[Am-info] query about MS "Innovations"

[Erick Andrews]

On Fri, 29 Mar 2002 20:30:10 -0500, madodel@ptdprolog.net wrote:

>In <200203300102.g2U12ioK074483@silver.ttlc.net>, on 03/29/02 at 08:02 PM,
>   "Erick Andrews" <eandrews@star.net> said:
>
>>OK.  Then if it's before GUI's, it must substantively have been "green
>>uglies"  or [MS]DOS.  There were "office suites" then, like "Works".  I
>>don't recall much about "interoperability" between them, though.
>
>Lotus had a DOS integrated WP, spreadsheet, database called Symphony back
>in 85-87 I think.  It didn't do anything well, but it was integrated. 
>Pretty much a spreadsheet (based on 1-2-3 I guess) that could do other
>things.  When did m$ come out with its first office suite?  I don't recall
>one for DOS, just the separate Word and Multiplan products.  There never
>was an Excel for DOS as far as I recall.  I used Multiplan, which came
>with my first puter, a Heath Z151 (an 8086 pc clone that I built myself
>when building a computer meant a bit more then inserting a couple of cards
>in a motherboard :-).  When m$ came out with Excel, it was windoze only,
>which meant one had to buy a new machine, or you were stuck with
>Multiplan, which m$ abandoned.  That was my first lesson on how m$ would
>screw everyone.
>
>
>Mark
>

Not about interoperability...but I'm reasonably sure Visicalc predates all 
popular spreadsheets.  I remember using it on RSX11 and VMS in the
late '70s, early '80s.  Certainly before the rise of GUI's.

-- 
Erick Andrews