Composing Letters with Computer-Based Text Editors

This experiment studies how people compose letters using computer-based text editors and compares the results with longhand writing of similar letters. Ten research professionals who regularly use computer-based text editors composed four letters with each method. Results show that participants spent two-thirds of their time "planning" their text-edited letters, just as was found in previous experiments for writing, dictating, and speaking. Text-edited letters and written letters were of comparable quality, but text-edited letters required 50% more time to compose than did written letters. This was due in part to more changes, and to time taken in formatting, text positioning, and in reviewing and modifying the formatted version of text-edited letters.