Scriptsit - Functionality

Functionality

Scripsit ia a rudimentary word processor. It has basic text entry and margin controls, as well as word wrap. Many versions tied to specific platforms were available, and each version had its own set of features. Most versions supported variable width fonts, specifically for daisy-wheel printers. None had support for graphics other than some character macros depending on the version. The version for the TRS-80 Model I had special handling to make it possible to use lowercase letters, even though the hardware itself did not support mixed-case type.

Despite its limitations, it was seen at the time as a killer application for the TRS-80 line of machines, along with other breakthrough applications such as VisiCalc. The software market evolved quickly, however, and its popularity soon gave way to WordPerfect running on the IBM PC.

Word processors typically require the use of special function keys to access editing commands as opposed to text entry. This proved to be a challenge on the TRS-80 Model I and Model III computers, as their keyboards had no non-typewriter modifier keys—not even a key. Instead, Tandy drafted the '@' key to access features such as margin control and load/save.