WORD PROCESSING

- Act of entering and editing text with the use of a computer. But word
processing is more than just typing text on the computer. It is further
defined as the use of computer system (hardware with a specialized
software) to create, edit, format, save, retrieve, a print text-based
documents.
- Word processing can now be defined as the manipulation of computer-
generated text data including creating, editing, formatting, saving,
retrieving, and printing a document.
 To create means to compose and enter text or type a
document.
 To edit means to make changes or corrections on an existing
document.
 To format means to make the document presentable-by
highlighting, aligning text, adjusting margins, and the like.
 To save means to store the document file on a storage
medium/device such as a flashdrive or a compact disk (CD).
 To retrieve means to obtain the specific saved document file by
locating and returning it to a program or to the user.
 To print means to produce the documents on paper, called a
printout or hard copy.

Advantages of Word Processing

- Word processing has revolutionized the writing and editing process of
documents preparation, making it possible to write, edit and revise all
sorts of written communication quickly and easily.
- Word processing allows you to store your documents on a disk, so
additional copies or corrections can easily be made later.
- With word processing, people become more efficient and productive in
working with text-based documents-whether in school, in the office, or
in any business or personal transactions.

History
1867 – Christopher Latham Sholes, with the help of Carlos Glidden and
Samuel W. Soule (All Americans), invented the first successful manual
typewriter. But this model could print only on the underside of the roller so
typist could not see the typed document until it was finished.
1872 – Thomas Alva Edison patented an electric typewriter (no other
information was gathered after this; it must have turned out to be not
workable).
1874 – The gun and sewing machine manufacturer E. Remington and Sons
began the commercial marketing of the Sholes and Glidden Type Writer.
1878 – The Shift key was added to the typewriter.
1880 – The typewriter model that could print on the upper side of the roller
was introduced.
1897 – The tab key was added to the typewriter.
1920 – James Smathers invented the first workable electric typewriter.
1935 – International Business Machines of IBM introduced the
Electromagnetic. This became the first successful electric typewriter. It was
popular in the business community as it greatly increased typing speed. Years
after, M. Schultz Company introduced the automatic typewriter. This model
made possible the greatest step from typewriter to modern word processing.
1961 – IBM introduced the Selectric Typewriter. This replaced the standard
moving carriage and individual typestrikes with the revolving typeball,
referred to as the “golfball” of “walnut”.
1964 – IBM introduced the MT/ST or the Magnetic Tape/ Selectric Typewriter.
This combined the features of the Selectric model with magnetic tape drive.
The magnetic tape became the first reusable storage medium for typed
information.
1969 – IBM introduced the MagCards – magnetic cards attached to the
typewriter that recorded text as it was typed om paper.
1971 – IBM engineers led by Alan Shugart invented the memory disk (floppy
disk or diskette as we call it today) which was intended for use in number
computation only – the type of data processing at that time.
1972 – Lexitron and Linolex introduced a word processing system which
included video display screens and cassette tapes for storage.
1973 – Vydec manufactured the first word processing system using floppy
disks to increase its text-storing capacity, and permit the creation and easy
editing of multipage documents.
1974-1976 – It was during the early part of this period that dedicated word
processors were developed. These systems were hardwired-Meaning, their
instructions or programs were already built into the equipment. The result
was an equipment that was bulky and very expensive to upgrade, and whose
program were difficult to change.
1976 – IBM engineer Alan Shugart developed 5 ¼ -inch disk drive and floppy
disk for Wang Laboratories.
1976 – Altair programmer Michael Shrayer wrote the Electric Pencil which
became the first actual word processing program for personal computers
(PCs).
1977 – The completely assembled form of word processing packages
packages using disk programs was made available to both corporate and
ordinary individual alike. This made the separation of the hardware from the
software complete.