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VisiCalc

An example VisiCalc spreadsheet on an Apple II.
Developed by VisiCorp
Latest release VisiCalc Advanced Version / 1983
OS Apple II, CP/M, Atari 8-bit family, Commodore PET, MS-DOS and PC-DOS
Genre Spreadsheet
License Proprietary EULA
Website www.danbricklin.com

VisiCalc was the first spreadsheet program available for personal computers. A software developer is a person or organization concerned with facets of the software development process wider than design and coding a somewhat broader scope of VisiCorp was an early personal computer software publisher Its most famous products are VisiOn and VisiCalc. A software release is the distribution whether public or private of an initial or new and upgraded version of a Computer software product Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar) An operating system (commonly abbreviated OS and O/S) is the software component of a Computer system that is responsible for the management and coordination CP/M (Control Program for Microcomputers is an Operating system originally created for Intel 8080 / 85 based Microcomputers by Gary Kildall The Atari 8-bit family is a series of 8-bit Home computers manufactured from 1979 to 1992 The PET ( P ersonal E lectronic T ransactor) was a home -/ Personal computer produced by Commodore starting in 1977 MS-DOS (short for M icro' s' oft D isk O perating S ystem is an Operating system commercialized by Microsoft. IBM PC-DOS is a DOS operating system for the IBM Personal Computer, sold throughout the 1980s and 1990s Computer software can be organized into categories based on common function type or field of use A spreadsheet is a Computer application that simulates a paper worksheet A software license (or software licence in commonwealth usage is a Legal instrument governing the usage or redistribution of copyright protected software Proprietary software is Computer software on which the producer has set restrictions on use private modification copying, or republishing. A website (alternatively web site or Web site, a back-construction from the Proper noun World Wide Web) is a collection of Web pages A spreadsheet is a Computer application that simulates a paper worksheet It may well be the application that turned the microcomputer from a hobby for computer enthusiasts into a serious business tool. microcomputer is a Computer with a Microprocessor as its Central processing unit. A computer is a Machine that manipulates data according to a list of instructions. A hobby is a spare-time Recreational pursuit Etymology A Hobby horse is a wooden or Wickerwork toy made to be A business (also called firm or an enterprise) is a legally recognized organizational entity designed to provide goods and/or services to [1] VisiCalc sold over 700,000 copies in six years. [2]

Contents

Origins

Conceived by Dan Bricklin, refined by Bob Frankston, developed by their company Software Arts[1], and distributed by Personal Software in 1979 (later named VisiCorp) for the Apple II computer, it propelled the Apple from being a hobbyist's toy to being a much-desired, useful financial tool for business[1]. Daniel S Bricklin (born 16 July 1951) is the co-creator with Bob Frankston, of the VisiCalc Spreadsheet program Robert (Bob M Frankston (born June 14, 1949 in Brooklyn New York is the co-creator with Dan Bricklin of the VisiCalc spreadsheet Software Arts was a software company founded by Dan Bricklin and Bob Frankston in 1979 to develop VisiCalc, which was published by a separate VisiCorp was an early personal computer software publisher Its most famous products are VisiOn and VisiCalc. Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar) VisiCorp was an early personal computer software publisher Its most famous products are VisiOn and VisiCalc. This likely motivated IBM to enter the PC market which they had been ignoring until then. International Business Machines Corporation abbreviated IBM and nicknamed "Big Blue", is a multinational Computer Technology After the Apple II version, VisiCalc was also released for the Atari 8-bit family, the Commodore PET (both based on the MOS Technology 6502 processor, like the Apple), TRS-80 (based on the Zilog Z80 processor) and the IBM PC[1]. The Atari 8-bit family is a series of 8-bit Home computers manufactured from 1979 to 1992 The PET ( P ersonal E lectronic T ransactor) was a home -/ Personal computer produced by Commodore starting in 1977 The MOS Technology 6502 is an 8-bit Microprocessor that was designed by Chuck Peddle for MOS Technology in 1975 TRS-80 was Tandy Corporation 's desktop Microcomputer model line sold through Tandy's Radio Shack stores in the late 1970s and early The Zilog Z80 is an 8-bit Microprocessor designed and sold by Zilog from July 1976 onwards

According to Bricklin, he was watching his university professor at Harvard Business School create a financial model on a blackboard. Harvard Business School ( HBS) is a renowned Business school in the United States When the professor found an error or wanted to change a parameter, he had to tediously erase and rewrite a number of sequential entries in the table, triggering Bricklin to realize that he could replicate the process on a computer using an "electronic spreadsheet" to view results of underlying formulae[3].

Successors

Though the electronic spreadsheet was a revolutionary idea, Bricklin was advised that he would be unlikely to be granted a patent, so he failed to profit significantly from his invention. A patent is a set of Exclusive rights granted by a State to an inventor or his assignee for a fixed period of time in exchange for a disclosure of an At the time, patents were not available for software in the United States, so it was thought that the product could only be copyrighted, and as copyright deals with form rather than idea, competitors could quickly copy the concept and just present the result in a different layout without infringing the copyright. Software or computer programs are not explicitly mentioned in United States patent law. Copyright is a legal concept enacted by Governments, giving the creator of an original work of authorship Exclusive rights to control its distribution usually for

Charles Babcock of InformationWeek argues that in perspective, “VisiCalc was flawed and clunky, and couldn't do many things users wanted it to do. Reverend Charles Babcock (1829 - 1913) was an United States Architect, academic Episcopalian minister and founding member of the American Institute InformationWeek is a multimedia brand with a weekly print magazine online site face-to-face and virtual events and research ”[4] Soon, more powerful clones of VisiCalc were released, including SuperCalc (1980), Microsoft's MultiPlan (1982), Lotus 1-2-3 (1983), and the spreadsheet module in AppleWorks (1984). SuperCalc was a Spreadsheet application published by Sorcim in 1980, and originally bundled (along with WordStar) as part of the CP/M Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational Computer technology Corporation, which rose to dominate the Home computer Multiplan was an early Spreadsheet program developed by Microsoft. Lotus 1-2-3 is a Spreadsheet program from Lotus Software (now part of IBM) AppleWorks refers to two different Office suite products both of which are now discontinued With Microsoft Excel (introduced for the Macintosh in 1985 and for Windows 2.0 in 1987), a new generation of spreadsheets was born. In Computing, Microsoft Excel (full name Microsoft Office Excel) consists of a proprietary Spreadsheet -application written and distributed Macintosh, commonly nicknamed Mac is a Brand name which covers several lines of Personal computers designed developed and marketed by Apple Inc Windows 20 was a 16-bit Microsoft Windows Graphical user interface -based Operating environment that superseded Windows 1 Due to the lack of a patent, none of the developers of the VisiCalc clones had to pay any royalties to VisiCorp. VisiCorp was an early personal computer software publisher Its most famous products are VisiOn and VisiCalc.

The idea was prominent enough that an entire spreadsheet was shipped as C source code as a mere application "sample" of Borland's Turbo C compiler: the TurboCalc. Borland Software Corporation is a software company headquartered in Austin Texas. Due to technical limitations "Turbo C#" redirects here

References

  1. ^ a b c d Hormby, Thomas (2006-09-22). Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 66 - Emperor Nero creates the Legion I Italica. 1236 - The Lithuanians VisiCalc and the rise of the Apple II. Low End Mac. Retrieved on 2007-03-02. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 986 - Louis V becomes King of the Franks. 1127 - Assassination of Charles the Good
  2. ^ Secrets of Software Success: Management Insights from 100 Software Firms Around the World, ISBN 1578511054 (1999)
  3. ^ Coventry, Joshua (2006-11-02). Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1570 - A Tidal wave in the North Sea devastates the coast from Holland to Jutland, killing more than 1000 Interview with Dan Bricklin, Inventor of the Electronic Spreadsheet. Low End Mac. Retrieved on 2007-03-02. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 986 - Louis V becomes King of the Franks. 1127 - Assassination of Charles the Good
  4. ^ What's The Greatest Software Ever Written? - Technology News by TechWeb

See also

External links

This article presents a Timeline of events in the history of Computing from 1950 to 1979 PC World is a global Computer magazine published monthly by IDG.
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