Microsoft Office (1991) 192 Word Processor Spreadsheet Presentations Publishing PIM Database Windows MacOS

Microsoft Office is a bundle of Microsoft's productivity application. This includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access and later Mail, Office Manager, and Outlook. The "1.x" versions of Microsoft Office were simply a marketing bundle of the standalone products sold together with no other packaging changes. Even though these were distinct applications, rather than one single monolithic program, they shared a similar user interface, integrated well together and shared the ability to embed documents from one application in the documents of another.

• 2.x
• 4.3
• 97/98
• 2001 (Mac)

Mac OS X (1997) 173 MacOS

MacOS X was Apple's replacement for their classic MacOS. MacOS X is based on NeXTSTEP, a Unix-based OS. The first consumer release also featured a new user interface appearance called "Aqua". | 1.x-6.x | 7.x | 8.x | 9.x | MacOS X | All |

• Rhapsody
• Developer Previews
• Server 1.0
• 10.0
• 10.1
• 10.2

Internet Explorer (1995) 119 Web Browser Windows MacOS Unix Mac OS X

Microsoft Internet Explorer is a web browser application created by Microsoft primarily for Microsoft Windows. It was initially based on Spyglass Mosaic. At various points, Internet Explorer was also available for MacOS, Solaris, and HP-UX.

• 2
• 4
• 5

Mac OS 9 (1999) 100 MacOS

Mac OS 9.x, based on Mac OS 8 was the final product based on the classic MacOS architecture. Like previous version, it lacks true protected memory or pre-emptive multitasking. MacOS 9 was abandoned in favor of of the Unix-ish NextStep/Openstep based Mac OS X. | 1.x-6.x | 7.x | 8.x | 9.x | MacOS X | All |

• 9.0
• 9.1
• 9.2

Microsoft C/C++ (1983) 96 DOS Windows OS2

This is the original standalone Microsoft C/C++ compiler for DOS and Windows - Later versions were rebranded and renumbered as Microsoft Visual C++ and were bundled with Visual Studio or the SDKs.

• 6.x

Norton Commander (1986) 85 Utility OS2

Norton Commander is a MS-DOS based file shell that was widely popular due to it's two column design. You could easily copy and move files between one folder or another, execute DOS commands and more. It competed against many other file managers including Gazelle Q-DOS and Xtree

• 1.x (OS2)

Borland C++ (1990) 84 OS2

Borland C++ targeted the professional application development market, while Turbo C++ targeted the home and hobbyist market. Borland C++ included additional tools, compiler code-optimization, and documentation to address the needs of commercial developers. In 1997 Borland C++ was replaced with Borland C++ Builder.

• 1.0 (OS/2)
• 1.5 (OS/2)
• 2.0 (OS/2)

OS/2 Warp 4 (1996) 83 OS2

OS/2 Warp 4 incorporated a number of new technologies over OS/2 Warp 3, such as Java, OpenGL, OpenDoc, and VoiceType. It also updated the appearance of the Workplace Shell. | 1.x | 2.x | 3.x | 4.x | All |

• OS/2 Warp 4.0
• OS/2 Warp 4.52

Encarta (1993) 83 Reference Windows MacOS

Microsoft Encarta was a home oriented interactive encyclopedia that was often sold with new OEM machines. Unlike a paper encyclopedia, Encarta took full advantage of being on a computer, with updates from the Internet, sound clips and movies, interactive charts and games, and good navigation.

• 1995
• 1997

FoxPro (1990) 67 DOS Windows MacOS Unix

FoxPro, originally from Fox Software and later Microsoft, is a relational database that clones the functionality of dBase IV, but offers vast speed improvements. It was based on Fox Software's FoxBASE (a dBASE II clone) and FoxBASE+ (a dBase III Plus clone). It adds a new mac-like user interface that was first developed for FoxBASE+/Mac.

• 2.5
• 2.6

Mac OS 7 (1991) 60 MacOS

Mac OS 7 was a major change from the earlier System Software, introducing integrated multitasking, a revamped desktop, networking, and transitioning the name from "Macintosh System Software" To "MacOS'. It was followed by MacOS 8.x. | 1.x-6.x | 7.x | 8.x | 9.x | MacOS X | All |

• 7.0
• 7.1
• 7.5
• 7.6

Lotus 1-2-3 (1983) 59 Spreadsheet OS2 MacOS

Lotus 1-2-3 was an early spreadsheet application available for MS-DOS. It became extremely popular in the late 1980s, displacing the former leader VisiCalc. Lotus had difficulties adapting 1-2-3 to the Windows environment, and was overtaken by Microsoft Excel. Spreadsheet functionality was also included in Lotus Symphony. Later versions were included in Lotus SmartSuite.

• 1.x (OS/2)
• 1.x (Mac)
• 2.x (OS/2)

System Software (0-6) (1983) 59 MacOS

In 1984 Apple Computer unveiled their Macintosh. It included a new user interface that revolutionized the way people though about computer interaction. Originally referred to as simply "Macintosh System", the underlying OS was a single-tasking disk system for the Motorola 68K CPU. Significant changes were made in MacOS 7.x. | 1.x-6.x | 7.x | 8.x | 9.x | MacOS X | All |

• Pre-Release
• System 1.x
• System 2.x
• System 3.x
• System 4.x
• System 5.x
• System 6.x

CorelDraw! (1989) 53 Graphics Publishing OS2

Corel Draw is a vector based drawing and illustration program. It is primarily a Windows application, but was ported to Mac OS, Mac OS X, Linux, CTOS and OS/2. It competed against Aldus Freehand, Adobe Illustrator, and Micrografx Designer.

• 2.5

Microsoft BASIC (1981) 53 MacOS DOS OS2

Although Microsoft did not invent BASIC, their founding product was a BASIC interpreter for the Altair computer. The descendants below includes Microsoft's BASIC-80 (MBASIC), BASIC-86 (pre-GWBasic), BASIC for Mac, BASIC Compiler 86/88, Basic Compiler for Mac, and Professional Development System 7.x. IBM Personal Computer Basic Compiler, GW-BASIC, QuickBasic, and Visual Basic are listed separately.

• 1.0 for Mac
• 2.0 for Mac
• 3.0 for Mac
• Compiler 1.0 for Mac
• Compiler 6.0

After Dark (1989) 50 Novelty MacOS

After Dark, from Berkeley Systems, Inc, is a set of entertaining screen savers for Mac and Windows. After Dark for Windows started off as "Magic Screen Saver" for Windows 2.x. After Dark was most famous for its "Flying Toasters" screen saver. Afterdark was very popular on both the early Macintosh computers and Windows 3.0, as neither included any kind of screen saver or screen blanker that would help prevent screen burn-in.

• 1.0 for Macintosh
• 9

Microsoft Word (1983) 48 Word Processor MacOS DOS OS2 Windows

The Microsoft Word word processor was first introduced for MS-DOS in 1983. Its design made use of a mouse and WYSIWYG graphics. Its crude WYSIWYG/mouse support was a direct response to the Apple Lisa/Mac, and VisiCorp Visi On. Initially it competed against many popular word processors such as WordStar, Multimate, and WordPerfect. Word for DOS was never really successful.

• 1.x (Mac)
• 3.x (Mac)
• 5.x (DOS and OS/2)
• 4.0 (Mac)
• 1.x (OS/2)
• 5.x (Mac)
• 6.x

Adobe Acrobat Reader (1994) 47 Document DOS MacOS Windows OS2

Acrobat Reader is the free software from Adobe used to read, view, and print documents created by the commercial Adobe Acrobat product. Its primary strength is that documents appear and print identically across differing systems.

• 1.0
• 3.x

Age of Empires (1997) 47 MacOS

Age of Empires is a civilization simulator strategy game where different empires fight to rule.

• 1.0

Mac OS 8 (1994) 45 MacOS

Apple Mac OS 8 was another major overhaul of the OS from the earlier Mac OS 7. It added a new Platinum visual theme, a multi threaded Finder, better virtual memory, and many customization options. 8.5 and later require a PPC CPU. It was followed up by Mac OS 9. | 1.x-6.x | 7.x | 8.x | 9.x | MacOS X | All |

• Copland
• 8.0
• 8.2 Beta
• 8.1
• 8.5
• 8.6
• 8.7 Beta

WordPerfect (1983) 41 Word Processor MacOS OS2

During the late 1980's, WordPerfect was THE standard word processor for DOS based PCs in big business. Under DOS, it competed mostly against Wordstar. WordPerfect for Windows enjoyed some success in the early Windows environments, but was quickly displaced by Microsoft Word for Windows. Later Windows versions were part of Borland Office/Novell PerfectOffice/Corel Office/Corel WordPerfect Office.

• 1.x (Mac)
• 5.0 (OS/2)
• 2.x (Mac)
• 5.2 (OS/2)
• 3.x (Mac)

Microsoft Mouse (1984) 41 DOS Windows OS2

These are drivers provided by Microsoft for the Microsoft BusPort, serial, and PS/2 mice. Introduced in 1983, The Microsoft Mouse is historically important as it was one of Microsoft's earliest hardware products (The other being an Apple II Z-80 CP/M card). The first Mouse for the IBM PC was actually from Mouse Systems, not Microsoft. However, most clone mice emulated Microsoft's serial protocol and DOS driver software interface. The first application designed to make full use of the mouse was Microsoft Word for DOS, and they hyped a product called "Microsoft Windows" (not released until several years later) that was to compete against the upcoming Apple Macintosh and the Mouse Systems based Viscorp Visi On.

• 7.x
• 8.x

Netscape (1994) 39 Web Browser Windows Unix MacOS OS2 Linux Other

Netscape Navigator/Communicator was the first commercial web browser, displacing the free NCSA Mosaic. 1.0 was first released in December 1994, and initially offered advanced features such as progressively rendering pages as they loaded. It quickly gained many other features and capabilities and became the most popular web browser in the mid 1990s. One reason for its popularity, it was licensed freely for personal and non-profit use, although companies were expected to pay for a license. It later competed with Microsoft Internet Explorer, Opera, and Safari, and eventually was open sourced in to the Mozilla browser.

• 1.x
• 2.x
• 3.0.x
• 4.0x
• 4.5x
• 6.x

Adobe Acrobat (1993) 39 Publishing MacOS Windows Unix

Adobe Acrobat, first released in 1993, is a tool for creating portable electronic documents. Its documents retain complex formatting when used across differing systems, so that they appear identical when viewed on screen or printed to a printer. Acrobat accomplishes this by encapsulating Adobe's PostSript printer language in to a document file format and offering the ability to embed fonts that are not present on the target system.

• 1.x
• 2.x
• 3.x
• 4.x

PageMaker (1987) 38 Publishing Windows OS2 MacOS

Aldus PageMaker, later Adobe PageMaker, is a desktop publishing program for Mac and Windows. First released in 1985, PageMaker was the first desktop publishing program for the Macintosh. It was followed over a year later with the release of 1.0 for the IBM PC. The PC version was a notable application as it was one of the few rare applications which would run under Windows 1.x. PC PageMaker 1.0 bundled a runtime version of Windows. This enabled MS-DOS users who had not decided to buy Windows to run PageMaker. Aldus skipped version 2.0 on the PC to bring version number in sync with the 3.0 Mac product.

• 3.01
• 5.0