Comment by cosmic_cheese | Hacker News Reader

Comment by cosmic_cheese | Hacker News Reader

The idea of a low-distraction laptop OS is a good one, but I'm not sure that this is necessarily the best approach.

If I mentally model such a thing myself, I end up with something that looks a lot like Classic (pre-OS-X) Mac OS. It's simplified and has just enough presence to properly host graphical applications. No taskbar, no notifications (or associated drawer), no self-populated launcher menu. File manager is spatial so it doesn't need a sidebar or navigation chrome. Multitasking is technically possible, but high-friction since the only way to switch between running apps is the little app switcher menu in the top right corner and becomes more cumbersome the more apps/windows you open. Included browser does not support tabs, only windows. Shortcuts to frequently used apps must be added intentionally (to your desktop as aliases/shortcuts or to the launcher menu).

This design strongly encourages singular focus without forcing it. If you want to have music playing in the background or need to open a browser window for research you can, but gravity is constantly pulling you back towards your task since the machine isn't pleasant to use for goofing off.

This is intended for people who want to use a laptop as a single use device for the purpose of writing. So basic file management and a word processor is all that is needed.

WriterdeckOS is not meant to be an OS for general computing.

Purppose built writerdecks are quite expensive. WriterdeckOS is a practical, inexpensive and resourceful alternative to a purpose build device.

For more information on writerdecks check out:

https://www.reddit.com/r/writerDeck/

This is the main reason I keep my PS/2 around with WordPerfect 5.1. Sure I can go browse the web with Minuet, or I used to before https everywhere, but that means saving and exiting WP. And 30+ years later I'm still waiting for a word processor with a decent Reveal Codes.

> decent Reveal Codes.

You and me both, friend.

I knew about IBM PS/2, but I temporarily forgot for a moment and was feeling confused about using WordPerfect 5.1 with PlayStation 2 haha.

Meanwhile my mind first jumped to the old, pre-USB connector used for things like keyboards and mice, and was wondering what wizardry they had built to turn a PS2 keyboard into a complete text processor!

I always thought they were related because my PS/2's did use PS2 connectors.

Yes, the PS/2 connector came from the PS/2 computer: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PS/2_port

AFAIK, the current version of Nota Bene -- a direct descendent of XyWrite -- still has this; the current feature list explicitly mentions "Editable Show Codes view so you can see exactly where commands take effect, and edit them as desired". Nota Bene has survived into the present day by moving pretty firmly into a niche academia market, though, and carries a pretty stiff price ($349).

I keep a Mac IIci that I purchased at a thrift store for $12 to remind me that we haven't progressed that far. It's not fast, but it runs Photoshop, Illustrator, and Vim. Not bad for a 35+ year old machine that will do 80% of what you need. No GPU, but I think that's losing the plot when people can't afford to pay their electricity bills while billion dollar companies continue to scale out the data centers that jack up prices for AI slop nobody wants.

It’s been 30ish years, so I can’t be 100% sure, but Ami Pro 3.1 for Windows had an easy-to-use equation editor that gave great results. And I think its Reveal Codes equivalent was pretty good.

Crashed a lot, though.

I still occasionaly yearn for features not seen since Ami Pro

> And 30+ years later I'm still waiting for a word processor with a decent Reveal Codes.

Have you tried... WordPerfect? It still exists: https://www.wordperfect.com/en/product/wordperfect/

The first feature they list is Reveal Codes.

Personally I like Latex as it reveals all the codes and lets you type them, change them, find-and-replace them, define new ones, etc. But then, I'm a mathematician, so it's designed for my stuff.

I'm also in the quaint demographic that believes WordPerfect 5.1 for DOS was the apex of distraction-free writing. Switching disks to change the application was just the right amount of intentional friction to stay in the zone.

There are 3 freeware versions of WordPerfect.

• The final version for classic MacOS, and there's a ready-made VM to run it on a modern Mac.

• The GUI version for Linux, and there's a site dedicated to helping you install it on a modern Linux.

• And Tavis Ormandy found and resurrected the final ever terminal-mode text-only WordPerfect for Linux, relinking it for x86 Linux.

I described how to get all 3 here:

https://www.theregister.com/2022/07/20/wordperfect_for_unix_...

You can buy an iBook G3 for ~$50 if by "something a lot like Classic Mac OS" you'd be fine with running actual Classic Mac OS. I agree with you that it seems like AppleWorks or Word 5.1 or something in OS 9 would be a nicer writing environment than the TUI word processor offered here.

Depends what you’re writing I guess. I experimented with a TUI word processor before on a very low powered machine and it was quite an experience to not be able to multitask. I just used it for personal notes / diary but it was really a revelation how often my attention slips in a modern OS. Oh let me do some searches on this topic I mentioned, let’s check mail and messages and refresh this page I had open.. and the writing mode is gone. I still prefer a notebook and a pen though and sitting outside

Not exactly this but found a similar experience recently by throwing Linux lite on an 15-year-old thinkpad with a physical wifi switch.

Was for my kid in this case. Loaded a few education-friendly games and then disabled the wifi. Now it’s a simple, focused, and relatively safe box.

Could easily do the same for writing or any other activity.

Uxn from hundred rabbits comes to mind.

https://100r.ca

Uxn lacks an easy setup guide and a browser for research, though.

> idea of a low-distraction laptop OS is a good one [...] something that looks a lot like Classic (pre-OS-X) Mac OS. It's simplified and has just enough presence to properly host graphical applications [...] This design strongly encourages singular focus

Counterpoints:

1) You will be blocked if/when the ancient/EOL electronics fail.

2) You want USB and a modern display.

3) If there is any network connexion, you need modern security features.

Software solution: minimal Debian running Sway or labwc. Pick favourite minimal writing tools. The labwc GUI can be very minimal.

One possible hardware solution: Raspberry Pi 400 or 500. Simple, reliable, easy to replace. Use with any external and/or portable display.

Right, I’m not proposing using Classic Mac OS on original hardware (though one can, as other comments have noted), but rather a new OS (probably Linux or a BSD under the hood) with an environment that is as described.

A tiling WM setup might work for some but my preference leans towards a traditional floating WM with window chrome and all, and for such a thing to become popular it should come as a pre-configured distro.

> I’m not proposing using Classic Mac OS on original hardware (though one can, as other comments have noted)

Noted, the other commenters (nevermind old Macs... TRS-80?!) are letting nostalgia override a writer's practical need for either a) a system that will never die (i.e. a unicorn), or b) a set of software tools that will make the writer's life easier and provide resilience.

Impossible to beat Linux for (b).

> A tiling WM setup might work for some but my preference leans towards a traditional floating WM

Just to clarify, Sway is a tiling WM, labwc is a floating WM. In my experience, either one works brilliantly for writing. Sway enforces a WM pattern; labwc affords the flexibility to define decorations as Openbox themes.

This is kind of why I keep an XFCE desktop with a Classic-like theme around.

I actually tried using BasiliskII over RDP but it was too limited, and I need to have at least 2 things: a modern browser and a good Markdown editor. I can sort of use Obsidian for both with enough plugins (and if I squint at it), but multiple windows are also a must.

Basically, that’s what sway does for me for many years now. In a way, of course.

I use a regular 3kg 17” macbook pro from ~2007. Beautiful keyboard, good enough resolution, wifi off(not much use on the internet anyway). Still modern ux and good trackpad.

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