In 1979, MicroPro International released WordStar, the first commercially successful word processing software for personal computers. This program allowed users to create, edit, and format text on a computer screen, revolutionizing the writing process. WordStar became the dominant word processor of the early microcomputer era, used by a generation of writers, journalists, and novelists.

WordStar brought word processing to the masses, liberating writers from the constraints of the typewriter. For poets, this was a transformative moment. The ability to revise, cut, paste, and rearrange text with ease encouraged a more experimental and fluid approach to composition. WordStar was the tool that launched the digital writing revolution, making the computer an essential part of the poet's toolkit and paving the way for the digital literary culture of today.