Textra, from the University of Michigan based Ann Arbor Software, was a small and fast word processor highly optimized for speed and rapid data entry. First released in 1982 Textra, like many other early PC word processors, was born out of the lack of a decent IBM PC editor/word processor. Textra featured a full set of text manipulation commands, common text formatting abilities, and full screen editing. It was specifically designed for the IBM PC, giving it faster load and save times and the most responsive user interface possible. It was priced much lower than most other text editors or word processors.

The $25 Network, from Information Modes, is a low cost networking solution that connects PCs together using a serial port.

The 10 Best Fortune Teller, from Expert Software, is a fun budget fortune telling program: "Excitement awaits on your mystical adventure into the future, these fun-filled fortunes will reveal the future, your personal matters and more - the most fascinating insights you'll ever find in a PC program"

The Benchmark was an early, and somewhat short lived, word processor. This version is for the NEC APC running CP/M-86.

The Draw was a popular shareware ANSI graphics and animation editor used to make graphics for BBSes and DOS programs.

This is client software used to access a Charles Schwab financial information service. It keeps track of your portfolio, alerts you when limits are hit, tracks commissions, and produces tax reports. It connects you to their information systems to give you direct access to information similar to what professional investors use. Most of this software will do nothing as it requires a Compuserve account. It competed with program services such as Dow Jones Market Manager Plus.

Created from the best-selling Silver Palate Cookbook series by authors Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins, The New Basics Electronic Cookbook includes a library of over 1,800 delicious recipes, hundreds of colorful pictures, and a wide range of helpful cooking hints, spoken by the authors themselves.

The Office Publisher is a powerful high-end, yet friendly, WYSIWYG desktop publishing program created by the large Canadian publishing company Print Three and sold under its spin-off, Laser Friendly. It was originally targeted at Print Three customers so they could create content on their own computers and then submit large publishing print jobs.

The Print Shop is a home oriented publisher capable of creating calendars, banners, greeting cards and other printable goods. It started off on the Apple II and Commodore 64 where it became popular for its simplicity and ease of use. From day one, it featured interactive editing, on-screen artwork/layout selection, print previewing, and a library of customizable clipart.

As the name suggests, the Print Shop Companion is a companion product to The Print Shop. It contains extra miscellaneous functionality such as graphics editors and envelope printing.

The Program Director is a tiny little customizable menuing program. It was sold commercially as budget software.

The Software Toolworks Multimedia Encyclopedia is an early multimedia CD-ROM encyclopedia that features articles, photographs, animation, and sound. It was often bundled with sound cards and new computers. There were versions for DOS, Windows, and Macintosh.

Steinman is a small spreadsheet program originally written in 1984 for the Commodore 64 by Barbara Steinman. The Steinman Spreadsheet is "output oriented", focusing on creating customized printed reports based on your spreadsheet data. distributed by SoftDisk with their Big Blue Disk magazine.

"The Twin", from Mosaic Software, is a spreadsheet that touts compatibility and visual similarity with Lotus 1-2-3. better graphics, a much lower price, and was not copy protected. It was a little slower than Lotus 1-2-3, but this was less of an issue for budget users. The Twin, along with Paperback VP-Planner and Borland Quattro Pro were the subject of a lawsuit claiming that duplicating the "look and feel" violated Lotus's copyrights.

The Video Wizard, from IntraCorp, Inc., is a database program specifically for keeping track of video tapes. Among other things it has the ability to locate blank space on your tapes. It also includes a primitive video titler for use with IBM CGA composite video out. This program was also available for a number of other platforms such as Apple II, C64, and Atari ST.

ThinkTank is an outliner program or "Idea Processor" that arranges notes and ideas in a hierarchy that you can easily re-arrange. It was marketed as a tool for writing document outlines, brainstorming, notes, and todo lists. But it proved to be a very popular program, not just for writers, but for anyone who wanted to organize and move around ideas.

A once popular, powerful, easy to use project management program first released in 1984 from Breakthrough Software. Has unlimited number of tasks, dependencies, resources, and cost categories. It competed against Microsoft Project, and CA-SuperProject. Breakthrough Software merged with Symantec in 1987. The final version was 6.x for Windows.

Timeworks DOS Office, from Timeworks, Inc., is an office suite consisting of the Timeworks Word Writer PC word processor, the Timeworks SwftCalc spreadsheet, and the Timeworks Data Manager desktop database.

Backup Pro, from The Software Toolworks, is an easy to use backup program for MS-DOS. It features drop down menus and mouse support. It was sometimes bundled with OEM computers, and was sold for very low cost compared to others.

Toolworks DOS Tutor is an extensive DOS tutorial with detailed descriptions about the operation of common IBM PC compatibles, peripheral hardware, and the operation of DOS.

Top Priority is a Personal Information Management tool that keeps track of your appointments and tasks, set priorities, alerts you of periodic events, chart progress, and creates schedules. It offers an optional resident version that can run in the background while other DOS programs are in use. Can export data to Calendar Creator Plus.

Released by IBM in 1984, TopView was a text-mode windowed multitasker for the IBM PC, XT, and AT computer. It featured preemptive multitasking, text-based windowed task sessions, overlapping windows, and supports the use of a mouse. In part, it was one of the reasons why overlapping windows were added to Microsoft Windows 2.0. TopView was later overtaken by DesqView, OS/2, and Windows. For more information, see the Topview 1.00 Software Spotlight.

Touch Typist, from Newline software, is a small typing training program that is specific to Zenith-Z100 computers.

ToyBox II, later renamed to Magic Desk, is a simplified graphical menu system that lets you launch your DOS applications from a selection of tiled iconic buttons. Supports nested hierarchies, includes an icon editor, and a number of common icons.

Tree86, from The Aldridge Company, is an easy to use tree-based file manager for DOS.