PFS:Write (1983) 1 Word Processor DOS

PFS:Write, originally from Software Publishing Corporation and later sold to Spinnaker Software, was an early and easy to use word processor for the IBM PC and Apple II. It was also licensed by IBM as IBM Writing Assistant. It can exchange data between PFS:Graph, PFS:File, and PFS:Report. SPC later replaced PFS:Write with Professional Write. Early versions had no built in spell checker, and were instead used with PFS:Proof.

• Axx
• 01.00.00 (Tandy 2000)
• Bxx
• Cxx
• 2.x

PKZip (1990) 11 Utility DOS

Pkzip is the most common archiver for MS-DOS based systems. It implements a an open compression method and is much faster than other archivers of its time.

• 1.x
• 2.0x

Policies Now! (1993) 1 Utility Publishing DOS

Policies Now is a document creation wizard that specializes in corporate policies. It provides general purpose templates with carefully constructed language that are customized via a series of questions. The results may be manually customized further with a built in text editor. accompanied by "DescriptionsWrite Now!" (A job description writing tool), and "Personal Policy Expert". These were renamed to "Policies Now!", "Description Now!", and "Policies Now! HR Pro Edition" respectively.

• 1.30

PolyWindows DeskPlus (1985) 0 Utility DOS

PolyWindows DeskPlus is a collection of memory resident accessories for DOS. It was first released in 1984 by POLYTRON Corporation. It includes an editor, index cards, a calendar/appointment book, an alarm clock, several calculators, a phone dialer, DOS functions, keyboard macros, and can cut-and-paste between applications. HQ, Mastro, PC Desk, Pop-Up Desk Set, and WordPerfect Library.

• 1.2

Popcorn Misspeller's Dictionary (1988) 0 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

PowerSOFT Super Utility (1985) 0 Utility DOS

PowerSOFT Super Utility is a disk editing utility that was originally developed for the TRS-80. It includes disk mapping, hexadecimal sector editing, directory editing, and sector copying.

• 1.00

PractiWord (1986) 0 Word Processor DOS

PractiWord is an easy to use word processor that works similarly to WordStar and integrates with PractiCorp's PractiBase database and PractiCalc III spreadsheet. It was lower cost than WordStar and was primarily targeted at home users and small businesses. Supports the IBM PCJr.

• 1.x

Presentation Express (1992) 0 Presentations DOS

Presentation Express, from Business & Professional Software, Inc, is a graphing program designed for use with slide recorders. It is related to Business & Professional Software's "35mm Express", but adds improved color handling, chart formats, and fonts.

• 2.x

Presentation Task Force (1992) 0 Presentations DOS

Presentation Task Force, from New Vision Technologies, is a collection of clipart for DOS and Windows. It was highly rated by PC Magazine.

• 4.0

Professional Write (1986) 8 Word Processor DOS

Professional Write, from Software Publishing Corporation, was a popular word processor for home use during the late 80s and early 90s. It features an easy to use menu system and an integrated spell checker. Professional Write was a revamp and replacement for SPC's earlier PFS:Write.

• 1.x
• 2.x
• 3.0

Q&A Write (1988) 1 Word Processor DOS

Q&A Write is a word processor designed to accompany Symantec's Q&A database software product. Q&A Write is designed to resemble PFS:Write, and excelled in the areas of ease of use and laser printer support. It also includes mail-merge, keyboard macros, math calculations, envelope printing, spell-checking, and a Lotus 1-2-3 interface.

• 1.x

Quarterdeck Manifest (1988) 0 Utility DOS

Manifest is an easy to use diagnostic program that provides incredibly detailed information about DOS resource usage, loaded programs, IO devices, and memory usage including EMS, XMS, and UMB memory. It was available as a standalone program and bundled with QEMM and Deskview. Tools like this were essential for resolving compatibility problems between poorly behaved DOS programs and highly customized environments, especially in task switched or multitasking environments.

• 1.x

QuickMenu (1991) 2 Utility DOS

QuikMenu III is an icon-based graphical menu and desktop for DOS.

• 1.x

ReadRight (1989) 0 Document DOS

ReadRight 2.0 is a software OCR application for IBM PC computers. It has built in support for a number of scanners, and can OCR from existing graphics files. It recognizes a number of different fonts, font sizes, supports text columns, and can output to a number of different formats. time, other OCR tools used specialized hardware accelerator cards to achieve acceptable performance.

• 2.0

RightGrammar (1991) 2 Utility DOS

RightGrammar 1.0 was a short lived rebranded version of RightWriter 4.0. It is not clear why it was rebranded or if there is any difference.

• 1.0

RightWriter (1987) 0 Utility DOS

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.

• 2.x
• 3.x
• 3.2 for DeskMate
• 4.0

Sidekick (1984) 1 Utility PIM DOS

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.x
• Plus
• 2.0

Sideways (1985) 0 Spreadsheet Utility DOS

Sideways is a printing utility that enables you to print a spreadsheet sideways (landscape) when using a graphics printer. While that might seem like a common basic function these days, this is something that early spreadsheets lacked. Using continuous form (tractor feed) paper, a Sideways printout may seamlessly span multiple pages without having to tape or glue pages together. Sideways was sometimes bundled with spreadsheet products. "Sideways leaves no text un-turned".

• 3.11
• 3.3

Sign-Master (1987) 0 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

SitBack (1991) 0 Utility DOS

SitBack is a unique backup tool that backs up files in the background while users are using their systems. This is based on the reality that most users do not want to take the time or effort to manually back up their work. SitBack can backup up to local drives or network shares, and can back up from many kinds of media.

• 3.x

Slidewrite Plus (1985) 0 Presentations Graphics DOS

Slidewrite Plus is an easy to use general purpose business graphing and slide making program. It supports the usual bar, line, scatter, ,area, mixed hi-low, and pie charts. It competed against graphing programs like Harvard Graphics and Freelance.

• 1.10
• Plus 1.00

SoftLogic Disk Optimizer (1987) 0 Utility DOS

Disk Optimizer, from SoftLogic Solutions Inc., was a low cost disk defragmentation utility that competed directly against the Norton Utilities. Like other disk optimizers, it re-arranges where files are stored on a hard drive to decrease file access time. It was, however, not as full featured or robust as the Norton Utilities.

• 2.x

Software Bridge (1989) 0 Utility DOS

Software Bridge is a set of executable word processor file converters. It can convert between a large number of word processors while preserving formatting.

• 3.x

Spellbinder (1982) 0 Word Processor DOS

Spellbinder, from Lexisoft and later Ltec Inc, is a word processing program originally created for CP/M and OASIS operating systems and eventually competed with WordStar. It was designed as a work-alike of the NBI Word Processing system and featured spell checking, grammar checking, footnotes, two-column print, proportional printing, and macro programming language. It was bundled with machines from Eagle Computers, Hewlett-Packard, and Xerox.

• 6.10

Spellin! (1992) 0 Utility DOS

Spellin! is a spell checker that works from within Lotus 1-2-3 to find and correct spelling errors in spreadhseet text fields. Includes a database of 90,000 words and support custom dictionaries. Note: Lotus 1-2-3 3.x Requires Release Spellin release 3

• 1.x