WordStar (1981) 54 Word Processor CPM DOS Windows

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.

• 2.x
• 3.00
• 3.30
• for PCjr
• 2000
• 4.0
• 1512
• 5.0
• COLT
• 5.5
• 6
• 1.5 for Windows
• 7
• 2.0 for Windows

Select Word Processor (1981) 1 Word Processor CPM

The Select Word Processor, from SELECT Information Systems, Inc., is a word processor for generic CP/M-80 based systems. There were also versions for MS-DOS and CP/M-86.

• 1981

Easy Writer (1982) 6 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

IBM Professional Editor (1982) 5 Word Processor Editor DOS

Professional Editor is an early editor for the IBM PC. It makes extensive use of function keys, has user definable macros, and can work with files larger than available RAM. You WILL need to read the manual to use this!

• 1.00
• II

TI Writer Word Processor (1982) 4 Word Processor Other

TI-Writer was the standard word processor for the TI-99/4A. To use TI-Writer, you must have the TI-Writer cartridge (needed to load the disk software) and a TI-99/4A with the 32k RAM and disk expansion options.

• 1982

Spellbinder (1982) 2 Word Processor CPM DOS

Spellbinder, from Lexisoft and later Ltec Inc, is a word processing program originally created for CP/M and OASIS operating systems and eventually competed with WordStar. It was designed as a work-alike of the NBI Word Processing system and featured spell checking, grammar checking, footnotes, two-column print, proportional printing, and macro programming language. It was bundled with machines from Eagle Computers, Hewlett-Packard, and Xerox.

• 5.x
• 6.10

Volkswriter (1982) 10 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.

• 1.2
• Deluxe 2.x
• 3.0
• 4.0

GrafTalk (1982) 1 Presentations Graphics CPM

GrafTalk is a business graphics package for CP/M systems. It can generate pie charts, line plots, symbol plots, composite plots, text, and color. It was considered "easy" to use, with menus, but also features a powerful command line interface.

• 2.x

SuperCalc (1983) 8 Spreadsheet Graphics DOS CPM

SuperCalc was a spreadsheet application published by Sorcim in 1980, and originally bundled (along with WordStar) as part of the CP/M software package included with the Osborne 1 portable computer. It quickly became the de facto standard spreadsheet for CP/M and was ported to MS-DOS in 1982. It competed against spreadsheets such as VisiCalc, Multiplan. and Lotus 1-2-3.

• 1.x
• 2 v1.00
• 3 v1.00
• 3 v2.00
• 3 v2.10
• 4.x
• 5.1

WordPerfect (1983) 111 Word Processor DOS Other MacOS OS2 Unix Windows Linux

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.

• 3.x (DOS)
• 4.x (DOS)
• 4.1 (Amiga)
• 1.x (Mac)
• 5.0 (DOS)
• 5.1 (DOS)
• 5.0 (OS/2)
• 5.x (Unix)
• 5.x (Win)
• 2.x (Mac)
• 6.x (DOS)
• 5.2 (OS/2)
• 6.0 (Win)
• 3.x (Mac)
• 6.1 (Win)
• 6.0 (Unix)
• 7.x (Win)
• 8.x
• 7.x (Unix)
• 8.x (Unix)
• 9.x (2000)

Microsoft Word (1983) 227 Word Processor DOS MacOS Unix OS2 Windows

The Microsoft Word word processor was first introduced for MS-DOS in 1983. Its design made use of a mouse and WYSIWYG graphics. Its crude WYSIWYG/mouse support was a direct response to the Apple Lisa/Mac, and VisiCorp Visi On. Initially it competed against many popular word processors such as WordStar, Multimate, and WordPerfect. Word for DOS was never really successful.

• 1.x (DOS)
• 1.x (Mac)
• 2.x (DOS)
• 3.x (DOS)
• 3.x (Mac)
• 3.x (Unix)
• 4.0 (DOS)
• 5.x (DOS and OS/2)
• 1.x (Windows)
• 4.0 (Mac)
• 1.x (OS/2)
• 5.x (UNIX)
• 2.x (Windows)
• 5.x (Mac)
• 6.x
• 95
• 97

Perfect Writer (1983) 6 Word Processor DOS

Perfect Writer, from Perfect Software, Inc, is a simple word processor for MS-DOS and CP/M-80 systems. It was bundled with many 8-bit CP/M systems and some early MS-DOS and IBM PC compatible computers. It was generally considered a low end entry-level product, but it was designed with portability in mind.

• 1.x

VisiSpell (1983) 3 Word Processor DOS

VisiSpell is a standalone spell checker for DOS, that is intended for use with VisiCorp VisiWord but can be used with any text document.

• 1.00

VisiWord (1983) 1 Word Processor DOS

VisiWord is a solid and well designed word processor for the IBM PC from VisiCorp. It was part of VisiCorp's integrated office application suite that also included VisiCalc, VisiFile, VisiSpell, VisiTrend/Plot, and VisiTutor. It competed against EasyWriter and Volkswriter. This software runs under DOS 1.x and DOS 2.x. A follow up update to VisiWord offered better integration with VisiSpell. a GUI based environment. But that did not catch on. The similarly named Visi On Word word processor is not directly related to VisiWord.

• 1.00

MultiMate (1983) 11 Word Processor DOS

MultiMate, originally named WordMate, is a word processor designed to mimic the user interface of Wang word processing machines. It was primarily sold to large businesses, but eventually became popular with home users that were familiar with the Wang word processors. Later versions were bundled with extra third party software under the name MultiMate Advantage.

• 3.2x
• 3.3x
• 4.0

NewWord (1983) 3 Word Processor DOS

NewWord is a clone of WordStar created by former MicroPro employees. It filled a gap for WordStar users as WordStar 3.3 went unupdated, and eventually became the basis for WordStar 4.0.

• 1.x

Peachtext 5000 (1983) 4 Word Processor Financial Database DOS

PeachText 5000 is a complete personal productivity system for word processing, financial modeling, mailing lists and simple database management. It contains a thesaurus, spell checker, and file conversion tools.

• 2.x

IBM - Your PCJr Sampler (1983) 0 Novelty DOS

The PCJr sampler is a set of tiny applications that, while not really useful, demonstrate the abilities of the PCJr. This software was bundled with the PCjr.

• 1

PFS:Graph (1983) 10 Presentations Graphics DOS

PFS:Graph, from Software Publishing Corporation, is an easy to use graphing application for early IBM PC compatibles, Apple IIs, Apple IIIs, and Macintosh. Later it evolved in to PFS:First Graphics, and IBM rebranded a version as IBM Graphing Assistant.

• A:xx
• 01.00.00 (Tandy 2000)
• Bxx

GraphPlan (1983) 0 Spreadsheet Presentations Graphics CPM

GraphPlan, from Chang Labs, is an integrated spreadsheet/business graphics package that turns numbers into presentation-quality graphics - instantly. Historically important as being among the early "integrated" spreadsheet/graphing packages, and it uses Digital Research's GSX, a core graphics system that evolved in to GEM.

• 1.0

PFS:Write (1983) 6 Word Processor DOS

PFS:Write, originally from Software Publishing Corporation and later sold to Spinnaker Software, was an early and easy to use word processor for the IBM PC and Apple II. It was also licensed by IBM as IBM Writing Assistant. It can exchange data between PFS:Graph, PFS:File, and PFS:Report. SPC later replaced PFS:Write with Professional Write. Early versions had no built in spell checker, and were instead used with PFS:Proof.

• Axx
• 01.00.00 (Tandy 2000)
• Bxx
• Cxx
• 2.x

DR Draw (1983) 4 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

4 Point Graphics (1983) 5 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

BPS Business Graphics (1983) 2 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

WordVision (1983) 1 Word Processor DOS

WordVision was a word processor from 1983 for the IBM PC with some features unique for the time period, such as unerase, automatic document saving, and long descriptive filenames at a time when DOS did not contain that support. self booting: You booted from it to create working copies. The typical error beep was also replaced with a more pleasing "chime" sound while the program operated.

• 1.x