• The one that won't die: George RR Martin uses DOS and Wordstar 4.0 to write Game of Thrones
    64 replies, posted
[IMG]http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/74855000/jpg/_74855283_174033131.jpg[/IMG] [quote=BBC]He said he did not want a modern PC that amended his writing as he typed. The writer of the books on which the TV series is based first revealed he used the archaic system in 2011. Speaking on US chat show Conan on Tuesday, he said he kept a second computer for browsing the internet. He said he never feared a virus infecting his computer and deleting his work because he had a secret weapon. Martin added: I actually like it, it does what I want a word-processing programme to do and it doesn't do anything else. I don't want any help, you know? I hate some of these modern systems where you type a lower case letter and it becomes a capital. I don't want a capital. If I'd wanted a capital, I'd have typed a capital. I know how to work the shift key. Stop fixing it.[/quote] [url]http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-27407502[/url]
This is a news story? [highlight](User was banned for this post ("Why reply" - Craptasket))[/highlight]
[QUOTE=InfectedPotato;44809611]This is a news story?[/QUOTE] It's interesting never the less.
[QUOTE=InfectedPotato;44809611]This is a news story?[/QUOTE] Why do people ask this? Do you know what news is? Of course it's fucking news
Just use... notepad. Really?
[QUOTE=Gwoodman;44809647]Why do people ask this? Do you know what news is? Of course it's fucking news[/QUOTE] "Man uses old computer to write his way" Not really news. I guess its kinda interesting but eh
man imagine him being all like "no virus can touch this" and then some archaic virus brought back for one last mission goes and deletes the entirety of the rest of the game of thrones series
Oh, jesus. I hope his publisher maintains an off-site backup or something.
[video=youtube;X5REM-3nWHg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5REM-3nWHg[/video]
To learn a new program takes time which means the next books are delayed further
he's using DOS and thinks his computer is untouchable? i mean obviously nobody is sitting around developing DOS *wares anymore but there are still hundreds and hundreds of them out there
Doesn't seem like too brilliant of a guy.
[QUOTE=Take_Opal;44809803]Doesn't seem like too brilliant of a guy.[/QUOTE] yeah must be a fucking idiot if he uses antiquated technology, right? he even says in the video that he doesn't like the new features of more modern word processing utilities and he's happy with what he has. "if it ain't broke, don't fix it"
Imagine him at printing office: - Ok, here's my new book. - Sure, give me your USB drive. - Erhm... I have a floppy. *awkward silence*
those fucking flame suspenders
[QUOTE=FFStudios;44809780]he's using DOS and thinks his computer is untouchable? i mean obviously nobody is sitting around developing DOS *wares anymore but there are still hundreds and hundreds of them out there[/QUOTE] IIRC I don't think its connected to the internet.
[QUOTE=bdd458;44809880]IIRC I don't think its connected to the internet.[/QUOTE] [QUOTE]Speaking on US chat show Conan on Tuesday, he said he kept a second computer for browsing the internet. [/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=DrAkcel;44809843]Imagine him at printing office: - Ok, here's my new book. - Sure, give me your USB drive. - Erhm... I have a floppy. *awkward silence*[/QUOTE] I remember a time in school when floppy disks were the norm for transferring projects to the computers at school. That doesn't seem like that long ago, the countless hours fidgeting with that little metal flap covering the data...
Security through obsoletion. Risky, but effective.
Imagine the value of that machine later on. Some Windows 98 / XP machine where J.K Rowling typed Harry Potter on? Meh okay, but a MS DOS machine from 1987 running WordStar that he wrote the entire A Song Of Fire And Ice on? :v:
[QUOTE=Sam Za Nemesis;44809764]I think when you want to have minimum distraction a GUI is already distracting enough, but honestly, he could just use vim or emacs for his work, specially because DOS isn't really that safe as he thinks[/QUOTE] If it's never actually attached to the internet it's the safest machine in the world.
I wonder if he uses a buckling spring keyboard. And I'm sure that if security was an issue he'd have moved on, surely one of his editors/family members/younger writers he knows have told him about the dozens of distraction free/correction free text editors out there, like [URL="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2e/Screenshot_of_the_Q10_text_editor_containing_lorem_ipsum_text.png"]Q10.[/URL]
I think MIPS has a new hero.
Holy fuck I just realized I have an original copy of Wordstar 5 right here. Jesus I don't even know how someone could put up with that.
[QUOTE=joes33431;44809922]dumb quote[/QUOTE] Yes, that's his second computer. Not the one he writes on.
I just hope his 30+ year old computer doesn't develop a problem. Because old computers never fail, right guys? ....guys?
[quote] it does what I want a word-processing programme to do and it doesn't do anything else[/quote] and note pad doesn't do that either? [editline]14th May 2014[/editline] [QUOTE=TestECull;44810157]If it's never actually attached to the internet it's the safest machine in the world.[/QUOTE] its also so overt its covert, nobody breaking in would suspect the.....novels.... were on there
i would rather use a minimal linux install and nano than have to be worried about old hardware failing [editline]14th May 2014[/editline] why would anyone need to learn Vim or emacs to be a novellist? catch a grip
ya he acts like its a bonus but really its very much a crutch, if that thing fails (which it will) he's lost tons of work
[QUOTE=InfectedPotato;44809685]"Man uses old computer to write his way" Not really news. I guess its kinda interesting but eh[/QUOTE] No it's George RR Martin uses an old computer to write his way. It's an interesting tidbit about how he writes his books and for the one of the most popular shows in the world. This is better than some shit that usually gets posted in SH anyway. It's always good to have something else posted other than war or something that relates to the inner mind of a gas mask wearing teenager.
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