Ability (1985) 0 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.

• Plus 2.0

Adobe Acrobat (1993) 15 Publishing Windows Unix MacOS

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.

• 3.x

After Dark (1989) 16 Novelty DOS

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 DOS

Aslightly LabelPro (1991) 0 Publishing DOS

Aslightly LabelPro is a label printing utility for use in conjunction with Aslightly label products. It supports mail merge, graphics and text, postal bar codes, and includes clipart.

• 1.x (DOS)

Banner Blue Movie Guide (1991) 0 Novelty DOS

Banner Blue Movie Guide, from Banner Blue Software, is a searchable movie database with built in trivia games.It features entries for more than 9000 popular movies.

• 1.0

Cakewalk (1993) 5 Audio DOS

Cakewalk is a MIDI music authoring and editing tool. The earlier versions are considered among the best MIDI tools that ever existed. Microsoft Windows. limited music notation and a built-in scripting language called CAL (Cakewalk Application Language). limited functionality OEM-bundled "Express" editions.

• 5.0 (DOS)

Comic Book Creator (1991) 0 Novelty DOS

Comic Book Creator is a graphics program that enables the user to quickly create customized comic strips based on a small predefined set of clip art and backgrounds.

• 1.x

Corel Presentations (1995) 0 Presentations DOS

Corel Presentations (which is often referred to simply as Presentations) is a presentation program akin to Microsoft PowerPoint and OpenOffice.org Impress.

• 2.x

CorelDraw! (1989) 49 Graphics Publishing OS2 Unix

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
• 3.5 (Unix)

DanCAD 3D (1992) 1 Engineering DOS

DanCAD is a tool for producing technical line drawings and animations. It is designed for mechanical engineers to analyze and simulate 3d mechanisms, such as complex compound robotics motions. mathematical functions, animation, and PostScript printing.

• 2.5

DesignCAD 2D (1988) 0 Graphics Engineering DOS

DesignCAD is a low end, but well featured, drafting program. It was sometime a companion product to DesignCAD 3D.

• 5.x

DesignCAD 3D (1987) 1 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

• 4.x

Dr. Sbaitso (1992) 2 Novelty Audio DOS

Dr. Sbaitso is a simple AI program, similar to the famous "Eliza", that makes use of text-to-speech software. Distributed as a demonstration application with Creative Labs Sound Blaster cards.

• 2.x

Easy Working Desktop Publisher (1992) 0 Publishing DOS

Easy Working Desktop Publisher is a rebranded version of PFS:First Publisher. PFS:First Publisher and the other PFS titles were acquired from Software Publishing Corp by Spinnaker Software in 1991.

• 1.0

EasyFlow (1991) 0 Presentations DOS

EasyFlow was one of the fist diagramming and flow charting programs for PCs. It was produced by the Canadian based company HavenTree Software Limited.

• 7.0

Encore (1991) 0 Audio DOS Windows

Encore, from Passport Designs, is a music program that originated on the Atari ST in 1984. It enables writing and editing music using traditional notation format. It can import and export to a number of sources and supports MIDI playback. enable items in the musical score to be added and edited using the mouse.

• 2.x

Expert Astrologer (1993) 0 Novelty DOS

A computerized tool from Expert Software for displaying your personalized daily horoscope. It can also interpret your personality traits, values, temperament, attitudes, adaptation, [and gullibility]. Plots trends in business, fitness, creativity, and social activities. Prints chart wheels, calculates planet positions, [and empties your wallet.]

• 1993

Expert Astronomer (1992) 0 Reference Novelty DOS

Expert Astronomer from Expert Software is a budget star chart with a large number of features. Database includes around 9000 objects including stars, constellations, and planets.

• I

Expert Personality Expert (1992) 0 Novelty DOS

Personality Expert is a budget title from Expert Software, where "Dr. Expert" quizzes you about your personality to make various suggestions and predictions.

• 1992

Expert Pet Care (1992) 0 Reference Novelty DOS

Expert Pet Care, from Expert Software, is a budget title for the IBM PC. "Expert Pet Care is your complete guide to your pet's health and upkeep. Developed by a practicing veterinarian, Expert Pet Care offers valuable information and advice on nutrition, exercise, emergency care, behavioral problems, training, and medication. It also includes special tips on training, diet and grooming, plus produces pedigree and descendants charts. You can lean about the various breeds of dogs and cats, and even view pictures of them! Expert Pet Care contains information on over 150 different breeds. You'll learn about each breed's physical attributes, history, and special care considerations. Expert Pet Care Provides vital emergency health care do's and don'ts which may literally save your pet's life. You can easily create a medical history for your pet. Expert Pet Care tracks information such as vaccinations, allergies, surgery and more. All you have to do is fill in the blanks. Expert Pet Care is simple to use - it's arranged like a stack of index cards that can flip through at your own pace, and in the order you like!"

• 1992

Expert Publisher (1991) 0 Publishing DOS

This is a very low-end budget desktop publishing program from your glorious low-end budget crap software publisher Expert Software.

• 1991

FrameMaker (1990) 0 Publishing Windows Unix MacOS

FrameMaker, originally from Frame Technology Corporation and later Adobe, is a professional document system for creating large, complex documents with highly structured layout. It was often accompanied by FrameReader.

• 4.x

Freelance Graphics (1985) 0 Presentations Graphics DOS OS2

GCI/Lotus/IBM Freelance Graphics is a vector based presentation and graphing package developed for DOS, OS/2, and Windows. It was intended for use alongside Lotus 1-2-3. Later versions were part of SmartSuite. Before it was acquired by Lotus it was known Freelance, from Graphic Communications.

• 4.0 (DOS)
• 2.x (Win)

Generic CADD (1987) 2 Engineering DOS

Generic CADD, originally from Generic Software, Inc., was a popular low-cost 2D CAD program targeted at casual drafting users. Initially it competed against AutoCAD, and the budget TurboCAD. The original version offered a number of separately purchasable modules.

• 5.0
• 6.0

GeoPublish (1994) 0 Word Processor Publishing DOS

GeoPublish was a rudimentary desktop publishing program for the Apple II and C64 that ran under GEOS. In 1993, Geoworks re-released their commercial standalone Geoworks Writer product as a shareware product reprising the name GeoPublish.

• 2.x