well as images of the installation disks, scanned manuals, and additional utilities that will help you through the procedure.
The file can be found on the website link https://sfwriter.com/ws7.htm by Sawyer, a well-known writer who has compiled and updated this package that you can use on operating systems such as Windows, Linux or Mac and offers an experience that promises to be very faithful to the original.
When you navigate to that page, you’ll find the two recommended emulators to enable the processor: DOSBox-X, which is designed to allow you to replicate the WordStar interface as accurately as possible; and vDosPlus, which, while no longer receiving updates, still works properly and can be used for this installation.
It is very important that you follow the instructions that you will find specified in a file called ‘README.TXT’. This way, you will be able to proceed with the installation without making any mistakes.
Once you’re done, it’s important to open the program in administrator mode and, from there, you’ll be able to fully immerse yourself in free writing and enjoy the same efficiency that has attracted highly prestigious writers worldwide.
