I recently discovered Tinker WriterDeck OS (https://tinker.sh/), which I’d been meaning to try, but this sounds like an even easier solution for repurposing old laptops and writing without distraction.

I'd put pdmenu on that with an automatic login. The user would jut have an editor, email assistant for mutt, net settings, lynx with gopher bookmars, mocp for music/podcasts, and maybe GPM for the mouse.

I was looking for something just like this, thanks!

Nice! I have been toying with KolibriOS and MenuetOS for my anti-social platform. You can network on both, and sometimes requires a direct hardwired Ethernet cable. Originally I was interested in them given they are written in assembly using FASM. I was a 1977 CBM (Commodore PET 2001), so I am more of a lime-green on black screen vs. the DOS grey/blue. Cool!

I'm working towards something similar with an Emacs configuration. That way, it's a workflow I could use on a daily driver as well.

I was initially skeptical of the learning curve, but the power of Emacs is well worth it.

WordPerfect 6.0a for DOS and MS-DOS 6.22 is what we used back in the day™.

Also, this:

http://mynor.org/my4th_forthdeck.htm

And for retro users,

there's a TRS-100 which can run a moddem ROM and Forth.

https://www.strangegizmo.com/products/mforth/

It it has an editor you could reuse that as a much smarter version of AlphaSmart.