Norton Commander (1986) 131 Utility Windows

Norton Commander is a MS-DOS based file shell that was widely popular due to it's two column design. You could easily copy and move files between one folder or another, execute DOS commands and more. It competed against many other file managers including Gazelle Q-DOS and Xtree

• 1.x (Win)
• 2.x (Win)

Microsoft Word (1983) 72 Word Processor MacOS Windows DOS

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)
• 1.x (Windows)
• 4.0 (Mac)
• 2.x (Windows)
• 5.x (Mac)
• 6.x
• 95
• 97

WordPerfect (1983) 58 Word Processor MacOS 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.x (Win)
• 2.x (Mac)
• 6.0 (Win)
• 3.x (Mac)
• 6.1 (Win)
• 7.x (Win)
• 8.x
• 9.x (2000)

WordStar (1981) 50 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 Works (1992) 31 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

Sidekick (1984) 27 Utility PIM Windows

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.

• 1.0 for Windows
• 2.0 for Windows

Windows Resource Kit (1991) 14 Utility Windows

The Microsoft Windows Resource kit is a set of supplementary tools for managing and deploying Microsoft Windows. The first Windows Resource kit was released in 1991 for Windows 3.0. Most, but not all, Windows versions after that had corresponding Resource Kits. These were often freely downloadable from Microsoft.

• 3.x
• NT 3.1
• 95
• NT 4.0
• 98
• 2000

Calendar Creator Plus (1990) 9 Novelty PIM Windows

Calendar Creator Plus from Vermont Creative Software/Power Up, and later Spinnaker Software, is a tool for creating printed calendars with different styles and custom lists of events.

• 2.0 (Win)
• 4.0 (Win)
• 5.0 (Win)
• 7.0 (Win)

Macromedia Director (1994) 7 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

Lotus Word Pro (1996) 7 Word Processor Windows

Word Pro was a word processor based upon Ami Pro (originally published by Samna).
Lotus acquired Samna in 1990. Word Pro 96 is the first release to no longer use the Ami Pro naming.

• 96
• 97

Norton Desktop (1991) 6 Utility Windows

Norton Desktop is a powerful desktop shell and file manager bundled with many additional tools. There are versions for both DOS and Microsoft Windows.

• 1.0 for Windows
• 2.0 for Windows
• 2.2 for Windows
• 3.0 for Windows

Mathcad (1989) 6 Mathematics MacOS Windows

Mathcad is an easy to use graphical calculation program targeted at engineering professionals. It supports a wide variety of mathematical functions. There were versions for DOS, Macintosh, and Windows.

• 2.0
• 3.x
• 4.0
• 5.0

Advanced Task Manager (1995) 4 Utility Windows

A task manager replacement for Windows 3.1.

• 1.x

hDC Windows Express (1989) 4 Utility Windows

hDC Windows Express is a "Complete Menu System" shell for Microsoft Windows. The earliest version went under the name"hDC ClickStart", and was for Windows 1.x (Wanted!).

• 2.x
• 3.0

Direct Access (1988) 3 Utility Windows

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.

• 1.0 (Win)

Borland Office (1994) 2 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

12 Months Screen Calendar (1996) 2 Utility Windows

12 Month Screen Calendar v1.00 displays the next 12 months on one screen. Distributed as freeware by Command Line Software.

• 1.0

Colorado Backup (1996) 2 Utility DOS Windows

Colorado Backup is the software provided with HP Colorado tape drives.

• Set
• 1.70 for Win 95
• 3.22 for Win 95

Packard Bell Navigator (1993) 2 Utility Other Windows

Packard Bell Navigator is an alternate user interface that replaces the Windows 3.1 Program Manager shell. It presents the content of your computer as a series of rooms.

• 1.0
• 1.1
• 3.6
• 3.9

hDC MicroApps 2 Utility Windows

hDC's MicroApps are small desktop accessories invoked through a "MicroApp Manager". The MicroApp Manager adds an extra menu to each application window's system box. The additional menu contains a list of all available "MicroApps". This is essentially a stripped down version of the Windows 2-based hDC Windows Manager.

• IBM Academic Edition

Microsoft Word Assistant (1993) 2 Utility Windows

Microsoft Word Assistant contains a font manager, additional TrueType fonts, additional templates, and clipart. Requires Microsoft Word 6.0.

• 1.0

DiskDoubler (1990) 2 Utility Archive MacOS

DiskDoubler is an automated file compression program for the Apple Macintosh. It does not compress the entire drive, but rather specified files. It automatically compresses and recompresses files as you use them.

• 3.x

Abacus Time and Date (1994) 2 PIM Windows

Time and Date, published by Abacus Software originally from Data Becker, is a small easy to use personal information manager for Windows 3.1. It can keep track of your calendar, address, notes, holidays and more.

• 1.x

hDC Power Launcher (1991) 2 Utility Windows

Power Launcher is a set of utilities that adds a custom menu to each system box, adds keyboard and mouse enhancements, adds a virtual desktop tool, as well as a screen saver. Version 2 also adds a customizable menu and toolbar to the Windows desktop. FirstApps](/product/hdc-firstapps), hDC MicroApps, and hDC FileApps, hDC Windows Manager, and hDC Windows Express

• 1.0
• 2.0

Lotus Domino (1993) 2 Communications PIM Server Windows OS2 Other

Lotus Domino, originally called Lotus Notes Server, is the sever software used for Lotus Notes clients. Notes is a powerful e-mail and collaboration tool. It was heavily used by large corporations. Lotus Notes and Lotus Domino competed against Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Exchange.

• 4.x