4 Point Graphics (1983) 1 Graphics DOS

First released in 1983 by IMSI (International Microcomputer Software, Inc), 4 Point Graphics was one of the earliest drawing and animation programs for the IBM PC. It competed against a drawing program called PC Crayon.

• 1.x

Ability (1985) 1 Word Processor Spreadsheet Presentations Communications Database DOS

Originally released in 1984 by the Canadian company Xanaro that went bankrupt, and then by Migent, Ability is an integrated office suite for DOS that includes word processor, spreadsheet, database, telecommunications, business graphing, presentation graphics capabilities, and built in file management. It features good integration between the different components, with the ability to import, share, and dynamically update data between them. It was advertised as a very easy to use and a quick to learn system.

• 1.0
• Demo
• 1.2
• Plus 1.0

ACT! (1987) 2 PIM DOS

ACT!, or "Activity Control Technology", originally from Conductor Software, and later Contact Software and then Symantec, is an easy to use business relationship management system targeted at traveling sales professionals. It can track things like billable time and expenses.

• 1.10 (DOS)

AdvanceLink (1987) 2 Communications DOS

AdvanceLink is a terminal emulator that integrates with the HP NewWave desktop. It has built in scripting tools and features specifically for communicating with HP 3000, HP 9000, and HP 1000 hosts. It can emulate HP 2392A, HP 700/94, HP 700/92, HP ANSI, and DEC VT100 terminals. It appears a lesser version of this product was bundled with early Vectra computers under the generic name of "HP Terminal Program"

• for DOS

Autodesk AutoCAD (1984) 6 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)

AutoSketch (1987) 3 Graphics DOS

AutoSketch is a 2D vector program sold by Autodesk. Unlike artistic drawing programs, AutoSketch is specifically geared towards engineering applications. Although not as powerful as AutoCAD, it can work with 2D AutoCAD files. Autodesk also produced AutoCAD LT, a higher end 2-D drawing program. But unlike AutoSketch, AutoCAD LT was based directly on AutoCAD and worked similarly.

• 1.x (DOS)

Bank Street Writer (1984) 0 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

BBS-PC (1987) 0 Communications DOS

BBS-PC! is an early computerized bulletin board system for IBM PCs. It also has versions for the Amiga. It featured customizability, message boards, and multiple file sections.

• 4.x

Better Working Communicator (1987) 0 Communications DOS

Better Working Communicator, from Spinnaker Software, is an entry level telecommunications program sold alongside their "Better Working" series of applications, and included as part of "Better Working Eight-In-One". Better Working Communicator supports Macros, auto-dialing, split-screen, XModem file transfers, logging, and printing.

• 1.x

Boeing Graph (1987) 1 Presentations Graphics DOS

Boeing Graph is a graphing program for the IBM PC that specializes in producing high quality 3D plotted graphs. It was sold as a companion product to Boeing Calc.

• 2.00

BPS Business Graphics (1983) 1 Graphics DOS

BPS Graphics, from Business & Professional Software, Inc, is an early command-line based graphing program. It can import data from a number of sources and supports a large number of printers and plotters for presentation quality graphs. cross-platform. This version is for IBM PC and XT. Graph](/product/dr-graph), Gem Graph, PFS Graph, and Chart Master.

• 2.61

Brown Bag Word Processor (1985) 0 Word Processor DOS

The Brown Bag Word Processor was an inexpensive word processor that offered features comparable to more expensive programs. It is essentially an OEM licensed version of Quicksoft's PC-Write with a different user interface. Formatting is done using "dot" commands and it includes a mail-merge module.

• 2.x

Celebrity (1987) 0 Word Processor DOS

Celebrity is a powerful word processing program that includes a Speller, Thesaurus, Forms System, Report Writer, Calculator, Calendar, and File Cabinet. It was advertised as a solution for novice users, however the command based interface makes it less than user friendly.

• 1.0

Chart-Master (1985) 0 Presentations Graphics DOS

Chart-Master, originally introduced in 1981 by Decision Resources, Inc., was the first software that could produce presentation quality graphics with a plotter on a personal computer. Decision Resources also produced Sign-Master and Diagram-Master. They were acquired by Ashton-Tate in 1986. This program was also bundled in the Master Graphics Presentation Pack.

• 6.x

CorrectStar (1984) 1 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

Crosstalk (1983) 5 Communications DOS

Originally released in 1982, Crosstalk XVI, from Digital Communications Associates Inc of Alpharetta, Georgia, is a powerful telecommunications program for the IBM PC with many scripting features. "XVI" means "16", and refers to the powerful new 16-bit x86 CPUs found in IBM PC's and compatibles. It was followed up by the MK 4 and Communicatior products.

• XVI 3.3x
• XVI 3.5x
• XVI 3.6x

Dac-Easy Word (1987) 2 Word Processor DOS

DAC-Easy Word is a budget word processor package. It can have up to four document windows open, can work with large-ish documents, supports macros, features drop-down menus, built-in help, and includes a mailing list manager.

• II

DesignCAD 3D (1987) 0 Graphics Engineering DOS

DesignCAD 3D is a powerful, easy to use, and low cost DOS based CAD program that claimed to have all of the features of the more expensive CAD programs. It competed against low-cost CAD programs such as TurboCAD, Generic CADD, and Drafix. It was sometimes sold alongside DesignCAD 2D

• 1

Diagraph (1986) 0 Graphics DOS

Diagraph, from Computer Support Corporation, is a program that lets users assemble presentations, charts, and graphs from a very large library of predefined symbols.

• 3.5

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

DR Draw (1983) 2 Graphics DOS CPM

DR Draw is a shape-based drawing program that uses Digital Research's GSX graphics library, making it portable across CP/M and DOS architectures with different video systems.

• 1.x

Dr Halo (1985) 3 Graphics DOS

Dr Halo, by Media Cybernetics, is a DOS based image editor. It was sometimes distributed as a value-added tool with mice or video cards. Its image editing capabilities were fairly weak, and its main strength came from its adaptability to new hardware, positioning it mainly as an entry-level product provided with new hardware.

• II

Eagle PC Test and Initialization (1985) 0 DOS

This disk contains diagnostics and hard drive setup programs for the Eagle PC, Turbo, Spirit, and PC-Plus. This does NOT work with the Eagle 1600. It includes diagnostics tests for the Eagle CGA card, and their proprietary monochrome graphics card.

• 1.x

EagleWriter (1983) 1 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

Easy Writer (1982) 3 Word Processor DOS

Easy Writer was one of the first word processors for the IBM PC. It was originally written by John Draper AKA "Captain Crunch", with the PC version published by IBM. EasyWriter 1.x was written in the FORTH programming language and, as the story goes, it was ported to the IBM PC in a matter of days. There was also an Apple II version.

• 1.0
• 1.1
• 1.15
• II