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.

• Plus 1.0

ABstat (1988) 0 Mathematics DOS

ABstat, from AndersonBell, is a statistical package that contains a variety of statistical functions, creates graphs, features a command language, and can directly use dBase files.

• 5.x

ACT! (1987) 2 PIM DOS

ACT!, or "Activity Control Technology", originally from Conductor Software, and later Contact Software and then Symantec, is an easy to use business relationship management system targeted at traveling sales professionals. It can track things like billable time and expenses.

• 1.10 (DOS)

AdvanceLink (1987) 0 Communications DOS

AdvanceLink is a terminal emulator that integrates with the HP NewWave desktop. It has built in scripting tools and features specifically for communicating with HP 3000, HP 9000, and HP 1000 hosts. It can emulate HP 2392A, HP 700/94, HP 700/92, HP ANSI, and DEC VT100 terminals. It appears a lesser version of this product was bundled with early Vectra computers under the generic name of "HP Terminal Program"

• for DOS

Allways (1988) 0 Spreadsheet DOS

Allways is a lotus 1-2-3 add-in that enhances 1-2-3 by providing a graphical preview, graphs and spreadsheets on the same printed page, embedded graphic pictures, font formatting for individual cells, and enhanced cell formatting. It supports HP and PostScript laser printers.

• 1.0

Alpine Tram Ride (1987) 0 DOS

Alpine Tram Ride, from Learning Technologies Inc, is a children's educational game for the IBM PC. Given a tram ride full of animals, the player must guess which animal is in which car.

• 1.x (IBM PC)

Applause (1988) 0 Presentations Graphics DOS

Originally called Draw Applause, Applause is a slide making, charting, and presentation program for DOS from Ashton-Tate. It also served as a client front end to Ashton Tate's Graphics Service, through which one could purchase high-quality prints. Applause II beefs up the standalone desktop presentation and graphing abilities.

• 1.0
• II

Artline (1988) 2 Graphics DOS

Atline, from Digital Research, is a vector based illustration program for use in desktop publishing. It is exclusively for the GEM desktop environment. Artline is intended for use alongside the GEM Desktop Publisher.

• 1.x
• 2.0

ASSIST/I (1989) 0 DOS

ASSIST/I, by BDM Software, is an IBM Mainframe Assembler/Interpreter. It allows IBM mainframe assembler language programs to be written assembled, and executed in an interactive, non-IBM-mainframe environment.

• 2.03

Autodesk AutoCAD (1984) 17 Graphics Engineering DOS

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.

• 2.x (DOS)
• r10 (DOS)
• r11 (DOS)

Automenu (1987) 1 Utility DOS

Automenu is a sophisticated commercial menuing system that lets you control your computer using custom menus, rather than using DOS commands. It features small, compact memory usage and built in help.

• 4.x

AutoSketch (1987) 6 Graphics DOS

AutoSketch is a 2D vector program sold by Autodesk. Unlike artistic drawing programs, AutoSketch is specifically geared towards engineering applications. Although not as powerful as AutoCAD, it can work with 2D AutoCAD files. Autodesk also produced AutoCAD LT, a higher end 2-D drawing program. But unlike AutoSketch, AutoCAD LT was based directly on AutoCAD and worked similarly.

• 1.x (DOS)
• 2.x (DOS)

Award Maker Plus (1987) 0 Publishing DOS

AwardMaker, from Baudville, Inc., is a tool for printing nice looking awards and certificates on a dot-matrix printer from a set of about 200 templates. It lacks any print preview, so you must have the manual to know what the templates look like. This is almost identical to Springboard Certificate Maker, however it contains a different set of templates and graphics.

• 1

BABY/36 (1988) 0 DOS

BABY/36 is an IBM System/36 RPG (Report Program Generator) programming language clone for the IBM PC.

• 1988

Back-It (1986) 0 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.

• 3.x

BankMate (1989) 0 Financial DOS

BankMate, from Practical Software, is a simplistic and easy to use personal checkbook program. Supports check entry, deposits, cash withdrawals, and defining repeating checks or deposits, check printing, credit card purchases, cash purchases. BankMate was Practical Software's inexpensive entry level financial product, while MoneyMate was their mid-level business oriented financial application. Users were encouraged to upgrade to MoneyMate when they outgrew the limits of BankMate.

• 3

BannerMania (1989) 3 Graphics Publishing DOS

Banner Mania is a banner making program for IBM PC compatible computers, enabling the user to create banners, posters, signs and logos. It can create and print multi-page banners, with 19 different fonts and effects in 16 colors.

• 1.0

BASIC Development Tools (1987) 3 DOS

This is a development library, from Sterling Castle, Inc., for BASIC that includes a screen builder for developing entry forms, a data manager database, a window manager that provides windowing functions, and a help message system.

• 3.1

BBS-PC (1987) 1 Communications DOS

BBS-PC! is an early computerized bulletin board system for IBM PCs. It also has versions for the Amiga. It featured customizability, message boards, and multiple file sections.

• 4.x

Better Working Communicator (1987) 0 Communications DOS

Better Working Communicator, from Spinnaker Software, is an entry level telecommunications program sold alongside their "Better Working" series of applications, and included as part of "Better Working Eight-In-One". Better Working Communicator supports Macros, auto-dialing, split-screen, XModem file transfers, logging, and printing.

• 1.x

Better Working Eight-in-One (1989) 0 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

Better Working Resume Kit (1989) 0 Publishing DOS

Back before there were endless web sites with endless soul crushing job application forms, one would print a paper resume and mail it to potential employers. Spinnaker Better Working is a computerized tool that can help you manage and structure complex resumes.

• 1.x

Boeing Graph (1987) 0 Presentations Graphics DOS

Boeing Graph is a graphing program for the IBM PC that specializes in producing high quality 3D plotted graphs. It was sold as a companion product to Boeing Calc.

• 2.00

Bookshelf (1987) 2 Reference DOS

Microsoft Bookshelf is a CD-ROM based multimedia reference tool from Microsoft, including a dictionary, thesaurus, quotations, atlas, and other types of references. Some versions were included and integrated with Microsoft Office, albeit sometimes stripped down.

• 87

Borland C++ (1990) 85 DOS

Borland C++ targeted the professional application development market, while Turbo C++ targeted the home and hobbyist market. Borland C++ included additional tools, compiler code-optimization, and documentation to address the needs of commercial developers. In 1997 Borland C++ was replaced with Borland C++ Builder.

• 2.0 (DOS)