I think your memory might be failing on this, because we’re about the same age and autosave wasn’t really a common feature in the 90s. MacOS didn’t introduce autosave until OSX Lion in 2010, and Microsoft’s auto-recover (which was their only feature even close to autosave until office365) wasn’t introduced until the 2000s and didn’t work properly until 2007.

Never assume something works until you've verified it. And even then assume it'll break some time

What word processors? Even Microsoft office doesn't have autosave on by default unless you're working off of One Drive/Share Point online.

Why would you switch to different software and assume it works the same as another?

Agreed. It's standard practice now. At the very least LibreOffice should ask you on document creation if you want it on.

There's no reason to create the extra work of the past unless you are specifically making a nostalgia product.

the only time i ever lost a paper/document (at 13, for social studies), was on an apple IIc. then i rewrote it. i cried A LOT.

it has never happened since, and writing is a significant part of my job. i learned the hard way.

I just can’t imagine why they decided to not have it on when you install it.

Different generational audiences expect different UX about their software, as this topic has aptly shown.

I'm sure there's a bunch of people who would be pissed off at the fact that they only want to control when a save happens (by default), and not the app.

Personally I would expect it to be on automatically (normal modern UX), but also after I've written big blocks of very important text I'd do a manual save, as I don't know where in the interval cycle between automatic saves I would be at (when's the next autosave happening). Best of both worlds, basically.

Finally, only because I'm talking to you right now, as far as you and your child goes, only you as their parent knows what's best for them.

Take heart that if you're trying, you're already halfway there, as many parents don't even bother.

And don't take the negative downloading you're getting on this topic as a criticism of your parenting skills, aholes on the Internet trying to keep the world exactly how they expect it to be from way back when, and are so hung up on responsibility to a fault, are not the best sources for knowledge on how well or poorly you're doing as a parent.

I am an older folk. I grew up with an Apple II.

I as well. Still have fun memories of loading Choplifter into my Apple via a cassette tape recorder.