WordStar (1981) 66 Word Processor Windows

WordStar, originally from MicroPro, was a popular word processor during the early 80s. It was ported to a number of CP/M architectures as well as Unix and PC/MS-DOS. It competed directly against many word processors, including WordPerfect, Microsoft Word for DOS, and Multimate. By the late 80s most business word processing had moved to WordPerfect. In the early 90s, Microsoft Word for Windows took over.

• 1.5 for Windows
• 2.0 for Windows

WordPerfect (1983) 100 Word Processor MacOS OS2 Windows

During the late 1980's, WordPerfect was THE standard word processor for DOS based PCs in big business. Under DOS, it competed mostly against Wordstar. WordPerfect for Windows enjoyed some success in the early Windows environments, but was quickly displaced by Microsoft Word for Windows. Later Windows versions were part of Borland Office/Novell PerfectOffice/Corel Office/Corel WordPerfect Office.

• 1.x (Mac)
• 5.0 (OS/2)
• 5.x (Win)
• 2.x (Mac)
• 5.2 (OS/2)
• 6.0 (Win)
• 3.x (Mac)
• 6.1 (Win)
• 7.x (Win)
• 8.x
• 9.x (2000)

Microsoft Word (1983) 99 Word Processor MacOS DOS OS2 Windows

The Microsoft Word word processor was first introduced for MS-DOS in 1983. Its design made use of a mouse and WYSIWYG graphics. Its crude WYSIWYG/mouse support was a direct response to the Apple Lisa/Mac, and VisiCorp Visi On. Initially it competed against many popular word processors such as WordStar, Multimate, and WordPerfect. Word for DOS was never really successful.

• 1.x (Mac)
• 3.x (Mac)
• 5.x (DOS and OS/2)
• 1.x (Windows)
• 4.0 (Mac)
• 1.x (OS/2)
• 2.x (Windows)
• 5.x (Mac)
• 6.x
• 95
• 97

XyWrite (1984) 4 Word Processor Windows

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.

• 4.x (Win)

MacWrite (1984) 3 Word Processor MacOS

MacWrite was one of two applications released with the Apple Macintosh in 1984 - the other being MacPaint. These applications defined the Macintosh, and helped define what users expected from GUI applications.

• 1.0
• 2.20
• 4.x
• 5.0
• II (1989)
• Pro 1.x

DisplayWrite (1984) 16 Word Processor DOS OS2

DisplayWrite is a word processor that is based on the IBM Displaywriter dedicated word processing system. It directly competed with software ports of dedicated word processors such as the Wang Word Processing System (or its clone MultiMate ), Lanier Word Processing Software, Xerox, DEC, or similar.

• 4
• 4/2

Microsoft Chart (1984) 0 Presentations MacOS

Microsoft Chart is a presentation graphics tool. You can use it to create line, bar, pie charts and more. It competed against titles such as PFS Graph, Chart Master, DR Graph, Harvard Presentation Graphics, and BPS Business Graphics. It was sometimes sold as a companion product to Multiplan. Microsoft later included charting functionality in Excel and PowerPoint.

• 1.0 (Mac)

Freelance Graphics (1985) 7 Presentations Graphics OS2 Windows

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 (OS/2)
• 1.0 (Win)
• 2.x (Win)

Ability (1985) 3 Word Processor Spreadsheet Presentations Communications Database 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.

• 1.5 for Windows
• 2000
• 2002

VideoWorks (1985) 1 Presentations Graphics MacOS

VideoWorks is a Macintosh animation program that eventually became Macromedia/Adobe Director.

• 1.00
• II

Lotus Jazz (1985) 0 Word Processor Spreadsheet Presentations Communications Database MacOS

Lotus Jazz was a heavily marketed all-in-one integrated office suite that included a word processor, spreadsheet, graphing, database, and communications program. Jazz was targeted as a universal solution for all office workers. Although at release, the program was exclusively for the Apple Macintosh 512k. Despite the marketing effort, it flopped miserably. Although it was from Lotus, the spreadsheet was not related to Lotus 1-2-3. Microsoft Works.

• 1.x

Hayden Ensemble (1985) 0 Word Processor Spreadsheet Presentations Database MacOS

Ensemble, created by Controle X and published by Hayden Software, is an integrated office suite that includes Spreadsheet, Graphing, Word Processing, and Database functionality. It was notable as claiming to be the first integrated suite on the Macintosh, before Lotus Jazz or Microsoft Works as well as its ability to run on both the Mac 512k and the original Mac 128k.

• 1.0

Microsoft Works (1986) 97 Word Processor Spreadsheet Communications Database MacOS Windows

Microsoft Works was an all-in-one scaled-down Word Processor, Spreadsheet, and Database geared towards the home user. It was released in variants for early DOS, Windows, and Macintosh. Microsoft Works competed against Lotus Jazz, FrameWork, AlphaWorks/LotusWorks, PFS First Choice, and many others.

• 1.x (Mac)
• 2.x (Win)
• 3.x (Mac)
• 3.x (Win)
• 4.0
• 4.5
• 5.x
• 6.0
• 9.0

AppleWorks (1986) 4 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

Professional Write (1986) 12 Word Processor Windows

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.

• Plus 1.x (Win)

PowerPoint (1987) 12 Presentations MacOS Windows

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.

• 1.0
• 2.0
• 3.x
• 4.x
• 95 (7.0)
• 97/98

Micrografx Windows Graph (1987) 2 Presentations Graphics Windows

Micrografx Windows Graph is an application for creating business graphs and charts. It was one of a handful of commercial applications designed for Microsoft Windows 1. It has much in common with Micrografx's other freeform drawing products, In-a-vision/Designer and Micrografx Windows Draw. More clip art can be found with Micrografx Portfolio or converted with Micrografx Windows Convert

• 1.x
• Plus 1.x

Meta Software Design (1987) 2 Presentations Graphics Windows

Design 2.0 is an outline/org chart for Microsoft Windows 2.

• 2.x

Ami (1988) 3 Word Processor Windows

Ami is a word processor for Microsoft Windows 2. Ami was one of the first commercial word processor for Microsoft Windows, introduced about a year prior to Microsoft Word for Windows. SAMNA was bought by Lotus, where it became Lotus Ami Pro.

• 1.0
• 1.2b

PageView (1988) 0 Word Processor Windows

Pageview is a tool to graphically display, manipulate, and print Microsoft Word 3.0 and 4.0 for DOS documents. This was released almost two years prior to Word 1.0 for Windows.

• 1.0

Xerox Presents (1988) 0 Presentations Windows

Xerox Presents is a slideshow/presentation program similar to PowerPoint. You can use it to draw various kinds of graphs and charts, and it comes with a selection of vector based clipart. It later became CA Cricket Presents.

• 1.0

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

NBI Legend (1988) 1 Word Processor Windows

Legend, from NBI, is a document processing program for Microsoft Windows 2.x. It primarily acts as a desktop publishing program, enabling users to lay out frames or embed graphics, but is can also act as a word processor. WordStar International where it became WordStar for Windows.

• Legacy 2.x

Q&A Write (1988) 0 Word Processor Windows

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.

• 3.x

WinText (1988) 0 Word Processor Windows

Palantir WinText is an executive level word processor for Microsoft Windows. Its primary claim to fame: it was advertised as the first word processor for Windows other than Write. same time, either overlapped or tiled. It features the ability to embed graphics, includes a spell checker (but not in the demo) and hyphenator, handles files of indefinite length, includes mail merge, boilerplates, multilevel undo, page preview, and document import file converters. most other Windows programs via the Windows Clipboard, and supports all printers supported by Windows. overhead of Microsoft Windows, as well as requiring a mouse for some operations rather than the keyboard. It was also priced rather high for functionally comparable word processors. applications in summer 1987. It is a little unclear exactly when they started shipping but it was among the earlier commercial Windows word processors, if not the first. processor, was released around that time (late 87 or early 88), and Samna Ami 1.0 shortly after. Microsoft Word 1.0 for Windows was not released until November 1989. telecommunication , "WinLook" image manager, "WinPaint" paint program, and "WinFonts".font editor.

• 1.x