The word processor that inspired Game of Thrones is still used today

Health · Published 18 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: While modern software prioritizes visual polish, a 1970s legacy program remains the preferred tool for some of history's most famous authors. Discover how WordStar’s unique command-key system and its ability to render formatted text on screen allowed it to become a standard that still serves high-profile writers today.

WordStar was first published by MicroPro International in June 1979 for the CP/M operating system. It quickly became a de facto standard, notably appearing on the Osborne 1 portable computer. By early 1980, advertisements claimed 5,000 people had purchased it within just eight months.

Unlike modern software that assumes specific hardware configurations, WordStar was designed with minimal assumptions about operating systems. This allowed it to be ported across various platforms including Tandy’s LDOS-5 and the Apple ][. However, this same portable design eventually hindered its ability to add new features as the market shifted toward IBM PC and Microsoft Windows dominance in the mid-1980s.

The software's enduring appeal lies in its specific mechanics: it was the first word processor to render documents on screen almost exactly as they would appear when printed. It also utilized an efficient system of command keys for navigation, distinct from "dot commands" which were actually embedded into the text file as formatting information. This unique architecture is why authors like George R.R. Martin still exclusively use WordStar 4.0 for DOS to write his novels.

Preserving these files today presents a significant technical challenge for institutions like the Library of Congress. Because early systems didn't always associate file types with specific applications, and users often chose custom naming conventions (like .LET or .REP), identifying them requires searching for unique "signatures" or metadata in the headers. Some versions even used the 8th bit of ASCII characters to store formatting information, a practice that created significant compatibility hurdles until WordStar 5.0.

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