Autodesk AutoCAD (1984) 11 Graphics Engineering MacOS

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.

• r12 (Mac)

Ability (1985) 3 Word Processor Spreadsheet Presentations Communications Database DOS Windows

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.

• Plus 2.0
• 1.5 for Windows
• 2000
• 2002

AppleWorks (1986) 2 Word Processor Spreadsheet Presentations Graphics Communications Database MacOS Mac OS X

AppleWorks is an all-in-one Word Processor, Spreadsheet, Database, Graphics Editor, and Presentations tool. The original product was a text-based product for the Apple II. The Apple Macintosh and Windows versions were forked from ClarisWorks in 1998 by Apple. At the time, Apple was under a lot of pressure to have a direct alternative to Microsoft Office. There were serious concerns that Microsoft might pull Microsoft Office for the Macintosh from development.

• 5.x
• 6.x

PowerPoint (1987) 6 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.

• 95 (7.0)
• 97/98

ABC Flowcharter (1990) 2 Presentations Publishing Windows

ABC Flowcharter, from Roykore/Micrografx is a flow chart diagramming utility for Windows. It features the ability to link multiple charts together, and easily break procedures in to multiple steps.

• 3.0

Ashlar Vellum (1990) 0 Graphics Engineering MacOS

Ashlar Vellum is a CAD package for mechanical engineers and designers, that includes the ability to intelligently predict where the user wants to connect the next object. There were both "2D" and "3D" versions.

• 2.x (Mac)

Drafix (1990) 1 Graphics Engineering Windows

Drafix is a powerful, high performance, and feature rich 2-dimensional computer aided design tool. Despite being a 2-D CAD program, it had many features of high end 3-D CAD software, and competed directly with AutoCAD. Drafix was first was fist released in 1986 for DOS, and was the first professional CAD program released for Microsoft Windows.

• 2.x (Win)

Microsoft Office (1991) 215 Word Processor Spreadsheet Presentations Publishing PIM Database Windows MacOS

Microsoft Office is a bundle of Microsoft's productivity application. This includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access and later Mail, Office Manager, and Outlook. The "1.x" versions of Microsoft Office were simply a marketing bundle of the standalone products sold together with no other packaging changes. Even though these were distinct applications, rather than one single monolithic program, they shared a similar user interface, integrated well together and shared the ability to embed documents from one application in the documents of another.

• 4.0
• 4.2
• 4.3
• 95
• 97/98
• 2000
• 2001 (Mac)
• XP (2002 Beta)

ClarisWorks (1991) 2 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.

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

Persuasion (1991) 2 Presentations MacOS 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.

• 3.0
• 4.0

Micrografx Charisma (1991) 0 Presentations Graphics Windows

Charisma is a business graphing program with a wide array of drawing tools and over 2000 pieces of clipart. It was based on Micrografix Windows Graph for Microsoft Windows 1.x.

• 4.0

PFS:WindowWorks (1991) 0 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).

• 2.x

Xerox Globalview (1992) 0 Word Processor Spreadsheet Presentations Graphics Publishing Communications Database Windows

Xerox Globalview is a desktop environment and office suite originally developed for the Xerox Star. It was developed in the MESA programming language on the Xerox Star, and ported to Sun Solaris, OS/2, and Windows 3.1 (The OS/2 version requires a MESA emulator card).

• 2.1 for Windows
• 2.3 for Windows

Lotus SmartSuite (1992) 14 Word Processor Spreadsheet Presentations PIM Database Windows

IBM/Lotus SmartSuite is an office suite from Lotus software for Windows and OS/2. SmartSuite includes SmartCenter, 1-2-3, Word Pro, Freelance Graphics, Approach, Organizer, and ScreenCam.

• 2.x
• 3.x
• 4.0
• 96
• 97
• 9.0
• 9.1
• 9.5
• 9.6
• 9.7
• 9.8

MediaBlitz (1992) 0 Presentations Media Player Windows

MediaBlitz is a tool for creating "Multimedia" presentations from sound, music, and animation clips. Elements use a time-based organization, you can specify exactly when each item plays and for how long. MediaBlitz can also be used with Asymetrix ToolBook to create interactive presentations.

• 2.0
• 3.0

DeltaGraph (1992) 0 Presentations Graphics Windows MacOS

DeltaGraph, originally from DeltaPoint and later SSPS, was a powerful business and scientific statistical graphics package for the Apple Macintosh and Microsoft Windows. graphics-only packages like Excel.

• 3.x
• 4.5

WordPerfect Works (1992) 0 Word Processor Spreadsheet Presentations Graphics Database Windows

WordPerfect Works was an all-in-one integrated office productivity package that included a word processor, spreadsheet, drawing program, database, and a communications program. Initially it was just for DOS, but later there was a version for Microsoft Windows. Corporation's smaller lightweight programs. This included LetterPerfect, a scaled down DrawPerfect, PlanPerfect, and the WordPerfect Executive shell. The database was based around the Mailmerge system.

• 2.0

Macromedia Action! (1993) 0 Presentations Windows

Macromedia Action! is a comprehensive presentation authoring tool for Windows that excels at integrating animation in to presentations.

• V2.5
• 3.0

Workview Plus (1993) 0 Engineering Windows

ViewLogic WorkView Plus is a high-end Computer Aided Engineering schematic circuit design and simulation program. This software was available for a number of other platforms, such as SUN Sparc. This is one program that needs the manual - it's not the most intuitive software.

• 5.1

TurboCAD (1993) 0 Graphics Engineering Windows

TurboCAD is a low-cost 2D/3D Computer Aided Design program that competed with AutoCAD and Generic CADD. It was first available for DOS, and later Mac, Windows 3.x, and Windows 9x/NT.

• 1.0
• 3.x

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

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

Borland Office (1994) 3 Word Processor Spreadsheet Presentations Database Windows

Borland Office is an office suite published by Borland built around WordPerfect, Paradox, and Quattro Pro. It competed unsuccessfully against Microsoft Office. It was later acquired by Novell and renamed "PerfectOffice", and then later became "Corel Office".

• 2.0

Claris Impact (1994) 0 Presentations Windows MacOS

Claris Impact is a business graphing program that provides attractive business presentations with minimal artistic skill. It features the ability to create graphs using "Models", a guided module somewhat like a wizard.

• 2.x

Macromedia Director (1994) 2 Presentations Windows

Macromedia Director is a multimedia authoring tool, and is used to create Macromedia Shockwave content. It started off as a Macintosh animation program called VideoWorks.

• 4.x
• 5.x
• 7.x