VisiCalc
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 An example VisiCalc spreadsheet on an Apple II. |
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| Developer(s) | VisiCorp |
|---|---|
| Stable release | VisiCalc Advanced Version / 1983 |
| Operating system | Apple II, CP/M, Atari 8-bit family, Commodore PET, TRS-DOS, DOS |
| Type | Spreadsheet |
| License | Proprietary EULA |
| Website | www.danbricklin.com |
VisiCalc was the first spreadsheet program available for personal computers. It is often considered the application that turned the microcomputer from a hobby for computer enthusiasts into a serious business tool.[1] VisiCalc sold over 700,000 copies in six years.[2]
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[edit] 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]. At the time, most microcomputers suffered from lack of storage space and display limitations that made them poor competitors in the word processing and database markets.[citation needed] The spreadsheet, however, did not depend on powerful displays or storage media, and so was an ideal fit for microcomputer technology available at the time.[citation needed] This likely motivated IBM to enter the PC market which they had been ignoring until then. After the Apple II version, VisiCalc was also released for the Atari 8-bit family, the Commodore PET, TRS-80, and the IBM PC[1].
According to Bricklin, he was watching his university professor at Harvard Business School create a financial model on a blackboard. 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].
[edit] Successors
Charles Babcock of InformationWeek argues that in retrospect, “VisiCalc was flawed and clunky, and couldn't do many things users wanted it to do.”[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). With Microsoft Excel (introduced for the Macintosh in 1985 and for Windows 2.0 in 1987), a new generation of spreadsheets was born. Due to the lack of a patent (which until then had never been issued for a computer program), none of the developers of the VisiCalc clones had to pay any royalties to VisiCorp.
The idea was prominent enough that a spreadsheet program was shipped as C source code as a programming example of Borland's Turbo C compiler: the TurboCalc.
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d Hormby, Thomas (2006-09-22). "VisiCalc and the rise of the Apple II". Low End Mac. http://lowendmac.com/orchard/06/0922.html. Retrieved on 2007-03-02.
- ^ Secrets of Software Success: Management Insights from 100 Software Firms Around the World, ISBN 1578511054 (1999)
- ^ Coventry, Joshua (2006-11-02). "Interview with Dan Bricklin, Inventor of the Electronic Spreadsheet". Low End Mac. http://lowendmac.com/coventry/06/1107.html. Retrieved on 2007-03-02.
- ^ What's The Greatest Software Ever Written? - Technology News by TechWeb
[edit] See also
- Triumph of the Nerds, A documentary hosted by Robert X. Cringely that featured the creators of VisiCalc and their contribution as the first killer app for the personal computer.
- Timeline of computing 1950–1979
[edit] External links
- Dan Bricklin's Own VisiCalc Website – With history information as well as downloadable PC version
- Implementing VisiCalc – By Bob Frankston, on his website
- Three Minutes: Godfathers Of The Spreadsheet – PC World interview with the creators of VisiCalc
- Techdirt: What If VisiCalc Had Been Patented?
