The Proliferation and Consolidation of Word Processing Software: 1985-1995

Following development of the early word processing software packages $Electric Pencil, EasyWriter, and WordStar - and the IBM PC's arrival, the race among vendors began in earnest to win market share. Of the more than 400 software packages available in the mid-1980s, only a scant few survived. This article tells the story of how word processing software evolved in response to market pressures, new hardware capabilities, user demand, and corporate decision making