FinalWord (1983) 2 Word Processor DOS

FinalWord is a powerful word processor that started off as an adaptation of EMACS. It is a complicated program that uses manually embedded format codes, but it was targeted at professional writers where typesetting detail is important. Its strength is the ability to work with very long and complex documents. It supports headers, footers, table contents generation, index creation, footnotes, typestyle changes, outlining, tables and charts, multiple column layout. Final Word II adds support for Postscript and user-customizable print formatting commands. machines. There were versions for CP/M and the Atari ST.

• 1.x
• 2.x

IN:SCRIBE (1983) 0 Word Processor DOS

IN:SCRIBE is text editor tailored specifically for the Bytec Hyperion, a Canadian luggable that beat Compaq to the market, but is not quite 100% IBM PC compatible.

• 1.x

HomeWord (1983) 4 Word Processor DOS

HomeWord, from Seierra On-Line, is a friendly simplified word processor targeted at home users. It was originally released for the Apple II and ported to the IBM PC, C64, and Atari. It competed with other simplified home-oriented word processors such as BankStreet Writer. It was followed up by HomeWord Plus and HomeWord II

• 1.00 (IBM)
• II

Type Faces (1983) 0 Utility DOS

Type Faces is a program that can print word processing documents using a number of fancy fonts. The fonts are rendered graphically so you are not dependent on the fonts included with your printer. At the smaller sizes, the fonts are letter quality. Type Faces supports formatting codes that you can insert in to your documents, such as right justify, centering, and underline.

• 1983

Electric Pencil (1983) 0 Word Processor DOS

Electric Pencil, which first appeared in 1976 for the MITS Altiar, is the first word processor for home/micro computer systems. It was ported to many other systems, including the SOL-20, NothStar Horizon, and TRS-80. Eventually an enhanced/re-written version was created for the IBM PC.

• PC

StarBurst (1983) 0 Utility DOS

StarBurst is an office workflow process automation tool that integrates with other MicroPro products. StarBurst features a programming language and screen builder that can collect data from users, manipulate files, and control MicroPro programs such as WordStar.

• 1x

Memory Shift (1983) 0 Utility DOS

Memory Shift is a very early task switching program for DOS. It operates by "partitioning" the computer's memory and loading different applications in to each partition. It can then switch between each application and share data between applications.

• 2.0

EagleWriter (1983) 0 Word Processor DOS

EagleWriter by Lexisoft is a word processing and office management package that offers flexible print format and output capabilities, macro capabilities, and ease of use. EagleWriter is customized for the Eagle computer function keys and help feature.

• 2.0

IBM Fixed Disk Organizer (1984) 0 Utility DOS

IBM Fixed Disk Organizer is a simple menu program for DOS. It was marketed by IBM for use on their IBM XT. Using this shell, you will no longer have to repeatedly muddle through DOS commands to get to your commonly accessed applications. You can customize your menu items, and organize them in customizable categories. It also lets you set a password for menu items, and you may customize the screen colors. While there were many, many better menuing programs produced for DOS, Fixed Disk Organizer was a standard IBM offering.

• 1.00

DESQView (1984) 8 Utility DOS

DESQView, from Quarterdeck, was a DOS application multi-tasker and in later versions functioned as an X client for applications on remote UNIX systems. It competed against IBM Topview. The original DESQ was just a task switcher, but subsequent versions offered preemptive multitasking of well behaved DOS programs on real-mode 8088 PCs. It gained popularity when DESQView 386 added virtual x86 support. This enabled the ability to multi task many poorly behaved programs, and was often used on BBSes due to its excellent COM port handling. It was later overtaken by OS/2 and Windows.

• 1.x
• DESQView X 1.x
• 2.x
• DESQView X 2.x

XyWrite (1984) 3 Word Processor DOS

XyWrite is a word processor for MS-DOS and Windows modeled on the mainframe-based ATEX typesetting system. Popular with writers and editors for its speed and degree of customization, XyWrite was in its heyday the house word processor in many editorial offices, including the New York Times from 1989 to 1993. XyWrite was developed by David Erickson and marketed by XyQuest from 1982 through 1992, after which it was acquired by The Technology Group. The final version for MS-DOS was 4.18 (1993); for Windows, 4.13. An offshoot descendant of XyWrite called Nota Bene is still being actively developed.

• II Plus v1.10
• 4

Autodesk AutoCAD (1984) 13 Graphics Engineering DOS

AutoCAD, from Autodesk and first released in 1982, is a powerful Computer Aided Design tool. It was, and still is, often considered the standard for CAD tools. Primarily for the IBM PC platform, it was ported to x86 machines with higher video resolutions such as the Zenith Z-100 and NEC APC. Intermittently, versions for the Macintosh appeared. Later versions use a dongle copy protection.

• 1.x (DOS)
• 2.x (DOS)
• r10 (DOS)
• r11 (DOS)

The Print Shop Companion (1984) 1 Graphics Publishing DOS

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.

• For IBM PC (DOS)
• The NEW PSC (DOS)
• Deluxe

Sidekick (1984) 4 Utility PIM DOS

Borland Sidekick is a DOS based PIM (Personal Information Manager) and one of the first widely-used TSR (terminate and stay resident) programs. The key feature of Sidekick was that one could use Sidekick's utilities while using most other MS-DOS applications. This was important because MS-DOS had no built-in multi-tasking or task switching capabilities.

• 1.x
• Plus
• 2.0

DoubleDOS (1984) 0 Utility DOS

DoubleDOS is a simple and easy to use multitasking tool for DOS. It can preemptively run up to two DOS programs at a time. Its main advantage is that it requires very little RAM overhead compared to other multitasking or task switching environments. Because DOS programs can and usually do bypass OS calls, many programs must be "patched" in order to work. things at once, then this would have been a good choice. Reportedly, the first version may have worked with DOS 1.x.

• 2.x
• 4.02

PC Paintbrush (1984) 18 Graphics DOS

ZSoft PC Paintbrush is a bitmap drawing program visually similar to MacPaint. The earlier DOS versions were often bundled with Microsoft and Microsoft compatible mice, and were notable for supporting a huge variety of video adapters. It competed against Mouse Systems PC Paint (not related despite the similar name). ZSoft PC Paintbrush eventually became Microsoft Paintbrush included in Windows 3.x. For Microsoft's rebranded version see Microsoft Mouse and Microsoft Paintbrush

• 2.x (DOS)
• 3.x (DOS)
• Plus 1.x (DOS)
• IV (DOS)

Bank Street Writer (1984) 2 Word Processor DOS

Bank Street Writer is an easy to use word processor intended for beginners and educational use. It was very popular on the Apple II, but also had ports for Atari, Commodore 64, MSX, Macintosh, IBM PC, and IBM PCjr.

• IBM PC
• Plus

IBM Writing Assistant (1984) 1 Word Processor DOS

IBM Writing Assistant is an early word processor sold by IBM with their IBM PC computers. It is basically a re-branded version of PFS:Write It features a built in spell checker, and the ability to include data and graphs from other IBM Assistant programs.

• 1.0x
• 2.0

PC Paint (1984) 1 Graphics DOS

PC Paint, from Mouse Systems Corporation, is a Macintosh MacPaint-like paint program for the PC. It was often bundled with Mouse Systems mice. Despite the similar sounding name and appearance, it is NOT related to Microsoft/ZSoft PC Paintbrush.

• 1.00A
• 2.x

PC-Write (1984) 0 Word Processor DOS

PC-Write, written by Bob Wallace of Quicksoft, was an editor for the PC and along with PC-File and PC-Talk was one of the first widely distributed shareware programs.

• 2.4
• 2.7

Lotus Symphony (1984) 2 Word Processor Spreadsheet Presentations Graphics Communications Database DOS

Lotus Symphony is a an integrated software program that combines five tools: spreadsheet - word processing, graphics, database management, and data communications - in one package. The spreadsheet has similar functionality to Lotus 1-2-3, however it uses a different software "engine". These releases are of the original suite produced by Lotus. For the unrelated suite produced by IBM under the same name, see "IBM Lotus Symphony".

• 1.00
• 2.00
• 3.00

DisplayWrite (1984) 0 Word Processor DOS OS2

DisplayWrite is a word processor that is based on the IBM Displaywriter dedicated word processing system. It directly competed with software ports of dedicated word processors such as the Wang Word Processing System (or its clone MultiMate ), Lanier Word Processing Software, Xerox, DEC, or similar.

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

CorrectStar (1984) 0 Word Processor Utility DOS

CorrectStar, from MicroPro International, is an add-on spell checker for WordStar 3.3. It was sold both bundled with WordStar and separately. Later versions of WordStar integrated the spell checker.

• 3.3x

Framework (1984) 16 Word Processor Spreadsheet Graphics Communications Database DOS

Originally created by Forefront Corporation for Ashton-Tate and first released in 1984, Framework was an early integrated office suite for DOS. It has a built in word processor, spreadsheet, database, outliner, graphing, and telecommunications.

• 1.0
• Premier 1.x
• II
• III
• XE
• IV

Microsoft Spell (1984) 0 Word Processor Utility DOS

Microsoft Spell is a spell checking application intended for use with Microsoft Word 1.x for DOS. You can also use it as a standalone program. Microsoft Spell 1.0 was available for purchase by itself, but later versions were bundled with Microsoft Word for DOS.

• 1.0