Data and Word Processing

The term word processing was coined by IBM in the 1960s, and originally referred to any equipment, including typewriters, that dealt with text. A breakthrough occurred in 1976 with the introduction of a CRT-based system by Wang Laboratories. The Wang word processor displayed text two-dimensionally on a CRT screen, and incorporated virtually every fundamental characteristic of word processors as we know them today. However, it was nevertheless a machine rather than a software package. The latter would only develop with the rise of personal computers. The Wikipedia, however, notes that these packages were “ludicrously clumsy in comparison to dedicated word processors; for example, it required users to memorize semi-mnemonic key combinations rather than pressing keys labeled ‘copy’ or ‘bold.’” Yet, the fact that such software was much cheaper than the earlier machines meant that word processing packages soon began to outstrip their predecessor.

Sources:
Kunde, Brian. "A Brief History of Word Processing." December. 1986.
http://www.stanford.edu/bkunde/fb-press/articles/wdprhist.html)
Wikipedia. Word Processors.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Word_processors