The Transition from Typewriters to Word Processors: A Historical Overview
Word processors began to replace typewriters in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The introduction of personal computers equipped with word processing software such as WordStar and later Microsoft Word made it increasingly efficient to create, edit, and store documents compared to traditional typewriters. By the mid-1980s, word processors had largely supplanted typewriters in both professional and personal settings, offering features like spell check, formatting options, and ease of editing that typewriters could not provide.
Evolution of Technology
As Serdar Yaln stated, giving a specific date is difficult. Several pieces of technology had to come together to really 'replace' typewriters. In the early 1980s, my employer purchased a dedicated 2-seat word processor, which was a significant improvement over the manual cutting and pasting required with typewriters. I also had an early personal computer with WordStar, but personal printers were typically dot matrix, unless you had enough money to buy a daisy wheel printer.
By 1988, my new employer had four Macintoshes with Word on them for document creation. These were shared by all the engineering staff. My vote for the date of the revolution was when Windows 3.1 was introduced, with support for applications like Word and WordPerfect. Despite its instability, Windows 3.1 made word processing and using printers much more productive by providing integrated driver support for printers. Prior to this version, if you had different printers, you had to change the configuration in each software application, and reconfiguring the applications to change printers was a cumbersome process.
Mass Adoption and the Desktop Publishing Revolution
The mass upgrade to word processors for many occurred in 1984 with the Macintosh and its accompanying MacWrite, which produced output that looked professionally typeset. This was unlike anything that had been seen before. The total take-off happened when Apple released the LaserWriter, which kicked off the Desktop Publishing (DTP) revolution. It is evident that Apple's approach to word processing was what caused many to abandon typewriters.
Until Apple brought forth an affordable desktop personal computer with accessible software like MacWrite and Pagemaker, and a high-quality printer like the LaserWriter, there was no one abandoning typewriters. The crude attempts at WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) interfaces did not appear to the average person as anything more than prototypes and knockoffs of Douglas Engelbart's demonstration in 1968. It was not until Apple created a WYSIWYG display in an affordable desktop personal computer that typewriters were finally abandoned in large numbers.
Impact and Legacy
The transition from typewriters to word processors was significant for both professional and personal work. The efficiency, ease of editing, and quality of output provided by word processors changed the way documents were created, edited, and shared. It paved the way for the rise of desktop publishing, making publishing and printing more accessible to a broader audience. As we look back, this transition marks a pivotal moment in the evolution of document creation and communication technology.
Conclusion
The shift from typewriters to word processors was a gradual but transformative process. From the introduction of early personal computers with word processing software to the breakthrough of Apple's Macintosh and its associated applications, the adoption of word processors became widespread. This transition not only improved the efficiency of document creation but also set the stage for the later DTP revolution. As technology continues to evolve, the legacy of this transition remains, shaping the way we work and communicate today.