Microsoft FORTRAN (1977) 34 MacOS

This is Microsoft's implementation of the FORTRAN scientific-oriented high level programming language. It was one of their early core languages developed for the 8-bit computers and later brought to the 8086 and IBM PC. For the IBM OEM version, see the IBM Fortran Compiler. In 1993 Microsoft rebranded the product as Microsoft Fortran Powerstation. (Note: -80 refers to the 8080/Z80 platform, not the language specification version)

• 2.x (Mac)

Crystal Reports (1992) 32 Windows

Crystal Reports, from Crystal Services/Seagate Technology Inc., is a powerful visual report creation tool for Microsoft Windows. Rather than a specific product, it is designed to work with almost any existing database product. reports from directly from within their applications. Crystal Reports was sometimes bundled with Microsoft Visual Basic. And it can be used with Crystal Reports Server for scheduled report generation.

• 1.x
• 3.x
• 4.x
• 7.x
• 8.x

Corel Linux (1999) 31 Linux

Corel Linux was a short-lived commercial Linux distribution that attempted to compete directly against Microsoft Windows 98/2000.

• 1.x

After Dark (1989) 31 Novelty MacOS Windows

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 Macintosh
• Magic ScreenSaver
• 1.0 for Windows
• 2.x
• 3.x
• 4.x
• Tenth Anniversary
• 9

Borland C++ Builder (1996) 31 Windows

First released in 1997, Borland C++ Builder is a Rapid Application Design environment that uses the C++ language, but includes the same GUI IDE as Borland Delphi. It includes the Delphi compiler and can make use of Delphi code in C++ projects. Borland C++ Builder replaces Borland C++ product. This product was targeted at business and enterprise customers. Current supported versions are sold by Embarcadero Technologies.

• 1.x
• 5.x
• 6.x

Age of Empires (1997) 30 MacOS Windows

Age of Empires is a civilization simulator strategy game where different empires fight to rule.

• 1.0
• Gold Edition

Virtual PC (1996) 29 Virtualization MacOS Windows OS2 Mac OS X

Virtual PC started off originally as an x86 emulator for PowerPC Macintosh to run MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows. Connectix, the company that made it, was purchased by Microsoft. Virtual PC was then retooled into a virtualization tool for x86 systems. Microsoft discontinued Virtual PC in favor of a server-oriented virtualization product called Hyper-V.

• 1.x (Mac)
• 2.x (Mac)
• 3.x (Mac)
• 4.x
• 5.x
• 6.x
• 2004
• 7.x
• 2007

ArcView GIS (1996) 29 Graphics Other Database Windows

ArcView, from Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. is a geographical information system program for Win9x/NT.

• 3.0
• 3.3

Photoshop (1988) 28 Graphics MacOS Windows

Photoshop is a powerful drawing and photo manipulation program for both Mac and Windows. The Macintosh version was released by Adobe in 1990, although a very small number were bundled with Barneyscan slide scanners prior to that. Photoshop contained many advanced features including layered images, advanced color control, and plug-ins. Prior to its release, many of its features were only found in high end dedicated photo pre-processing systems.

• 0.x (beta)
• 1.x
• 2.x
• 3.x
• 4.x
• 5.x
• 6.x

QEMM (1990) 28 Utility DOS Windows

Quarterdeck QEMM is a DOS Extended Memory Manager for 386+ computer which allows you to make use of memory beyond the 640kb barrier. It can also be used with QRAM, a utility for freeing up the 640k base memory.

• 9.x

3D Home Architect (1993) 28 Graphics Windows

Broderbund's 3D Home Architect is a home-design oriented CAD program. It includes a variety of home decor related objects, and can render the results in 3D.

• 1.0
• 2.0

Encarta (1993) 27 Reference Windows MacOS

Microsoft Encarta was a home oriented interactive encyclopedia that was often sold with new OEM machines. Unlike a paper encyclopedia, Encarta took full advantage of being on a computer, with updates from the Internet, sound clips and movies, interactive charts and games, and good navigation.

• 1994
• 1995
• 1996
• 1997
• 1998
• 1999

Procomm Plus (1985) 27 Communications Windows

ProComm, from Datastorm technologies, was a powerful and very popular telecommunications program for DOS and Windows. TERMULATOR, written to fill the gap left by shareware PC-Talk when its author died. protocols for uploading and downloading, and automatic redial. The commercial "ProComm Plus" includes a scripting language, more terminal types, additional file transfer protocols, context sensitive help, support for 8 COM ports, and a professionally written manual (telecommunications)](/product/microsoft_access_business_information_access_program), Crosstalk, Relay Gold, and PFS Access. Later, it competed with QModem and Telemate.

• 1.0 For Windows
• 2.x for Windows
• 3.0 For Windows

Microsoft Mouse (1984) 25 DOS Windows OS2

These are drivers provided by Microsoft for the Microsoft BusPort, serial, and PS/2 mice. Introduced in 1983, The Microsoft Mouse is historically important as it was one of Microsoft's earliest hardware products (The other being an Apple II Z-80 CP/M card). The first Mouse for the IBM PC was actually from Mouse Systems, not Microsoft. However, most clone mice emulated Microsoft's serial protocol and DOS driver software interface. The first Microsoft application designed to make full use of the mouse was Microsoft Word for DOS, and they hyped a product called "Microsoft Windows" (not released until several years later) that was to compete against the upcoming Apple Macintosh and the Mouse Systems based Viscorp Visi On.

• 7.x
• 8.x
• 9.x
• 11.x

PC Tools (1985) 24 Utility Windows

PC Tools, from Central Point Software, is a system and disk utility suite similar to the Norton Utilities. Central Point also produced a similar set of tools for the Apple Macintosh known as MacTools. Central Point Backup, bundled as part of PC-Tools, was also offered as a standalone product.

• 2.0 for Windows

Microsoft FrontPage (1995) 24 Publishing Windows

Microsoft FrontPage is a WYSIWYG HTML editor/Cuisinart for Microsoft Windows.

• 1.0
• 1.1
• 97 (v2)
• 98 (v3)

QuickBasic (1985) 24 MacOS

Microsoft QuickBasic, not to be confused with the lesser QBasic, was a Basic interpreter and compiler product loosely based on GW-Basic. Version 2.0 for DOS and later included an Integrated Development Environment. Microsoft also produced QuickPascal and QuickC with similar integrated environments.

• 1.0x for Mac

Windows Media Center (2004) 23 Video Audio Media Player Windows

Windows Media Center was a full-screen media player and video recorder designed for use on home theater PCs. It competed against digital recording devices like the Tivo.

• 6.1 (7)
• 2005 (XP)

CorelDraw! (1989) 22 Graphics Publishing Windows OS2

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.

• 1.x
• 2.0
• 2.5
• 3.0
• 4.0
• 5.0
• 6.0
• 7.0

Adobe Acrobat (1993) 21 Publishing MacOS Windows Unix

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.

• 1.x
• 2.x
• 3.x
• 4.x
• 5.x
• 6.x

Red Hat Linux (1997) 21 Linux

Red Hat Linux was a popular early Linux distribution, that was made available as a boxed set available in stores.

• 5.0

Lotus Word Pro (1996) 21 Word Processor Windows

Word Pro was a word processor based upon Ami Pro (originally published by Samna).
Lotus acquired Samna in 1990. Word Pro 96 is the first release to no longer use the Ami Pro naming.

• 96
• 97

FORTRAN PowerStation (1993) 20 DOS Windows

Microsoft FORTRAN Powerstation was a rebranding of Microsoft's earlier Microsoft Fortran product. It featured support for 32-bit DOS and Microsoft Windows.

• 1.x
• 4.x

Oracle Forms and Reports (1997) 19 Database Windows

Oracle Forms and Reports is a GUI application builder. It is similar to Visual Basic, but uses the PL/SQL language and integrates heavily with Oracle Server databases.

• 4.5 (Developer 2000)
• 6i

Adobe Type Manager (1991) 19 Windows MacOS

Adobe Type Manager was designed to provide scalable fonts on early Mac and Windows 3.0 systems that did not provide similar functionality natively. ATM is required by a number of graphics application originally designed to work in these environments. ATM is packaged as a "lite" installable runtime. Later releases offer a "Deluxe" version with extra font management abilities. Other OSes including NeXTSTEP, DESQview, and OS/2 come with ATM functionality built-in.

• 1.x
• 2.0x
• 3.0x
• 4.x