Microsoft Word (1983) 173 Word Processor DOS OS2 Windows MacOS Unix

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.

• 5.x (DOS and OS/2)
• 1.x (Windows)
• 4.0 (Mac)
• 1.x (OS/2)
• 5.x (UNIX)
• 2.x (Windows)

Microsoft Works (1986) 131 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.

• 2.x (Mac)
• 2.x (DOS)

MicroStation (1991) 14 Graphics DOS

First released in 1985, MicroStation is a computer aided design program originally written to read and later write Interactive Graphics Design System (an early single-purpose hardware/software CAD system) design files. It was influenced by Bentley System's 1984 graphics terminal based PseudoStation software. The file format, and therefore the software, became a standard in government agencies.

• 4.0.x

MindReader 2.0 (1988) 0 Word Processor DOS

Mindreader, originally by Kalman Toth of BusinesSoft and later from Brown Bag Software, is an "Artificial Intelligence based word processor" that learns the way you write, and anticipates what you are going to type next. It may suggest words, phrases, or entire paragraphs that you may add with a single keystroke.

• 2.0

MultiMate (1983) 6 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.

• 4.0

NBI Legend (1988) 1 Word Processor DOS Windows

Legend, from NBI, is a document processing program for Microsoft Windows 2.x. It primarily acts as a desktop publishing program, enabling users to lay out frames or embed graphics, but is can also act as a word processor. WordStar International where it became WordStar for Windows.

• 1.x
• Legacy 2.x

Norton Textra Writer (1989) 1 Word Processor DOS

Norton Textra Writer is an easy to use word processor for IBM PCs and compatibles running DOS. It was based on Ann Arbor Software' Textra, a small and fast word processor highly optimized for speed and rapid data entry, and published by the W W Norton & Co Inc publishing company (no relation to Peter Norton Computing or Symanetc).

• 2.0

Nota Bene (1990) 1 Word Processor DOS

First released in 1982 and based on XyWrite, Nota Bene is a word processor specifically tailored to academic use. It is a very complex, unfriendly, program, but it is packed full of features. Features include footnotes, endnotes, redlining, styles, outlining, tables, indexes, bibliographies, a text retrieval system, foreign language support, spell checker, thesaurus, and a built in programming language. The Ibid component was an option that acted as sort of a database of bibliographic references.

• 3.0

OfficeWriter (1989) 3 Word Processor DOS

OfficeWriter, from Office Solutions, Inc and later Software Publishing Corporation, is a word processor that mimics the Wang word processor system. It was targeted at corporations and competed against Multimate, another Wang word processor workalike.

• 6.x

Open Access (1990) 1 Word Processor Spreadsheet Graphics Communications Database DOS

Open Access III is a DOS based integrated office suite that includes a database, word processor, spreadsheet, statistical analysis, graphics, telecommunications and a C style custom application programming language.

• III

PageView (1988) 2 Word Processor Windows

Pageview is a tool to graphically display, manipulate, and print Microsoft Word 3.0 and 4.0 for DOS documents. This was released almost two years prior to Word 1.0 for Windows.

• 1.0

Paint Shop Pro (1990) 82 Graphics Windows

JASC Paint Shop Pro is a simple and easy to use bit-mapped graphics editor. It supports a wide variety of file formats, and photo manipulation functions that were comparable to PhotoShop. It has good support for editing 256 color palletized images that made it ideal for editing web graphics. It was first released in 1990 for Windows 3.0 as just "Paint Shop", and early versions gained popularity through the distribution of shareware releases. It lost popularity in 2003 when 8.0 was introduced with a redesigned UI and in 2004, JASC was acquired by Corel.

• 1.x

PaintShow Plus (1987) 4 Graphics DOS

Logetech's PaintShow Plus is a DOS based bit-mapped drawing program bundled with Logitech mice. Like ZSoft PC Paintbrush, Microsoft PC Paintbrush, and Mouse Systems PC Paint, PaintShow Plus clones the MacPaint user interface.

• 2.x

PC Paint (1984) 6 Graphics Windows

PC Paint, from Mouse Systems Corporation, is a Macintosh MacPaint-like paint program for the PC. It was often bundled with Mouse Systems mice. Despite the similar sounding name and appearance, it is NOT related to Microsoft/ZSoft PC Paintbrush.

• 3.x

PC Paintbrush (1984) 39 Graphics DOS Windows

ZSoft PC Paintbrush is a bitmap drawing program visually similar to MacPaint. The earlier DOS versions were often bundled with Microsoft and Microsoft compatible mice, and were notable for supporting a huge variety of video adapters. It competed against Mouse Systems PC Paint (not related despite the similar name). ZSoft PC Paintbrush eventually became Microsoft Paintbrush included in Windows 3.x. For Microsoft's rebranded version see Microsoft Mouse and Microsoft Paintbrush

• Plus 1.x (DOS)
• Plus 1.x (Win)
• IV (DOS)

PC-Link (1988) 2 Communications DOS

This is the client software used to communicate with Quantum Computer Service's PC-Link service. PC-Link followed the success of Quantum's Q-Link service for the Commodore 64. PC-Link was the predecessor to America OnLine.

• 1988

PC-Type (1991) 2 Word Processor DOS

PC-Type is a bare bones, budget oriented, word processor. PC-Type, along with PC-File were among the first popular products sold under the "Shareware" concept.

• 4.x

pcANYWHERE (1990) 11 Communications DOS

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

• 4.0 (DOS)
• 4.5 (DOS)

PFS First Choice (1987) 22 Word Processor Spreadsheet Presentations Database DOS

PFS First Choice is a simple, easy to use integrated office suite marketed towards new users. It includes a word processor, spreadsheet, graphics, database, and telecommunications. First Choice is similar to, but not as feature rich as, the standalone PFS office products. It competed against AlphaWorks/LotusWorks and Microsoft Works.

• 3.x

PFS:WindowWorks (1991) 6 Word Processor Spreadsheet Presentations Communications PIM Database Windows

PFS WindowWorks, from Spinnaker Software and Ancier Technologies, is an integrated all-in-one office application that includes a word processor, spreadsheet, chart editor, telecommunications, database, label maker and address book. Supposedly it was the first of such office suites for Windows 3.0, but soon competed with Microsoft Works for Windows. for Windows"](/product/better-working-eight).

• 1.x

Photoshop (1988) 94 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

Popcorn Misspeller's Dictionary (1988) 1 Word Processor Utility DOS

Popcorn Misspeller's Dictionary, from Popcorn Software, is a TSR program with a popup list of commonly misspelled words. You may find a word by typing it, but it does not make corrective suggestions.

• 1.x

PrintMaster (1985) 14 Graphics DOS

Print Master was another sign and banner creation program similar to The Print Shop. The earlier version got in to trouble for looking too much like the Print Shop.

• Plus 2.0

Procomm Plus (1985) 20 Communications DOS

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.

• 1.1
• 2.x (Shareware)
• 2.x

Prodigy (1988) 2 Communications DOS

Prodigy was an online service that offered on-line news, forums, stock information, games, banking, online shopping, and e-mail. Its primary feature was that it used a fully graphical user interface, however it was limited to very low resolutions and slow dial-up speeds, making it impractical for displaying photographs or detailed graphical documents.

• 2.x