I think Terry Pratchett was doing the same, at list for a time, but with WordPerfect.
But I think there is a huge difference in the fact that most of thoses authors still using old machines with old text processors[1] just follow a workflow they have been using for decades before newer computers were available. And the risk of distraction is pretty much the same if the laptop or the phone is sitting next to the dedicated machine. I don't think there are many newer authors deciding to look on ebay for old dos machines for writing.
[1] there are also musicians still using cubase on Atari ST to drive other midi instruments, I also remember a documentary showing a camping owner who wrote is management softwares decades ago and who was still running it recently on an Atari ST or Amiga 500.
But I think there is a huge difference in the fact that most of thoses authors still using old machines with old text processors[1] just follow a workflow they have been using for decades before newer computers were available. And the risk of distraction is pretty much the same if the laptop or the phone is sitting next to the dedicated machine. I don't think there are many newer authors deciding to look on ebay for old dos machines for writing.
[1] there are also musicians still using cubase on Atari ST to drive other midi instruments, I also remember a documentary showing a camping owner who wrote is management softwares decades ago and who was still running it recently on an Atari ST or Amiga 500.