"FIRST"??!? (Was: word processor history -- interesting article

[Fred Cisin]

I will nominate as "the first manuscript created on a microcomputer 
wordprocessor":
the documentation of ESP-1 ("Extended Software Package 1") by Michael 
Shrayer.  (to do so, he created "Electric Pencil")
He very well might not have been the first to do so, but it is well known 
to be the "FIRST" microcomputer word processing program.

As to "the first best-selling published book created on a home 
computer word processor by a major mainstream author", I have no idea.
The "major" "mainstream" "best-selling" have boundaries that are too 
vague.  Even the definition of "book" is poorly delineated.  And, since
there aren't any records for any of the multitudinous lesser works that 
had already been done, I object to calling it "the first book created on 
a word processor".


Almost all "FIRST"s are fundamentally flawed.
They almost always ignore similar prior accomplishments
by relative unknowns, and they hardly ever clearly define
WHAT was done "FIRST".   Often, there are unstated further
requirements, such as only looking at the major brands, or
only considering ones that were major commercial successes,
or only accomplishments by people in "Who's Who".

On computer products, does "FIRST" mean first announced,
first shown, first available for sale, first sold, first
shipped, first delivered, first in stock in stores, etc.?
First announced is often not first delivered, etc.
Elisha Gray experienced the issue of "first invented" V "first filed".

--
Grumpy Ol' Fred     		cisin at xenosoft.com