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SOFTWARE
|
This Week |
Last Week |
Weeks on Chart |
|
BUSINESS |
| 1 |
1 |
138 |
|
WordPerfect • WordPerfect Corp • AP, IBM |
| 2 |
2 |
202 |
|
1-2-3 • Lotus • IBM |
| 3 |
5 |
22 |
 |
Javelin • Javelin • IBM |
| 4 |
3 |
161 |
|
Microsoft Word • Microsoft • IBM, MAC |
| 5 |
4 |
7 |
|
Quicken • Intuit • AP, IBM |
| 6 |
6 |
15 |
|
PFS:First Choice • Software Publishing • IBM |
| 7 |
8 |
31 |
|
SQZ! • Turner Hall • IBM |
| 8 |
7 |
49 |
|
dBase III Plus • Ashton-tate • IBM |
| 9 |
11 |
3 |
 |
Lotus HAL • Lotus • IBM |
| 10 |
9 |
57 |
|
Q & A • Symantec • IBM |
| 11 |
12 |
113 |
|
Sidekick • Borland Int'l. • IBM |
| 12 |
10 |
56 |
|
Paradox • Ansa Software • IBM |
| 13 |
27 |
2 |
 |
NewsMaster • Unison (Brown-Wagh) • IBM |
| 14 |
20 |
27 |
 |
ProDesign II • American Small Bus. Comp. • IBM |
| 15 |
15 |
27 |
|
DAC Easy Accounting • DAC • IBM |
| 16 |
16 |
9 |
|
Microsoft Works • Microsoft • MAC |
| 17 |
13 |
57 |
|
VP Planner • Paperback Software • IBM |
| 18 |
18 |
11 |
|
PFS:Professional Write • Software Publishing • IBM |
| 19 |
14 |
18 |
|
MacDraft • IDD • MAC |
| 20 |
21 |
177 |
|
Multimate • Ashton-Tate • IBM |
| 21 |
22 |
55 |
|
Reflex • Borland Int'l. • IBM, MAC |
| 22 |
19 |
37 |
|
Multimate Advantage • Ashton-Tate • IBM |
| 23 |
24 |
25 |
|
Note-It • Turner Hall • IBM |
| 24 |
25 |
8 |
|
Clipper • Nantucket • IBM |
| 25 |
23 |
97 |
|
Wordstar 2000 • MicroPro Int'l. • IBM |
| 26 |
28 |
52 |
|
Microsoft Windows • Microsoft • IBM |
| 27 |
17 |
62 |
|
Microsoft Excel • Microsoft • MAC |
| 28 |
– |
9 |
|
MORE • Living Videotext • MAC |
| 29 |
– |
1 |
 |
PFS:Professional File • Software Publishing • IBM |
| 30 |
– |
7 |
|
R:Base System V • Microrim • IBM |
| |
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|
|
|
SYSTEMS & UTILITIES |
| 1 |
1 |
167 |
|
Crosstalk XVI • DCA/Crosstalk Communications • AP, IBM |
| 2 |
3 |
116 |
|
Norton Utilities • Norton Computing • IBM |
| 3 |
4 |
140 |
|
Sideways • Funk Software • IBM |
| 4 |
2 |
39 |
|
Fastback • Fifth Generation • IBM |
| 5 |
9 |
109 |
 |
Turbo Pascal • Borland Int'l • AP, IBM, MAC |
| 6 |
8 |
17 |
|
Carbon Copy • Meridian Technology • IBM |
| 7 |
6 |
25 |
|
Dan Bricklin's Demo Program • Software Garden • IBM |
| 8 |
5 |
99 |
|
Smartcom II • Hayes • IBM, MAC |
| 9 |
7 |
27 |
|
XTREE • Executive Systems • IBM |
| 10 |
10 |
5 |
|
Disk Optimizer • SoftLogic Solutions • IBM |
| |
|
|
|
|
HOME & EDUCATION |
| 1 |
1 |
128 |
|
Print Shop • Broderbund • AP, IBM, MAC, COM |
| 2 |
2 |
163 |
|
Math Blaster! • Davidson & Assoc. • AP, IBM, MAC, COM, AT |
| 3 |
6 |
5 |
 |
Microsoft Learning DOS • Microsoft • IBM |
| 4 |
3 |
122 |
|
Typing Tutor III • Simon & Shuster • AP, IBM, MAC, COM |
| 5 |
4 |
21 |
|
Certificate Maker • Springboard • AP, IBM, COM |
| 6 |
– |
90 |
 |
Managing Your Money • MECA • AP, IBM |
| 7 |
5 |
95 |
|
The Newsroom • Springboard • AP, IBM, COM |
| 8 |
8 |
194 |
|
Bank Street Writer • Broderbund • AP, IBM, COM |
| 9 |
7 |
211 |
|
Mastertype • Mindscape • AP, IBM |
| 10 |
– |
118 |
|
E.G. for Young Children • Springboard • AP, IBM, MAC |
| |
|
|
|
|
RECREATION |
| 1 |
1 |
203 |
|
Microsoft Flight Simulator • Microsoft • IBM, MAC |
| 2 |
2 |
156 |
|
Sargon III • Hayden Software • AP, IBM, MAC, AT |
| 3 |
4 |
3 |
|
King's Quest III • Sierra On-Line • IBM, ST |
| 4 |
3 |
71 |
|
Jet • SubLogic • AP, IBM, COM |
| 5 |
5 |
52 |
|
Winter Games • Epyx • AP, MAC, COM, ST |
| 6 |
7 |
91 |
|
F-15 Strike Eagle • Microprose • AP, IBM |
| 7 |
6 |
204 |
|
Flight Simulator II • SubLogic • AP, COM, AT, AG |
| 8 |
8 |
43 |
|
Silent Service • Microprose • AP, IBM |
| 9 |
10 |
48 |
|
Where is Carmen San Diego • Broderbund • AP, IBM, COM |
| 10 |
– |
1 |
 |
Bop'N Wrestle • Mindscape • AP, IBM, COM |
Is that a few hard drives with TENS of Megabytes I spy? Who would ever need that much disk space. Next you will be telling me I need the whole 640kB of ram just for my OS, preposterous I say!
What, no prices?
I recently found a Micron catalog for "Holiday 1997". 16MB of memory was $55.99. 64MB was $248.00. A 17" monitor was $499.99.
A ClientPro VXE 166 computer (with a 166MHz Pentium) was $1449.00. A Millenia MME 266MHz computer with 48MB of SDRAM and Office 97 SBE was $2199.00. Monitor included. (Office 97 Pro was $259.99, close to the same price it is now.)
If you wanted to go all the way to a server-class 300 MHz Pentium II processor, with 64MB memory, the price was $6199.00.
Good times…..
It blows my mind that companies like Broderbund and Sierra are, for the most part, distant memories, but some of our business areas are still using Lotus Notes. Then again, that business software category would logically have a lot more staying power than the others just by nature of the sector.
What are those "best performers", "coming up", and "watch closely" icons supposed to be? They look like a person sitting on a toilet to me…
I can see that IBM dominated the Computer product landscape either HW or SW. If you can make this similar list today, who would that be?
Ah yes XTREE. Really good right up until the Windows directory got too big to fit in DOS RAM.
While not on the list, I know of at least a few OKI MicroLine 320 (dot matrix / impact / continuous fed paper) printers that are STILL in use TODAY.
The Microsoft Mouse at position 2… I still remember my Logitech MouseMan with fondness, but it wasn't introduced until 1990. And to this day I'm still replacing my mouse when I get a new computer — now I couldn't live with a free-spin wheel.
My keyboard, not so much. As far as I'm concerned development of that stopped with the Model M. I have a modern remake that includes the Windows keys, but that's it.
@John:
Broderbund specializes in educational software; they're very much still around. They always were focused on the educational market, with the other software as kind of a tag-along. Where else are you going to find an app to teach you to play the violin, complete with a working violin?
Daisywheel? That brings back the memories. My dad had a daisywheel-based printer hooked up to a series of bitty boxes through the 70s-90s, but I think the last system to use it was an Amiga 500. When we finally got a Windows 95 PC, we got an inkjet to go with it. With patience, it could produce 300dpi output!
Whenever my mom complained about the noise of the daisywheel, he'd tell her to be thankful it wasn't a chain printer.
Look at all those 1200 & 2400 Baud modems. And whippersnappers today complain when they don't have an LTE capable mobile phone.
What surprised me most about the list is that MS Word was actually on the list nearly a half-year longer (161 weeks vs. 138) than WordPerfect!
I longed for a FileCard. This was a 3.5" disk, welded to an ISA controller board. One slot, no bays, big drive (for the time). About the size of a modern high-end video card, but generated far less heat (although it ran very hot for its day).
I am 10 years younger than the products on this list…I would like to been there
Back when a 300 baud modem was lightning fast! Everything was text based back then no pictures.
I remember using most of the software titles for the Apple II listed there. Back in the day. I feel old.
@Gabe: Microsoft Word and WordPerfect were second generation word processors. They replaced the first generation kings: Wordstar and Apple Writer, both from the late 70s.
It surprise me that Genius mouse from KYE Systems is not on the list. I remember that they are known to be cheap but reliable, and was my uncle's favorite.
Btw, I was just at primary 1 at the time.
Makes me feel old when I recognized more than half the products on that list and have used at least a third.
Good God! R:Base is still going en.wikipedia.org/…/R:Base ! Despite the [Citation Needed] in the article, I do remember we had a copy of the Microsoft badged R:Base sitting round in our office. I don't remember anyone ever using it.
I remember the first NEC MultiSync with fondness. Before that, every time you changed adapters you basically needed a new display, so the ability to keep the display was amazing! There was one at my high school and it managed to last almost 10 years before the vacuum tube inside started to die. Its last use was to display VGA on an original 2-floppy, 64KB, 4.77 MHz IBM PC with a 10MB HardCard and a 512KB multifunction card; I think that we even were able to get Windows 2.0 installed, although you didn't want to actually use it because the computer was so frustratingly slow. It still beat the pathetic Olivettis that we had kicking around though! Good times.
It surprised me to see how many of those products I remember. It also surprised me — although it shouldn't have — to see how many of the companies are no longer around.