Ability (1985) 7 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

America Online (1992) 15 Web Browser Chat DOS Windows

America Online was a proprietary dial-up online service that eventually grew to offerer Internet access. In the mid 1990s AOL was very heavily promoted. Every month or two, you were sure to get a free AOL floppy disk or CD-ROM in the mail. AOL originated as PC-Link.

• 1.x
• 2.x
• 3.0

AOL Instant Messenger (1998) 3 Chat Windows

AOL Instant Messenger is a once-popular messaging client popularized by America Online.

• 1.0

ArcView GIS (1996) 34 Graphics Other Database Windows

ArcView, from Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. is a geographical information system program for Win9x/NT.

• 3.0
• 3.3

Borland Office (1994) 5 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

Clarion (1989) 5 Database Windows

Clarion is an advanced user friendly 4GL DBMS and programming environment for DOS and Windows. It boasted the ability to greatly reduce application development time, featured highly integrated visual creation tools, and a powerful set of program functions.

• 1.0 (Win)

ClarisWorks (1991) 11 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

DataEase (1988) 3 Database Windows

DataEase, from DataEase International Inc., USA., is a fast, easy to use yet powerful, menu-driven relational database development system for the IBM PC. Not copy protected.

• 1.0 (Win)

dBASE (1983) 73 Database DOS Windows

Ashton-Tate dBase was an early popular database management system for CP/M and MS-DOS. It was regarded as one of the killer applications for CP/M, and achieved good success. At the time of conception Ashton-Tate was a garage based company but quickly grew.

• 5.x

FileMaker (1984) 9 Database Windows MacOS

FileMaker is a very easy to use graphical flat-file database management tool from Claris that allows for visual form and report creation. Originally for DOS, there were Macintosh versions and later it was ported to Windows.

• Pro 2.x
• Pro 3.x
• Pro 5.x

Forms Maker and Filler (1991) 1 Database Windows

Forms Maker and Filler is a budget program for making computerized forms. It has two components, a Designer used to create forms, and a Filler used to fill out the contents of the forms.

• 4.00

GRE Test Preparation (1991) 0 Education Windows

GRE Test Preparation is a software program that aids one in practicing taking the GRE (Graduate Record Examinations) general test.

• 2.1

IBM Small Business Suite (2000) 1 Word Processor Spreadsheet Presentations Graphics Server Database Windows Linux

IBM Small Business Suite for Linux V1.6 is a Development Platform with a Set of Personal Productivity Tools. It was intended to simplify businesses transitioning to "e-business" by providing a foundation on which users could “webify” their businesses. It includes IBM and Lotus middleware products for Linux and Productivity tools for Windows.

• 1.x

Keyboarding Pro (1998) 1 Education Windows

Keyboarding Pro is a program for Windows that teaches touch typing. It contains numerous lessons and some game activities.

• 1.0

Lotus Approach (1993) 2 Database Windows

Lotus Approach, originally from Approach Software Corporation, is a relational database management system. Approach promises "instant productivity" with its WYSIWYG form and report designer, and is compatible with many existing database formats. Approach started off as an independent product, was purchased by Lotus, and later IBM. It was included in Lotus SmartSuite for Microsoft Windows.

• 3
• 96

Lotus SmartSuite (1992) 58 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.

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

MapLinx (1993) 1 Database Windows

MapLinx for Windows is a geographic database utility that lets business professionals SEE what they're doing by automatically converting database records with zip code fields to symbols on a U.S. map.

• 1.x

Math Workshop (1994) 2 Education Windows

An educational Math / Logic program from Broderbund. improve your critical math skills. The areas covered are: Addition & Subtraction, Multiplication, Division, Equivalencies, Estimation, Fractions, Pattern Recognition, Shape Orientation, Shape Recognition, Scale, Symmetry, Problem Solving."

• 1994

Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing (1988) 3 Education Windows

An interactive typing tutor for the IBM PC that uses a variety of entertaining learning styles.

• 4.x

Microsoft Access (1992) 28 Database Windows

Microsoft Access is a powerful and friendly desktop database. You can design complex tables, forms, and reports through selection and drag-and drop. You can make a fully usable interactive database application without a line of code, but for more advanced functionality it supports built-in Visual Basic for Applications. It is also bundled with some versions of Microsoft Office

• 1.x
• 2.0
• 95 (7.0)
• 97

Microsoft Exchange (1996) 10 Chat PIM Server Windows

Exchange is a proprietary e-mail and groupware server software from Microsoft for Windows Server. The first version publicly sold was Exchange Server 4.0. The number 4.0 was used as it was a replacement for Microsoft Mail 3.x. At release, unlike other desktop/lan e-mail solutions it featured client/server communications rather than using file sharing, used a powerful messaging protocol, and stored all message and address book information in a database. It eventually evolved to include scheduling and many other functions. The Exchange Client (later Microsoft Outlook) supported rich text formatting, and the ability to create such things as e-mail forms.

• 4.0
• 5.5
• 2000

Microsoft Productivity Pack (1992) 1 Education Windows

The Microsoft Productivity Pack for Windows is a guided tour through Windows features and usage. It includes lessons on Windows essentials, using applications, managing files, OLE, and TrueType fonts. It was released shortly after Windows 3.1, and targeted at professionals as part of Microsoft's campaign to increase Windows adoption in the business marketplace.

• 3.1

My Advanced MailList (1991) 1 Database Windows

My Advanced MailList is a comprehensive mailing list manager database that supports a wide variety of label formats, embedded graphics, import/export with other databases, and printing POST-NET barcodes.

• 1.x (Win)

Official Guide to Netscape Navigator (1995) 2 Education Windows MacOS

The Official Guide to Netscape Navigator, from Personal Training Systems, is an interactive training tool for teaching new users the ins and outs of using Netscape Navigator to access information on the Internet.

• 1.x

Oracle Forms and Reports (1997) 4 Database Windows

Oracle Forms and Reports is a GUI application builder. It is similar to Visual Basic, but uses the PL/SQL language and integrates heavily with Oracle Server databases.

• 4.5 (Developer 2000)
• 6i