Autodesk AutoCAD (1984) 1 Graphics Engineering MacOS Windows

AutoCAD, from Autodesk and first released in 1982, is a powerful Computer Aided Design tool. It was, and still is, often considered the standard for CAD tools. Primarily for the IBM PC platform, it was ported to x86 machines with higher video resolutions such as the Zenith Z-100 and NEC APC. Intermittently, versions for the Macintosh appeared. Later versions use a dongle copy protection.

• r10 (Mac)
• r11 (Mac)
• r11 (Win)
• r12 (Mac)

LapLink (1987) 1 Communications Windows

LapLink, from Traveling Software Inc., enables users to easily and quickly move files between two DOS computers using only a serial null-modem cable or a special parallel port connector. No other hardware is needed. Laplink was extremely popular.during the late 80s and early 90s. It was infinitely easier to set up any two arbitrary PCs (often portables or laptops) with LapLink than other methods, such as DOS based networking. MS-DOS 6 bundled a similar set of file transfer tools called INTERLNK and INTERSVR.

• 7.5 for Windows 95
• 2000
• Gold (9.0)

WinFax Pro (1992) 1 Communications Windows

Delrina WinFax Pro is fax program for Microsoft Windows. It was once ubiquitous, often bundled with modems or OEM PC computers. It was sometimes accompanied by Delrina DosFax. It competed again Softnet FaxWorks and BitWare.

• 3.x
• 4.x
• 7.0
• 8.0
• 10.0

WS_FTP (1998) 1 Communications Windows

WS_FTP, from Ipswitch, Inc., is one of the earliest shareware FTP clients, and was free for both personal and government use. It uses a classic "dual pane" user interface. Among other features, it supports VMS FTP servers.

• LE

ClarisWorks (1991) 1 Word Processor Spreadsheet Presentations Graphics Publishing Database Windows MacOS

ClarisWorks is an all-in-one Word Processor, Spreadsheet, Database, Graphics Editor, and Presentations tool from Claris. In 1998, after version 5.0.2, ClairsWorks was purchased by Apple and re-branded under the "AppleWorks" name. It is not related to the Apple II AppleWorks product.

• 1.x
• 2.x
• 3.x
• 4.x
• 5.x
• For Kids 1.0

Visio (1992) 1 Graphics Windows

Visio is a flow-chart diagramming program for Microsoft Windows originally from Shapeware/Visio Corp. Visio was specifically designed as a flow charting tool rather than a generic drawing tool. It featured easy to use drag-and-drop diagram creation, and shipped with a wide variety of stencils. In 2000 Visio Corp was acquired by Microsoft. It competed with Aldus Intellidraw and Micrografx Snapgraphics and Meta Software's MetaDesign.

• 1.0
• 2.0
• 3.0
• 4.0
• 5.0
• 2000

PhotoDeluxe (1996) 1 Graphics Windows MacOS

Adobe PhotoDeluxe is a simplified photo manipulation tool targeted at novice users. It performs a variety of tasks, including red-eye removal, shadow dropping, smudging, and cloning and can produce "projects" such as cards and calendars. It is designed to integrate with scanners and digital cameras. It competed against Microsoft Picture-It

• 1.0
• 2.0
• 3.x
• 4.x

Dashboard (1992) 1 Utility Windows

Dashboard for Windows, originally from HP, is a convenient push-button utility which gives you quick access to and maximum control over your Windows programs. and buttons for launching programs. Drag-and-drop support for printing, plotting, and faxing. Miniature screens that make it easy to work with several full-screen programs at once. An alarm clock with a built-in snooze alarm. And "At a glance" feedback to let you know which programs are running and how much memory you are using. It has a resemblance to the Unix Common Desktop Environment toolbar.

• 1.0
• 2.x
• 3.0
• 95

Schedule+ (1990) 1 PIM Windows MacOS

Schedule Plus is a calendar/personal information manager. It is designed to operate using a shared network Microsoft Mail "mailbox" over a LAN.

• 1.x

Norton SystemWorks (1998) 1 Utility MacOS Windows

Norton SystemWorks was a utility software suite by Symantec Corp. It integrates three of Symantec's most popular products – Norton Utilities, Norton CrashGuard and Norton AntiVirus – into one program designed to simplify solving common PC issues. Backup software was added later to high-end editions. SystemWorks was innovative in that it combined several applications into an all-in-one software for managing computer health, thus saving significant costs and time often spent on using different unrelated programs.

• 1.x
• 2000
• 2001

PC Paintbrush (1984) 1 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)

cc:Mail (1993) 1 Communications OS2

cc:Mail, originally from Concentric Systems, Inc and later Lotus and IBM, is a desktop e-Mail system intended for small LANs. It relies on accessing a shared database file rather than client-sever methods.

• 1.x for OS/2

Borland Reflex (1985) 1 Database MacOS

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 (Mac)

Microsoft Creative Writer (1994) 1 Word Processor Novelty Windows MacOS

Microsoft Creative Writer is a dumbed down Microsoft BOB-like word processor and sign maker targeted at children. It was sold alongside, and later bundled with, a drawing program called Microsoft Fine Artist

• 1.x
• 2.x

Microsoft Fine Artist (1994) 1 Graphics Novelty Windows MacOS

Microsoft Fine Artist is a dumbed down Microsoft Bob-like drawing program targeted at children. It was sold alongside, and later bundled with, a word processor called Microsoft Creative Writer.

• 1.x

WINCheckIt (1994) 1 Utility Windows

WINCheckIt, from TouchStone Software Corporation, was a popular diagnostics and system cleaning utility for Microsoft Windows 3.1. It diagnoses issues with CMOS/BIOS setup, finds IRQ problems, tests I/O devices and memory, benchmarks system performance, removes unused application files, and fixes system files. WinCheckIt is the successor to their earlier DOS based CheckIt diagnostics.

• 2.0
• 4.0

ImgBurn (2009) 1 Utility Windows

ImgBurn is a simple, easy to use, and powerful freeware CD/DVD writing tool. It can write CDs from ISO files, create ISOs from CDs, and create ISOs from files. It can write data DVDs (not video DVDs) from ISOs or files, and it can deal with file systems that are limited to ~2 gigabyte files maximum. It supports ISO, Joliet, and UDF.

• 2.x

Relay Gold (1988) 1 Communications Windows

Relay/PC Gold is a powerful telecommunications program targeted at corporate users. It supports multiple communications sessions, scripting, file transfers, IBM 3270 connectivity, DEC Terminal emulation, and TCP/IP connectivity.

• 6.0

Rapid: File Manager (1994) 1 Utility Windows

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

• 1.0

Norton NT Tools (1996) 1 Utility Windows

Norton NT Tools was a precursor to the Norton Utilities for NT. It does not contain disk utilities associated with the Norton Utilities, but instead includes some of the higher level tools.

• 1.0

Crayola Art Studio (1994) 1 Graphics Windows

Crayola Art Studio, from Micrografx, is a heavily lobotomized graphics packaged aimed at kids. It features a Bob-like "room" menu, animated characters, sound effects, a paint program that can place shapes and clipart, and several other printing programs. It is similar to, and competed against Microsoft Fine Artist.

• 1.0

PsiWin (1994) 1 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
• 2.x

THINK C (1988) 1 MacOS

THINK C, originally from THINK Technologies and later Symantec, was a C compiler for the Apple Macintosh. Initially released in 1986 under the name "Lightspeed C", it featured libraries and extensions useful to creating native Macintosh applications. It competed with Macintosh Programmers Workshop.

• 3.x
• 4.x
• 5.x
• 6.x
• C++ 6.x
• C++ 7.x
• C++ 8.x

Apple PlainTalk (1994) 1 Utility MacOS

PlainTalk is the collective name for several speech synthesis (MacinTalk) and speech recognition technologies developed by Apple Inc. In 1990, Apple invested a lot of work and money in speech recognition technology, hiring many researchers in the field. The result was "PlainTalk", released with the AV models in the Macintosh Quadra series from 1993. It was made a standard system component in System 7.1.2, and has since been shipped on all PowerPC and some other 68K Macintoshes.

• 1.x

Lotus Notes (1993) 1 Communications PIM Windows MacOS

Lotus Notes is a powerful e-mail and collaboration tool. It was heavily used by large corporations. It was sometimes criticized for its complexity and bloat. Notes is a client server tool, and uses the Lotus Domino server (originally just called Lotus Notes server). Lotus Notes and Lotus Domino competed against Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Exchange.

• 3.x
• 5.x