The original programmers give some insight about Excel.  Pretty cool.  One of them almost killed print preview, because he didn't think anyone would use it.  They did an interview together you can listen to.

I think at this point, I'd argue that Excel is probably the most functional piece of software in history, in terms of productivity.  Is there anything else anyone can think of?

http://www.geekwire.com/2015/recalc-or-die-30-years-later-microsoft-excel-1-0-vets-recount-a-project-that-defied-the-odds/

Quote from: taxed on September 27, 2015, 02:56:16 AM
The original programmers give some insight about Excel.  Pretty cool.  One of them almost killed print preview, because he didn't think anyone would use it.  They did an interview together you can listen to.

I think at this point, I'd argue that Excel is probably the most functional piece of software in history, in terms of productivity.  Is there anything else anyone can think of?

http://www.geekwire.com/2015/recalc-or-die-30-years-later-microsoft-excel-1-0-vets-recount-a-project-that-defied-the-odds/

Wow!!  Remember going for Lotus 1-2-3 over to Excel.  What a change and time saver for me.  I was using Excel long before the office accountants started using it.  They did not like changing over at first.   

Back in the early 80's our company had a DOS based program called Enable, which had features similar to MS Office. I think it came out around the time of Lotus 1-2-3,(1984) and even included email. They closed their doors around 1997, probably with pressure from M$.

I put that program to good use tracking numerous x-ray service related issues.

Quote from: tac on September 27, 2015, 07:49:11 AM
Back in the early 80's our company had a DOS based program called Enable, which had features similar to MS Office. I think it came out around the time of Lotus 1-2-3,(1984) and even included email. They closed their doors around 1997, probably with pressure from M$.

I put that program to good use tracking numerous x-ray service related issues.

I used a DOS based program, but don't remember what it was called.  Even had a cost accounting program I used on DOS.  I really liked it. 

Excel is a fantastic tool.  Not hard to learn either. 

Back in the '70s my brother the accountant talked my dad into getting an Apple 2+ with 16meg of RAM and a 5.25" floppy drive, VisiCalc was it!!!   It replaced the paper accounting, and considerable business that was the accountant, was now done in our dining room ... when we weren't playing Space Invaders....  Decades later, my folks remembered how much time and $$$ it saved the business, and rewarded him nicely.

He would enter a bunch of stuff into it, hit recalculate ... walk away, 'cause it was gonna be awhile before you could touch it again.

There was a really good multi-player, space combat game...  haven't seen anything like it since.