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| Original author(s) | William Robinson[1] |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Atari, Inc. |
| Initial release | 1982[a] |
| Final release | Version C
/ 1983 |
| Written in | Assembly |
| Platform | Atari 8-bit computers |
| Size | 16 kB |
| Type | Word processor |
| License | Proprietary software |
AtariWriter is a word processor program for the Atari 8-bit computers released by Atari, Inc. as a 16 kB ROM cartridge in 1983. The program was fast and easy to use, while still allowing for the creation of fairly complex documents. It was a success for the platform, with at least 800,000 units initially sold, not including international versions and later updates.
Atari introduced Atari Word Processor, its first branded word processor, in 1981. Reviews unanimously praised its features but also noted its usability problems, including its difficulty and demanding system requirements. When the new models of the XL series were introduced, Word Processor was abandoned in favour of a simpler program that would run on any machine. William Robinson, author of Datasoft's Text Wizard, was hired for the new software project, with him modifying the program to run from a cartridge.
Positive reviews followed its release, with concerns also raised about the lack of mail merge and a spell checker, and the absence of printer drivers for any printers other than Atari's. To meet the demand for non-Atari printers, at least 25,000 copies of an add-on printer pack were sold through direct sales and the Atari Program Exchange. In 1986, Atari released the AtariWriter Plus, with new features along with a spell checker and mail merge available on floppy disk. AtariWriter 80, the final version of the software released in 1989, added support for the XEP80 80-column display. AtariWriter also spawned a port to the Atari ST with the ST Writer program, which was offered free on early models of the ST.
- ^ S2E01 Atari AtariWriter Archived 2016-04-02 at the Wayback Machine, by Ripdubski, 2015.09.24, Inverse ATASCII, This episode features AtariWriter, originally released in 1982 by Atari. It was developed by Atari. Later versions were developed by Micro Fantasy. The primary programmer for all versions was William V. Robinson.
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