[net.micro.atari] ATARI 800, entering text

5134jtc@hou2b.UUCP (06/02/83)

Given an ATARI 800 with printer, with basic cartridge, and with
cassette (but without disk).....is it possible to enter ordinary
text, to do simple screen editing, and to print the entered text?
I've tried and failed completely.  BASIC demands proper format, and
that means (I think) that, other than commands, all else has to be
labeled as DATA or REMARK.  Maybe a few other things like that, but
all with some kind of label-per-line.  That makes the text
business tedious.  I suppose that a smart printer (my MX80?) might
be able to strip off the first few characters of every line, but I
haven't looked into that possibility because the file would be a
pain to create in the first place if i have to type REM at the
beginning of every line.  I guess buying a disk would give me what
I want, or would I have to buy the word processor software too?  For
simple typing, that seems like overkill.

6.2.83.........John Cocker.......hou2b!5134jtc....201-949-2595