The 1981 Editor That’s Still Beating Modern Tools (And It’s Not Even Close)
Emacs (1981) isn’t just a text editor—it’s a Lisp machine disguised as one. Its architecture anticipated modern plugin ecosystems while offering deeper integration than any tool today. The learning curve is brutal, but the payoff is agency: the ability to reshape your editor into an extension of your mind. This article explains why Emacs is still the most modern editor you’re not using, and why its philosophy matters more than ever.