Ability (1985) 4 Word Processor Spreadsheet Presentations Communications Database DOS

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.

• 1.0
• Demo
• 1.2
• Plus 1.0
• Plus 2.0

America Online (1992) 8 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

AnyTime (1992) 1 PIM DOS

AnyTime, from Individual Software, is a personal information manager that helps you keep track of day-to-day appointments, events, and to-do items. You can keep a list of family, friends, and business contacts using the Address Book.

• 1.0

Arborist Decision Tree Analysis (1985) 0 Database DOS

Arborist(TM) Decision Tree software, from Texas Instruments/Integral Quality, is a general purpose tool for decision analysis. It features a graphic user interface for decision tree construction, decision tree evaluation, and decision tree analysis. Arborist Decision Tree software is not complicated to use, and it is not restricted to an area of decision problem analysis. Its ease of use makes it convenient and effective to analyze many problems that previously were not cost effective to analyze.

• 1.x

Back-It (1986) 4 Utility DOS

Back-It, from Gazelle Systems, is a fast and compact hard disk backup utility. It was sometimes part of OEM system bundles. It was kind of low-end, and changed backup formats between releases but otherwise did what it was supposed to do.

• 2.x
• 3.x
• 4.x

Better Working Eight-in-One (1989) 2 Word Processor Spreadsheet Graphics Communications Database DOS

Better Working Eight-in-One, from Spinnaker Software is an integrated office suite for DOS. It contains a word processor, a spelling checker, a data base, a spreadsheet, an outliner, a graphics program, a communications program and a set of desktop utilities - all in one single, consistent application.

• 2.x

BULL Micral Prologue (1984) 0 DOS

BULL Micral Prologue system for the Olympia People Computer.

• 2.x

Central Point Anti-Virus (1992) 0 Utility DOS

Central Point Anti-Virus was a DOS-based antivirus program developed originally by an Israel company, CARMEL Software Engineering Ltd. as "Turbo Anti-Virus", and licensed by Central Point Software Inc. It was the basis for Microsoft's Anti-Virus for DOS and Windows (MSAV and MWAV). In 1994 it was acquired by Symantec Corporation and merged into Norton Antivirus.

• 1.x

Change Directory Plus (1993) 0 Utility DOS

Change Directory Plus is a small commercial utility distributed with Softdisk publishing's Big Blue Disk magazine. It indexes all folders on your hard drive, and permits you to change in to a deep subdirectory simply by specifying the final subdirectories name.

• 1.x

CheckIt (1988) 6 Utility DOS

CheckIt, from TouchStone Software Corporation, is a diagnostic tool for generic PC/XT/AT compatible computers. It can perform tests on RAM, hard disks, video cards, floppy disks, motherboard resources, and I/O devices. It has an easy to use menu interface but can also run tests non-interactively. It was followed up by the product WINCheckit.

• 1.x
• 2.1
• 3.0
• LAN 2.x
• Pro 1.x

Clarion (1989) 2 Database DOS

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.

• 2.X (DOS)
• 3.0 (DOS)
• 3.1 (DOS)

Computer Shopper FastFiler (1993) 0 Utility DOS

FastFiler, from Ziff-Davis Publishing Company and Strange Software LTD, is a rudimentary easy to use file manager shell. It was sold alongside Computer Shopper magazines. While it offers a friendlier interface than the DOS command prompt, it has fewer features and abilities than competing file managers.

• 1.x

Conner Backup Basics (1993) 0 Utility DOS

Conner Backup Basics is a dumbed down version of Conner Backup Exec that only works with their tape drives. This software will not run at all without the appropriate tape drive attached.

• 1.1 (DOS)

Copy II PC (1985) 3 Utility DOS

Central Point Copy II PC is a disk duplication program that can successfully copy many copy protected disks using only standard IBM PC hardware. It is generally considered the best software-only solution for duplicating such disks. "snatchit".

• 2.xx
• 3.xx
• 4.xx
• 5.xx
• 6.00

CopyWrite (1990) 0 Utility DOS

CopyWrite is a disk duplicator that can duplicate disks with many advanced copy protection schemes using a standard IBM PC floppy drive and controller.

• 1990

Decision Pad (1989) 0 Database DOS

Decision Pad, from Apian Software, is a decision support tool that uses a decision matrix approach. It also supports a three-dimensional decision matrix for group decisions, and can import/export data from Lotus 1-2-3 files. It competed against a similar tool called "Prism".

• 2.x

DESQView (1984) 11 Utility DOS

DESQView, from Quarterdeck, was a DOS application multi-tasker and in later versions functioned as an X client for applications on remote UNIX systems. It competed against IBM Topview. The original DESQ was just a task switcher, but subsequent versions offered preemptive multitasking of well behaved DOS programs on real-mode 8088 PCs. It gained popularity when DESQView 386 added virtual x86 support. This enabled the ability to multi task many poorly behaved programs, and was often used on BBSes due to its excellent COM port handling. It was later overtaken by OS/2 and Windows.

• 1.x
• DESQView X 1.x
• 2.x
• DESQView X 2.x

Direct Access (1988) 1 Utility DOS

Direct Access is an easy to use menuing program designed to simplify access to applications on systems with many programs loaded on the hard drive. It is customizable, includes screen blanking, and includes password protection and usage logging. Later versions also detect common programs already installed on the hard disk.

• 4.x
• 5.x

Disk Technician (1987) 1 Utility DOS

Disk Technician, from Prime Solutions Inc., is a hard disk utility and surface monitor. It contains an interleave adjuster and pattern tester similar to Spinrite. The Gold version also includes a defragmenter and disk-level virus protection.

• 4.x
• Advanced 3.x
• Gold 1.x

DiskClone (1998) 0 Utility DOS

DiskClone, from Quarterdeck, is a simple, professional, small, powerful, and easy to use hard disk cloning tool. It can copy a drive to another internal or external drive of different sizes. It can be used as a backup, or a migration tool to a new drive. It all fits on a single floppy disk. "Corporate" editions.

• 1.0

Diskette Manager (1988) 1 Utility DOS

Diskette Manager, from BLOC publishing, previously from Lassen Software, is a software tool for the IBM PC and Tandy that inventories the contents of your floppy disks in to a database. It enables you to quickly and easily search for files or print disk labels.

• 3

DiskLock (1993) 1 Utility DOS Windows

DiskLock, From Fifth Generation Systems, and later from Symantec as Norton DiskLock, is a data security tool that can lock a hard disk or individual files or directories so that it requires a password to access any data. It can also log activity to detect unauthorized access attempts. It also features the ability to lock the system after an idle usage period. There were versions for PC and Mac.

• 2.x
• 3.x

DoubleDisk (1991) 1 Utility DOS

First released in 1989, DoubleDisk was the first real-time drive compression product for DOS. It is a fairly no-frills program and sticks to what it does best. It was relatively low cost compared to its later competitors. and Expandz! Plus

• 2.5
• 2.6

DS Optimize (1988) 0 Utility DOS

DS OPTIMIZE is a disk defragmenter tool. It has a few more options than its competitors, and has a "fast" mode that does not protect against interruptions. This tool competed against Mace Utilities, The Norton Utilities, PC Tools, and many smaller defragmenter tools.

• 2.x

Easy Working DOS Manager (1989) 1 Utility DOS

Spinnaker Easy Working DOS Manager is a menu system and file manager for DOS. It was bundled with a number of computer systems including Packard Bell. use of a mouse. It features a customizable application menu, primitive file management, and menu options for the disk utilities commonly included with DOS. It includes built in help, and a tutorial.

• 1.5