This episode features The Writers Tool, released in 1984 by Optimized Systems Software (OSS).
Podcast: Download
Advertising
Print ad from Antic January 1985:
Print ad from Analog August 1985:
Media
Scan of the cartridge (orange version):
Box front:
Box back
Binder cover:
The Writers Tool in Action
Booting
Main Menu
Exit
Print Menu
Disk I/O Menu
Directory 
Delete a file. 
Initialize diskette, drive selection 
Initialize disk, density selection 
Initialize disk, confirmation 
Load file 
Warning if cursor is not at beginning of file when saving 
Saving full text with an override 
Setting the save file name 
Save confirmation
Editing
Distraction free editing in 1984. 
Alternate cursor 
Marking text 
Pasting text 
Example document with text formatting commands embedded. 
CAPS LOCK is on. 
INVERSE (ding) is on. 
Searching is a lot like searching in the VI editor. 
Adding BELL note to all occurrences of the word Inverse. 
Print Preview
View until line 20, then start printing. 
Not so much preview, more of an estimator.
Configuration Customizer
Print formatting customizations. 
Screen customizations. 
Saving customizations. 
Dictionary Manager
Printer Customizer
Menu 
Read config file (driver). 
Edit printer command codes. Get your manual out. 
Spell Checker
Menu, and prompt to insert dictionary disk. 
File to check 
Word counts go up as it reads from the file. 
Checking… 
Option to check another dictionary (such as your own) and to save error list. 
How do you want to handle the spelling errors? 
Alternate filename for corrections to be saved in. 
Interactive replacement. 
Whoops! Definately spelled that wrong! 
Files
OSS DOS XL is used under the covers, but the interface is not accessible.
Master/Program disk. 
Dictionary disk.
Manual
There is a link below to a copy on the Internet Archive.
Print Output
Output from the DEMO file:
Output from the FDEMO file:
Output from the PDEMO file:
Print output from disk directory:
Show Links
- AtariMania: http://www.atarimania.com/utility-atari-400-800-xl-xe-writer-s-tool-_20522.html
- Atari Wiki: https://atariwiki.org/wiki/Wiki.jsp?page=The%20WriterS%20Tool
- Internet Archive – Manual: https://archive.org/details/thewriterstoolmanualver.2.0_201906
- OSS Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optimized_Systems_Software
- Antic Podcast Interview w/Paul Laughton: http://ataripodcast.libsyn.com/antic-the-atari-8-bit-podcast-paul-laughton-interview
- Antic Podcast Interview w/Bill Wilkinson: http://ataripodcast.libsyn.com/antic-interview-7-the-atari-8-bit-podcast-bill-wilkinson-oss
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