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Though I still think AtariWriter is the ugliest and slowest word processor program ever conceived, Easi-Amsword is a real contender. At least the Atari horror was a ROM, while you actually have to spend six minutes loading this swine.

When you do, you get a Main Menu that lets you create, edit, Name, Retrieve, Save, Print, Tapeprint and Define Colours. For a start you can only have one document in the memory, so Create will delete anthing that's already there. Create will ask you if you want 80 or 40 columns, after which you go into Edit mode. You want 80 columns? So OK, ruin your eyesight, what do I care? Forget 80 columns, it's microscopic.

Edit gives you that fine old Atari tradition of wrapping round at the end of each line which is what makes all these pseudo-word processors so irritating and worthless. Name lets you rename a document so that you can keep different versions on tape. Save puts them onto tape. Retrieve brings them back into memory. Print lets you print off, and Tapeprint lets you print off from a Saved tape. Define Colours is a real goodie.

I don't know what it looks like on a monochrome monitor, but anybody who wants to work in black/green or black/grey seems to me in serious need of professional help.

In 40 columns, green/white and black/white are reasonably acceptable, apart from all the other drawbacks. You may need a Z80 for word processing, but you also need a decent program, as the BBC has with WordWise; and Easi-Amsword just doesn't make it.