Prodigy (1988) 0 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

Expert Personal Publisher (1988) 0 Publishing DOS

Expert Software's Personal Publisher is a rudimentary (crude), desktop publishing program. It does not use a graphical user interface, more closely resembling a document processing program. It was sold as a cheap low-end "budget" title - the sort of thing one might find on the shelf at a department store.

• 2.x

QuickEntry (1988) 0 Database DOS

QuickEntry is an easy to use tool for creating standalone dBase entry forms. It works with any existing dBase compatible database file. It includes a menu-driven form builder that lets you simply "draw" your form on the screen. QuickEntry runs as its own DOS program, rather than as part of a database application, such as those created by Fox & Geller's QuickCode Plus dBase code compiler.

• 1.x

PageMaker (1987) 131 Publishing Windows OS2

Aldus PageMaker, later Adobe PageMaker, is a desktop publishing program for Mac and Windows. First released in 1985, PageMaker was the first desktop publishing program for the Macintosh. It was followed over a year later with the release of 1.0 for the IBM PC. The PC version was a notable application as it was one of the few rare applications which would run under Windows 1.x. PC PageMaker 1.0 bundled a runtime version of Windows. This enabled MS-DOS users who had not decided to buy Windows to run PageMaker. Aldus skipped version 2.0 on the PC to bring version number in sync with the 3.0 Mac product.

• 3.01

LapLink (1987) 26 Communications DOS

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.

• 2.x
• 3.x
• 4.x
• 5.x

Bookshelf (1987) 2 Reference DOS

Microsoft Bookshelf is a CD-ROM based multimedia reference tool from Microsoft, including a dictionary, thesaurus, quotations, atlas, and other types of references. Some versions were included and integrated with Microsoft Office, albeit sometimes stripped down.

• 87
• 91

AdvanceLink (1987) 0 Communications DOS

AdvanceLink is a terminal emulator that integrates with the HP NewWave desktop. It has built in scripting tools and features specifically for communicating with HP 3000, HP 9000, and HP 1000 hosts. It can emulate HP 2392A, HP 700/94, HP 700/92, HP ANSI, and DEC VT100 terminals. It appears a lesser version of this product was bundled with early Vectra computers under the generic name of "HP Terminal Program"

• for DOS

PFS First Choice (1987) 14 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.

• 1.x
• 2.x
• 3.x

Award Maker Plus (1987) 0 Publishing DOS

AwardMaker, from Baudville, Inc., is a tool for printing nice looking awards and certificates on a dot-matrix printer from a set of about 200 templates. It lacks any print preview, so you must have the manual to know what the templates look like. This is almost identical to Springboard Certificate Maker, however it contains a different set of templates and graphics.

• 1

VP-Expert (1987) 1 Database DOS

VP-Expert, from Paperback Software, was a low-cost expert system solution that competed against products such as 1st-Class Fusion, Knowledgepro, Level 5, and Personal Consultant Easy. It provides rule induction, traditional structured rule programming, backwards and forward chaining, and hypertext and mouse support in graphics mode.

• 1.x
• 2.x

VP-Info (1987) 0 Database DOS

Originally released in 1986 by PaperBack Software and later from Sub Rosa Inc, VP-Info is a dBase-type relational database manager with compiler. VP-Info features the ability to use common dBase/Clipper file formats with an unlimited number of records, faster execution speeds, and a built-in compiler.

• 1.x
• 4.x

Boeing Graph (1987) 0 Presentations Graphics DOS

Boeing Graph is a graphing program for the IBM PC that specializes in producing high quality 3D plotted graphs. It was sold as a companion product to Boeing Calc.

• 2.00

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

Eureka: The Solver (1987) 4 Mathematics DOS

Eureka is a friendly and well-polished equation solver and plotter published by Borland. The software was targeted at both business people and scientists. Not only does it include scientific function, it also includes financial functions. It was notable for having a friendly windowing and menuing interface that let users do multiple things at a time. It competed directly with Mathcard.

• 1.0

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

NewsMaster (1987) 0 Publishing DOS

NewsMaster, from Unison World, is a primitive low-cost desktop publishing program aimed at home users and low end PCs. It supports both dot-matrix and laser printers. Separate clipart libraries were also available, and it could make use of PrintMaster clipart.

• 1.5

Tandem 6530 Terminal Emulator (1987) 1 Communications DOS

This is a terminal program that emulates a Tandem mainframe terminal.

• 1.x

RapidFile (1987) 0 Database DOS

Rapidfile is an easy to use and flexible flat-file database with an integrated word processors. It supports customizable data views and reporting. It was aimed at those who need databases for simple tasks for which relational databases would be an overkill.

• 1.0

IBM Personal System-2 Model 30 Starter (1987) 0 DOS

This is a diagnostic and tutorial disk for the IBM PS/2 Model 30 computer.

• 1.00

PC Telemail (1987) 0 Communications DOS

Telenet (later Sprintnet) was a worldwide communications network that connected terminal users and host computer systems, enabling them to access the Telemail host system by dialing a local telephone number and avoiding costly long-distance charges . conjunction with the Telemail service. The PC Telemail system enables your personal computer to mimic the functions of the Telemail host computer. It contains many additional features which enhance the use of the overall Telemail service. capabilities, forms design and creation, automatic and timed message exchange, Activity and status logs for tracking messages, and Communications with other computer systems.

• 1.1

Master Graphics Presentation Pack (1987) 1 Presentations Graphics DOS

The Ashton-Tate Master Graphics Presentation Pack is a bundle of Ashton-Tate's graphics programs. This includes Chart-Master, Diagram-Master, and Sign-Master. These appear identical to the standalone versions, the only different is the inclusion of a unified menu disk.

• 1.0

Halo DPE (1987) 0 Graphics Publishing DOS

Halo DPE (Desktop Publishing Editor) was an attempt by Media Cybernetics to enter the desktop publishing market by shoehorning additional text processing abilities in to their Dr. Halo II product.

• 1.x

SmarTerm (1987) 0 Communications DOS

SmarTerm, from Persoft, is a series of terminal emulators that provide access to mainframe systems and time-sharing services. It emulates various models of "dumb" terminals and includes binary file transfer capability. It claims to feature more accurate emulation over competing products.

• 240

PrintPower (1987) 0 Publishing DOS Other

PrintPower is a tool for creating greeting cards, signs, banners, and calendars, similar to The Print Shop. It was a rather clunky low-end bottom of the bargain-barrel budget title. The later "Pro" version seems to give it a more Mac-like user interface.

• 1.x
• Pro

Better Working Communicator (1987) 0 Communications DOS

Better Working Communicator, from Spinnaker Software, is an entry level telecommunications program sold alongside their "Better Working" series of applications, and included as part of "Better Working Eight-In-One". Better Working Communicator supports Macros, auto-dialing, split-screen, XModem file transfers, logging, and printing.

• 1.x