Harrumphhhh
Given the Times... (and price of a stand-alone Wang)
And speaking as a one acquainted with programming at the time - but never immersed, let alone submerged to the point of oxygen starvation of the little grey cells - -
Methinks the gentleman doth snipe ungratefully at the possibilities of 64 KILObytes, the infancy of grokking what the average Josephine-6pack might manage -- and lots more ways we could characterize WordStar's milieu. (This without going into the peculiarities of Mr. Rubenstein - apparently as warped a persona as young Billy, the ly$dexic perpetual kid-twit.)
Sure, opening Two docs would have been nice. Color, too.
That said, I reiterate the fact of WS's clever, simple Useful mnemonics == contrast that with the utterly Meaningless scheme of WordImperfect: "just set up a table; use up all the <alt><ctrl><et al> combos to see how many things you might want to do: and randomize the 'Menu' -- for programmer lazy-convenience."
[omit further testimonials]
You should have seen friend Patty - cranking out a proposal, having to do with the (CANDU) Canadian boiling-water reactor... Rife with 92U235 notations, multiply! in most sentences -- flying off her fingers.
(You think the handy 'diamond' Too-exercised ?? Well, that depends on whether you'll trade lightning speed du jour, for the as-yet unrecognized RSS coming along later. I deem that opinion ~ personal taste as opposed to any demonstrable actual 'deficit.')
IIRC, we had to correct maybe a handful of typos on that project..
A Zorba made by Mod Comp (the FLA outfit trying to break into consumer toy computers. We used some of their Minis at the Lab) - with at least, a 9" screen to help the eyes - corrections lots Easier than on the 5" Otrona or the silly-scrolling Osborne1.
In sum - WS Got It Right, apparently - a memorizable command set. It just worked, and the tyro could begin actual work output, recalling only a handful of commands: but KNEW where next to look, to amplify on those as occasion demanded. Without an 8x10 laminated crib sheet, set in Agate type.
Without removing hands from the Home row, from whence Everything happened.
Ya gots ta do better than "pro type-setting omissions" to dis WS, bub..
