Ability (1985) 4 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

America Online (1992) 7 Web Browser Chat DOS Windows

America Online was a proprietary dial-up online service that eventually grew to offerer Internet access. In the mid 1990s AOL was very heavily promoted. Every month or two, you were sure to get a free AOL floppy disk or CD-ROM in the mail. AOL originated as PC-Link.

• 1.x

AppleWorks (1986) 2 Word Processor Spreadsheet Presentations Graphics Communications Database MacOS Mac OS X

AppleWorks is an all-in-one Word Processor, Spreadsheet, Database, Graphics Editor, and Presentations tool. The original product was a text-based product for the Apple II. The Apple Macintosh and Windows versions were forked from ClarisWorks in 1998 by Apple. At the time, Apple was under a lot of pressure to have a direct alternative to Microsoft Office. There were serious concerns that Microsoft might pull Microsoft Office for the Macintosh from development.

• 6.x

BitFax (1992) 0 Communications DOS

BitFax is a basic fax program, used with compatible FaxModems. It was available for both DOS and Windows. BitFax/OCR includes optical character recognition used in conjunction with receiving fax documents.

• 4.x (DOS)

CO/Session (1992) 0 Communications DOS

CO-Session is a remote communication access program that supports remote control, file transfer, automates session, and promoted itself as faster and more powerful than Carbon Copy Plus.

• 6.x

COMit (1994) 2 Communications DOS Windows

COMit is a small, lightweight, and easy to use telecommunications terminal emulator for MS-DOS systems. OEMs commonly bundled it with modem hardware.

• 1.x

CompuServe Information Manager (1989) 1 Communications DOS

CompuServe Information Manager is the client software used for accessing the CompuServe service.

• 2.x (DOS)

Crosstalk (1983) 2 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.

• Communicator 2.x
• XVI 3.8x

DosFax (1992) 0 Communications DOS

Delrina DosFax is a DOS based program for sending and receiving faxes via a modem that has fax capabilities. This software was often bundled with modems or PCs. It was often accompanied by Delrina WinFax.

• 2.0

FaxDirect (1994) 1 Communications DOS

FaxDirect is a flexible resident command line tool for sending and receiving FAXes under DOS. It was bundled with copies of WordPefect.

• 2.x

Firefox (2005) 7 Web Browser Windows Linux Mac OS X

Firefox is a web browser based on the open source Mozilla web browser. It was intended to be lighter weight and faster than Mozilla, separating the e-mail client in to the new Thunderbird product. At release, it implemented better support for web standards than Microsoft Internet Explorer. Firefox included features such as tabbed browsing and support for add-ons.

• 1.x
• 2.x
• 3.x

GroupWise (1997) 2 Communications PIM Server DOS

Originally created by WordPerfect Corp in 1987 as WordPerfect Office (groupware), and acquired by Novell in 1994 where it became GroupWise, GroupWise is a cross-platform collaboration platform that includes email, calendaring, personal information management, instant messaging, and document management.

• 5.x

Internet Explorer (1995) 183 Web Browser Windows Unix MacOS 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.

• 5

LapLink (1987) 12 Communications DOS

LapLink, from Traveling Software Inc., enables users to easily and quickly move files between two DOS computers using only a serial null-modem cable or a special parallel port connector. No other hardware is needed. Laplink was extremely popular.during the late 80s and early 90s. It was infinitely easier to set up any two arbitrary PCs (often portables or laptops) with LapLink than other methods, such as DOS based networking. MS-DOS 6 bundled a similar set of file transfer tools called INTERLNK and INTERSVR.

• 5.x

LinkRight (1994) 0 Communications DOS OS2

LinkRight is a serial/parallel port file transfer utility for OS/2, and includes a DOS version. The included LinkRight Cloner tool copies a complete OS/2 partition including boot information. It is similar to LapLink, and can use a "LapLink" parallel cable.

• 1.x

Lotus Symphony (1984) 1 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".

• 3.00

Microsoft Mail (1991) 5 Communications DOS

There were two distinct "Microsoft Mail" products. One for AppleTalk Networks, and one for PC Networks.

• 3.0
• 3.2

Microsoft Works (1986) 57 Word Processor Spreadsheet Communications Database DOS

Microsoft Works was an all-in-one scaled-down Word Processor, Spreadsheet, and Database geared towards the home user. It was released in variants for early DOS, Windows, and Macintosh. Microsoft Works competed against Lotus Jazz, FrameWork, AlphaWorks/LotusWorks, PFS First Choice, and many others.

• 3.x (DOS)

Mozilla (2002) 2 Web Browser Windows Linux Mac OS X

Mozilla is an open source web browser based on a rewrite of the Netscape web browser. Netscape Communications Corporation released the source code in 1998 with the intent that it would be used as the core of next Netscape browser. Shortly after the release, Netscape Communications Corporation was acquired by AOL. Mozilla was used for the basis of Netscape 6.x and 7.x. Mozilla (later codenamed SeaMonkey) was eventually reworked and became Firefox.

• 1.x

Netscape (1994) 65 Web Browser Windows Linux Mac OS X

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.

• 7.x

PATHWORKS (1994) 0 Web Browser Communications DOS

PATHWORKS is a network client suite that enables PCs to communicate with VMS and Ultrix systems from Digital Equipment Corporation.

• 5.1
• 6.0

PC-Xview (1992) 0 Communications DOS

PC-Xview is a mature X Windowing program for DOS. It supports a wide variety of DOS network clients

• 4.0

pcANYWHERE (1990) 7 Communications DOS Windows

pcAnywhere is a tool that enables one to remotely control another computer, or to be remotely controlled.

• 5.0 (DOS)
• 2.0 (Win)
• 8.0 (Win)

Qmodem (1992) 0 Communications DOS

Qmodem was a friendly, well designed, and feature rich, commercial telecommunications program that was also distributed in shareware form. The first release was in 1984 by John Friel III, and sold to Mustang Software in 1991. During the early years, it competed with PC-Talk. During the later years, it competed with Procomm and Telemate.

• 4.5 (DOS)
• PRO 1.0 (DOS)

QuickLink (1990) 2 Communications DOS Windows

Quick Link Fax, from Smith Micro Software, is a program for receiving and sending Faxes under DOS and Windows 3.1 with a compatible FAXModem. It competed against Delrina WinFax. On the Macintosh, Smith Micro provided MacComCenter.

• II 2.0
• II 3.2 (Win)