KeyCAD Complete (1993) 8 Graphics DOS

KeyCad Complete, from Softkey, is a low-end computer aided design and drawing tool.

• 6.0 (DOS)
• 1.0 for Windows

Borland Sprint (1988) 8 Word Processor DOS

Sprint is a text-based word processor for DOS that features a powerful scripting language, multiple user interfaces, exceptional speed, the ability to handle very large files, and powerful PostScript capabilities. "Mark of the Unicorn", and bought by Borland where it was renamed to "Sprint" in 1987. WordPerfect, Microsoft Word for DOS, and Multimate. preview at a time when that was clearly the way forward. However Sprint was targeted towards power users that needed advanced features WYSIWYG editors did not yet provide.

• 1.0x

Harvard Graphics (1986) 7 Graphics DOS

Harvard Graphics, from Software Publishing Corporation and initially called Harvard Presentation Graphics, is a graphing/plotting/presentation creation application for DOS. It was extremely popular in the late 1980s. At release, it competed against many graphing products such as PFS:Graph (AKA IBM Graphing Assistant ), Microsoft Chart, ChartMaster, and Cricket Graph, just to name a small few. A Windows port was released in 1991, but it lost out to Microsoft Powerpoint.

• A.00
• A.01
• 2.x
• 3.x

Microsoft Mail (1991) 7 Communications DOS

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

• 2.1
• 3.0
• 3.2

Autodesk Animator Pro (1993) 6 Graphics DOS

First released in 1989, AutoDesk Animator was a DOS-based professional animation tool. It could create full motion animations using VGA 320*200 256 color resolutions. It supports a number of animation techniques, and includes a freely redistributable animation player. It saves animations to the .FLI or "QuickFlick" format. This format was extremely popular during the very early 90s, and was one of the few that could do 256 colors, including pallet manipulation.

• 1.x

PFS First Publisher (1988) 6 Publishing DOS

First Publisher, from Software Publishing Corporation, is a WYSIWYG desktop publisher for DOS that excels at producing extremely high quality text and graphics print even using dot-matrix printers. This program originated as T/Maker Clickart. In 1991 Software Publishing Corp sold their PFS series to Spinnaker Software, where it became Easy Working Desktop Publisher.

• 2.0
• 2.01 for DeskMate
• Art
• 3.0

Qmodem (1992) 6 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)

Dr Halo (1985) 5 Graphics DOS

Dr Halo, by Media Cybernetics, is a DOS based image editor. It was sometimes distributed as a value-added tool with mice or video cards. Its image editing capabilities were fairly weak, and its main strength came from its adaptability to new hardware, positioning it mainly as an entry-level product provided with new hardware.

• II
• III
• IV

Freelance Graphics (1985) 5 Presentations Graphics DOS OS2

GCI/Lotus/IBM Freelance Graphics is a vector based presentation and graphing package developed for DOS, OS/2, and Windows. It was intended for use alongside Lotus 1-2-3. Later versions were part of SmartSuite. Before it was acquired by Lotus it was known Freelance, from Graphic Communications.

• 1.0 (DOS)
• 2.0 (DOS)
• 1.0 (OS/2)
• 4.0 (DOS)
• 2.x (Win)

Clarion (1989) 5 Database DOS

Clarion is an advanced user friendly 4GL DBMS and programming environment for DOS and Windows. It boasted the ability to greatly reduce application development time, featured highly integrated visual creation tools, and a powerful set of program functions.

• 2.X (DOS)
• 3.0 (DOS)
• 3.1 (DOS)

DR Draw (1983) 5 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

Borland Reflex (1985) 5 Database DOS

Borland Reflex, first released in 1984 by Analytica and bought by Borland, is a flat file database system with a fully graphical user interface and built in graphing. The Macintosh version of Borland Reflex]was based on the Macintosh database product Interlace from Singular Software.

• 1.x
• 2.0

Sign-Master (1987) 5 Presentations DOS

Sign-Master, from Decision Resources and later Ashton-Tate, is a companion product to Chart-Master and Diagram-Master. It shares the same ability to produce presentation quality graphics on high resolution printers or plotters, but geared more towards textual presentation slides. This program was also bundled in the Master Graphics Presentation Pack.

• 5.11

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

Volkswriter (1982) 5 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

FoxBASE (1987) 5 Database DOS Unix MacOS

FoxBASE, a relational database from Fox Software, started off in 1984 as a clone of dBase II that boasted many speed improvements. FoxBASE+ adds feature parity and compatibility with dBase III Plus. It was later aquired by Microsoft and became FoxPro

• Plus 1.x
• Plus 2.x

XyWrite (1984) 4 Word Processor DOS

XyWrite is a word processor for MS-DOS and Windows modeled on the mainframe-based ATEX typesetting system. Popular with writers and editors for its speed and degree of customization, XyWrite was in its heyday the house word processor in many editorial offices, including the New York Times from 1989 to 1993. XyWrite was developed by David Erickson and marketed by XyQuest from 1982 through 1992, after which it was acquired by The Technology Group. The final version for MS-DOS was 4.18 (1993); for Windows, 4.13. An offshoot descendant of XyWrite called Nota Bene is still being actively developed.

• II Plus v1.10
• 4

Microsoft Paintbrush (1987) 4 Graphics DOS

Microsoft Paintbrush is Microsoft's OEM version of Zsoft PC/Publisher's Paintbrush for MS-DOS. It was commonly bundled with Microsoft mice in the late 80s and early 90s.

• 2.0
• 4.0

Crosstalk (1983) 4 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.

• XVI 3.3x
• XVI 3.5x
• XVI 3.6x
• XVI 3.7x
• MK.4 2.x
• Communicator 2.x
• XVI 3.8x

VPIC (1991) 4 Graphics DOS

VPIC was a popular shareware image viewer for DOS. It supports a wide range of graphics file formats, and supports the proprietary resolutions of almost every video card ever made.

• 4.x

ChiWriter (1990) 4 Word Processor Mathematics DOS

ChiWriter is a WYSIWYG scientific text editor for DOS. Created by Cay Horstmann in 1986, it was one of the first that could write mathematical formulas on common PC computers.

• 4.00
• 4.2

PC Paintbrush (1984) 4 Graphics DOS

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

• 2.x (DOS)
• 3.x (DOS)
• Plus 1.x (DOS)
• IV (DOS)

Micrografx PC-Draw (1985) 3 Graphics DOS

PC-Draw is a vector based drawing program for DOS. You can use it to make diagrams, schematics, charts, and drawings. It has optional support for plotters and light pens.

• 1.4

BannerMania (1989) 3 Graphics Publishing DOS

Banner Mania is a banner making program for IBM PC compatible computers, enabling the user to create banners, posters, signs and logos. It can create and print multi-page banners, with 19 different fonts and effects in 16 colors.

• 1.0

Ability (1985) 3 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.

• 1.0
• Demo
• 1.2
• Plus 1.0
• Plus 2.0