XyWrite (1984) 0 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.

• 4

Writer File Plus (1988) 0 Word Processor DOS

At a glance, Writer File Plus is a snappy, professional looking editor for DOS. It was distributed by Keypunch Software as a low cost, budget-oriented, possibly mail-order, title.

• 1988

WordStar (1981) 23 Word Processor DOS

WordStar, originally from MicroPro, was a popular word processor during the early 80s. It was ported to a number of CP/M architectures as well as Unix and PC/MS-DOS. It competed directly against many word processors, including WordPerfect, Microsoft Word for DOS, and Multimate. By the late 80s most business word processing had moved to WordPerfect. In the early 90s, Microsoft Word for Windows took over.

• 5.0
• COLT
• 5.5
• 6
• 7

WordPerfect Works (1992) 2 Word Processor Spreadsheet Presentations Graphics Database DOS

WordPerfect Works was an all-in-one integrated office productivity package that included a word processor, spreadsheet, drawing program, database, and a communications program. Initially it was just for DOS, but later there was a version for Microsoft Windows. Corporation's smaller lightweight programs. This included LetterPerfect, a scaled down DrawPerfect, PlanPerfect, and the WordPerfect Executive shell. The database was based around the Mailmerge system.

• 1.0

WordPerfect Presentations (1991) 0 Presentations DOS

WordPerfect Presentations is WordPerfect Corp's offering to the desktop presentation market. It is an enhancement to and replacement for DrawPerfect. In addition to DrawPerfect's charting, it adds slide printing, on-screen slide shows, templates, a text outliner, a slide sorter, and supports multimedia audio. At release, it competed against PowerPoint, Aldus Persuasion, Harvard Graphics, and Lotus Freelance Graphics. Notably, it did all this while the initial release was for DOS. A version for Microsoft Windows was later released.

• 2.0

WordPerfect (1983) 39 Word Processor DOS

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.

• 5.0 (DOS)
• 5.1 (DOS)
• 6.x (DOS)
• 7.x (Unix)

Word Writer (1989) 0 Word Processor DOS

Timeworks Word Writer PC is a budget word processor for IBM PC and compatibles. There were versions of Word Writer for other platforms, including the Commodore 64. Word Writer was also bundled with Timeworks Office.

• PC 3.0

WillMaker (1990) 0 Other DOS

WillMaker is a program that takes a set of simple human-understandable questions to produce the complex legal language and law considerations, required for a modern will.

• 4.0

Wang Freestyle (1990) 0 Utility Publishing DOS

Wang Freestyle is an "annotation" program that operates by making screen shots of DOS applications, to which the user may then add hand-written notes using a stylus or add a voice recording with a telephone-like handset. It features a Macintosh-like desktop that displays the annotated documents graphically on a proprietary high resolution monitor, and integrates a form of mail and fax.

• 1.x

VPIC (1991) 0 Graphics DOS

VPIC was a popular shareware image viewer for DOS. It supports a wide range of graphics file formats, and supports the proprietary resolutions of almost every video card ever made.

• 4.x

VP-Info (1987) 0 Database DOS

Originally released in 1986 by PaperBack Software and later from Sub Rosa Inc, VP-Info is a dBase-type relational database manager with compiler. VP-Info features the ability to use common dBase/Clipper file formats with an unlimited number of records, faster execution speeds, and a built-in compiler.

• 4.x

VP-Expert (1987) 0 Database DOS

VP-Expert, from Paperback Software, was a low-cost expert system solution that competed against products such as 1st-Class Fusion, Knowledgepro, Level 5, and Personal Consultant Easy. It provides rule induction, traditional structured rule programming, backwards and forward chaining, and hypertext and mouse support in graphics mode.

• 2.x

Volkswriter (1982) 0 Word Processor DOS

Volkswriter, from Lifetree Software Inc, was an early easy to use word processor for the IBM PC. Development of Volkswriter was inspired by the horridness of EasyWriter, and for a brief time it was possibly the only usable word processor for the IBM PC before an IBM version of WordStar was released. The "Deluxe" version will work with larger documents and has more features.

• 4.0

Vistapro (1992) 0 Graphics Other DOS

Vistapro is a three-dimensional landscape simulation program. Using U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Digital Elevation Model (DEM) files, Vistapro can accurately recreate real world landscapes in vivid detail. It can also create fractal based landscapes, and provides many customizations. Vistapro originated on the Amiga and also had a Macintosh port.

• 1.x (DOS)
• 3.x (DOS)

ViaNet (1988) 0 DOS

Vianet, from Western Digital, is a cross platform peer to peer networking system that offers simplicity and ease of use. It was relatively low cost, and supports multiple network cards. Western Digital included it with their StarLAN hardware products. Network-OS, Lantastic, PC/NOS, ELS Netware II, LANsmart, DNA Networks, TOPPS/DOS DataLAN, and POWERlan.

• 3.x

Vertisoft SpaceManager (1993) 0 Graphics DOS Windows

SpaceManager, from Vertisoft, the authors of DoubleDisk which became Microsoft DoubleSpace, is a utility that adds more features to DoubleSpace. It adds access to additional compression methods to get better compression at the expense of CPU speed, can bypass compression for files that do not compress well, automatically schedule a drive recompression, automatically mounts compressed floppy disks, and shows drive usage details and compression statistics.

• 1.5x

VersaCAD (1988) 0 Graphics Engineering DOS

First released in 1983 by T & W Systems Inc (later Versacad Corporation) and based on their earlier T-Square product, VersaCAD is a sophisticated professional object design and drawing tool for the IBM PC. It competed heavily against AutoCAD. A very in-depth history of VersaCAD can be found on Cadhistory (PDF Link)

• 5.3

Ventura Publisher (1986) 3 Publishing DOS

Ventura Publisher, originally from Xerox, is a professional desktop publishing program for the GEM graphical environment and later Windows. It has the distinction of being the first popular publishing program for the IBM PC platform. It competed with Aldus PageMaker, which initially was more popular on the Mac platform. There are also versions for Mac and OS/2.

• 2.0
• 3.0 for DOS-GEM

VEDIT (1981) 0 Word Processor Editor DOS

VEDIT, from CompuView, is an extremely powerful, flexible, and customizable editor designed for power users and programmers. It can handle extremely huge files. It has a programmable command mode that can be used to automatically perform complex operations on files. It features a completely customizable keyboard layout and special features for editing programming language source files. supported a large number of terminal types.

• Plus 4.x

Turbo Power Turbo Professional (1989) 1 DOS

Turbo Professional is a library of utilities, source, and documentation for turbo Pascal programmers. Includes TSR management, BCD arithmetic, windowing, menuing, EMS and XMS access routines, large arrays, macros, runtime error recovery.

• 5.x

Turbo Power Turbo Analyst (1989) 0 DOS

Turbo Analyst, from Turbo Power, is a set of utilities, source code, and documentation for Turbo Pascal software developers. It includes tools to automate common programming tasks, such as a Pascal formatter, cross reference, execution timer, execution profiler, program indexer, and program listener.

• 5.x

Turbo Power Object Professional (1989) 0 DOS

Object Professional, from Turbo Power, is a library of window object types for Turbo Pascal Programmers, supporting overlapping resizable windows, menus, pick lists, data entry controls, and text editing.

• 1.x

Timeworks DOS Office (1993) 0 Word Processor Spreadsheet Database DOS

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.

• 1.0

The Print Shop Companion (1984) 0 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.

• The NEW PSC (DOS)
• Deluxe

The Print Shop (1984) 4 Publishing DOS

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.

• The NEW PS (DOS)
• Deluxe