PC Magazine Labs Performance Tests (1991) 0 Utility DOS Windows OS2

These disks contain Hardware and Graphics tests from 1990 for Microsoft Windows 2, and OS/2 1.x Presentation Manager.

• 1.x

PC Paint (1984) 2 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) 2 Graphics 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

• 1.05 (Win)
• Plus 1.x (Win)

PC Tools (1985) 53 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

PC-Tools File Manager (1994) 2 Utility Windows

This is a standalone version of the enhanced filemanager that was bundled with PC-Tools for Windows. This version was released after Symantec acquired Central Point and discontinued the PC-Tools product.

• 3.0

Persuasion (1991) 0 Presentations Windows

Aldus Persuasion is a presentation and slide creation program. "With the support that Persuasion offers - professional quality slides, overheads, handouts, and speaker notes - you can deliver your presentation with more confidence and ease than ever before." After version 2.x, Persuasion was purchased by Adobe.

• 2.x

PFS:WindowWorks (1991) 2 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
• 2.x

PhotoFinish (1992) 1 Graphics Windows

PhotoFinish is an image editor that features a number of effects geared towards photo touch-ups or enhancements. It also supports acquiring images from a scanner. It was produced and sold by ZSoft, who earlier created PC Paintbrush. PhotoFinish somewhat resembles PC Paintbrush, but has many more features. After SoftKey bought out ZSoft, they rebranded this product as "PC PaintBrush 1.0" and sold it a a budget title.

• 1.0
• 2.0
• 3.0

Photoshop (1988) 53 Graphics Windows MacOS

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.

• 1.x
• 2.x
• 3.x

PhotoSuite 1 Graphics Windows

Easily touch-up, transform, organize and share photos with family and friends

• 8.06

PowerPoint (1987) 2 Presentations Windows MacOS

Microsoft PowerPoint is a graphical presentation tool that is today part of Microsoft Office. Prior to its acquisition by Microsoft, it was known as "Presenter" from Forethought Inc. These are the standalone versions. For the Office bundled versions, see Microsoft Office.

• 2.0
• 3.x
• 4.x

PowerViewer (1993) 0 Presentations Graphics Windows

Powersoft PowerViewer is a powerful business graphing and reporting tool that includes the ability to connect to a wide variety of databases. The modern bullshit term for this kind of software is "Business Intelligence" software. It features the ability to let users quickly create complex yet good looking presentation-quality reports from data in a database. PowerViewer was sold alongside Powersoft PowerBuilder.

• 3.x

PsiWin (1994) 2 Utility Windows

PsiWin, from Psion PLC, is a tool for managing, interfacing with, and backing up PSION Personal Digital Assistants. It supports converting file formats such as Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Borland dBase, Quattro Pro, WordPerfect, and Lotus Smartsuite. It also contains a Windows version of the Psion Database software.

• 1.0

Publish Pac (1987) 0 Graphics Publishing Windows

Publish Pac is a set of drivers and a small scanning application for use with DEST scanners. It does not do much without the scanner, but it is interesting as it runs under Microsoft Windows 1. It includes a Windows 1.04 runtime, so DOS users would not have to purchase Windows.

• 2.x

Publisher's TypeFoundry (1988) 0 Graphics Publishing Windows

Publisher's TypeFoundry is a set of tools for creating and editing fonts. It includes an Outline Editor for use with vectored fonts, and a Bitmap Editor for use with bit-mapped fonts. It includes a copy of ZSoft PC Paintbrush for Windows so that fonts may be imported to or exported from a variety of sources. Its import/export tools can translate between HP LaserJet, GEM/Ventura Publisher, Windows/PageMaker, and PostScript fonts.

• 1.10

PubTech File Organizer (1989) 2 Utility Publishing Windows

The PubTech File Organizer is an alternate desktop shell for Windows that attempts to mimic the Macintosh Finder. It features drive icons directly on the desktop, a Garbage icon, and folders that open in new cascaded windows with icons representing files. Applications are easily accessible from an "Applications" menu. Files and programs may be placed directly on the File Organizer desktop. In many ways, it is similar to the Windows 95 desktop, but the earlier versions work under Windows 2!

• 2.11
• 3.10

PushButton WORKS (1993) 0 Word Processor Spreadsheet Presentations Database Windows

PushButton WORKS, from MicroBurst Inc., was a very low cost rudimentary integrated office suite. It includes a word processor, spread sheet, graphing program, and database. It competed with ClarisWorks, Footprint Works, and Microsoft Works for Windows.

• 3.0

QAPlus (1989) 0 Utility Windows

QAPlus is an extensive set of tools to test the functionality of a PC, measure performance, and optimize the configuration. It can test motherboard resources, RAM, video cards, I/O ports, and floppy drives. Later versions supported Microsoft Windows. It competed with tools like Checkit and AMI Diagnostics.

• 6.x

Quattro Pro (1987) 15 Spreadsheet Windows DOS

Quattro Pro, initially just named "Quattro", is a spreadsheet application from Borland International. It competed against Lotus 1-2-3 and Excel, and had several advantages including tabbed sheets, and the ability to handle up to a million rows. Quattro Pro was the subject a lawsuit by Lotus, simply because because Quattro Pro copied their menu user interface, but Lotus claimed this was not allowed. This also affected The Twin and VP-Planner.

• 1.0 (Win)
• 5.x
• 6.x (Win)

Rapid: File Manager (1994) 0 Utility Windows

Rapid: File Manager is a Windows based file manager from Gazelle Systems, the makers of Q-DOS.

• 1.0

Renderman (1994) 2 Graphics Windows

RenderMan is a 3d-rendering program produced for in-house use at Pixar and made available for commercial user. It also represented a standard way to store rendering data and interface between modeling and rendering programs.

• 1.x

RightWriter (1987) 0 Utility Windows

RightWriter is a grammar / structure checking utility. You can feed it a document, and it will produce a marked up copy listing high level critiques such as readability, delivery strength, and jargon. It competed with Grammatik, but RightWriter generally produced superior results.

• 5.0 for Windows

Sidekick (1984) 6 Utility PIM Windows

Borland Sidekick is a DOS based PIM (Personal Information Manager) and one of the first widely-used TSR (terminate and stay resident) programs. The key feature of Sidekick was that one could use Sidekick's utilities while using most other MS-DOS applications. This was important because MS-DOS had no built-in multi-tasking or task switching capabilities.

• 1.0 for Windows

SmartSketch (1994) 0 Graphics Publishing Windows

SmartSketch 1.0 is an easy to use vector based drawing targeted at business users. Although there were many other such drawing programs, it boasted simplicity and a large variety of clipart. It was originally intended for GO Corporation's PinPoint pen computing device, but when that was discontinued, SmartSketch was ported to Windows and Macintosh instead.

• 1.0

SnagIt (1994) 0 Utility Graphics Windows

Screen capture utility for Windows 3.1.

• 2.1