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Comment by bkq | Hacker News Reader

Makes me think of Dune (2021) that was written on MS-DOS [1], also of GRRM who still uses Wordstar for writing too [2].

One thing GRRM notes about wanting to use Wordstar is how modern word processors nowadays will auto-correct as you write, either inserting a capital letter, or correcting a typo. Which no doubt can be annoying. The few times I've had to use a word processor I always end up gnashing my teeth at the "useful" features they have on offer.

I'm of the opinion that software should make the fewest assumptions as possible about what the user wants to do, ideally, software should be dumb not smart.

[1] - https://www.vice.com/en/article/wxdeay/the-dune-screenplay-w...

[2] - https://techcrunch.com/2014/05/14/george-r-r-martin-writes-e...

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I can see the value in a distraction-free system (although you'd have to run MSDOS on an old PC, not in an emulator). But why not just turn the unwanted features off? If someone is smart enough to get by with MSDOS they are probably smart enough to configure any wordprocessor...

You can theoretically run MS-DOS on any modern PC that still has legacy BIOS mode. The size of the HDD may cause problems, but if you are lucky you can use a smaller USB stick as the C drive.

Alternatively there's FreeDOS which is compatible with much larger HDDs.

Configuring a wordprocessor is office work that stands in the way of creative work. And it is the most distracting kind of office work...infrequent, involving opaque mechanisms, and possibly impossible to achieve -- can you even modify it in the way you think you want and are the changes reversible and if reversible are they atomic.

My quest for distraction free writing led me to the Hermes Baby -- an ultra-portable mechanical typewriter.

No internet, no screen, no cords, no batteries. Mechanical clattering instead.

It's not for everyone, and a fifty plus year old typewriter is fiddly and finicky no doubt. But so is my iPhone...may the inventor of autocorrect burn in hello.

> Configuring a wordprocessor is office work that stands in the way of creative work.

So is installing MS-DOS and Wordstar if the alternative is as simple as clicking on a few checkboxes.

One way or another using a word processor requires installing the software and an operating system…

…unless “word processor“ is referring to dedicated hardware. This was once a thing.

But maybe I could have been more clear and said optional office work.

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