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==Origins==
==Origins==
The real story behind the genesis of Visicalc has long been controversial because of the clouded title over the intellectual property, the lack of patent coverage for software in that era, and the appearance of copycats of the software.
Conceived by [[Dan Bricklin]], refined by [[Bob Frankston]], developed by their company [[Software Arts]]<ref name="tomcalc">{{cite web

In 1977, at Texas Instruments, a design for a [[Table Processor]]<ref name="tabproc">{{cite web
| last =VanDusen
| first =Dennis
| authorlink =
| coauthors =
| title =First Table Processor Description
| work =
| publisher =[[TI]]
| date =[[1977-07-30]]
| url =http://dvandusen.no-ip.info:8080/visicalc_story/PPS_Product_Line_8_77/page_11.htm
| format =
| doi =
| accessdate =2007-05-30 }}</ref> was initiated as part of the new TI Personal Problem Solving software package by [[Dennis Van Dusen]] with a [[logical design]]<ref name="logdes">{{cite web
| last =VanDusen
| first =Dennis
| authorlink =
| coauthors =
| title =Logical Design
| work =
| publisher =[[Texas Instruments]]
| date =[[1978-08-18]]
| url =http://dvandusen.no-ip.info:8080/visicalc_story/Prelim_Functional_Spec_8_18_77/page_01.htm
| format =
| doi =
| accessdate =2007-05-30 }}</ref>. After a [[review by Danny Acker]]<ref name="ackerrev">{{cite web
| last =VanDusen
| first =Dennis
| authorlink =
| coauthors =
| title =Danny Acker Review
| work =
| publisher =[[Texas Instruments]]
| date =[[1978-05-17]]
| url =http://dvandusen.no-ip.info:8080/visicalc_story/AckerDescription_7_12_77/page_01.htm
| format =
| doi =
| accessdate =2007-05-30 }}</ref>, TI decided against the use of the [[design]]<ref name="tabproc">{{cite web
| last =VanDusen
| first =Dennis
| authorlink =
| coauthors =
| title =Personal Software Business Plan
| work =
| publisher =[[Personal Software]]
| date =[[1978-05-17]]
| url =http://dvandusen.no-ip.info:8080/visicalc_story/DesignDoc_11_23_77/page_01.htm
| format =
| doi =
| accessdate =2007-05-30 }}</ref> and released it to Dennis. The design was shown to Dan Fylstra of Personal Software when he interviewed at TI in March, 1978. Dan and Dennis then began to form a larger [[company]][[Table Processor]]<ref name="tabproc">{{cite web
| last =VanDusen
| first =Dennis
| authorlink =
| coauthors =
| title =Personal Software Business Plan
| work =
| publisher =[[Personal Software]]
| date =[[1978-05-17]]
| url =http://dvandusen.no-ip.info:8080/visicalc_story/Personal_Software_Business_Plan_5_30_78/page_01.htm
| format =
| doi =
| accessdate =2007-05-30 }}</ref> with Peter Jennings, and Betsy, Dan's wife, based upon Dan's Pet Assembler, Peter's MicroChess, and Dennis' Table Processor. Several programmers were asked to develop the Table Processor based upon the TI design, including John Kaminski, Linda Rutledge (Delbridge), and Johan Malmquist.
After Fylstra met Dan and Bob, he enlisted their great assistance on the project. Based upon Dan's cloked exposure of the TI design, [[Dan Bricklin]] and [[Bob Frankston]] refined and developed the program through their company [[Software Arts]]<ref name="tomcalc">{{cite web
| last =Hormby
| last =Hormby
| first =Thomas
| first =Thomas
Line 27: Line 91:
| format =
| format =
| doi =
| doi =
| accessdate =2007-03-02 }}</ref>, and distributed by [[Personal Software]] in [[1979]] (later named [[VisiCorp]]) for the [[Apple II family|Apple II]] computer, it propelled the Apple from being a hobbyist's toy to being a much-desired, useful financial tool for business<ref name="tomcalc"/>. 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]] (both based on the [[MOS Technology 6502]] processor, like the Apple), [[TRS-80]] (based on the [[Zilog Z80]] processor) and the [[IBM PC]]<ref name="tomcalc"/>.
| accessdate =2007-03-02 }}</ref>, and distributed by [[Personal Software]] in [[1979]] (later named [[VisiCorp]]) for the [[Apple II family|Apple II]] computer, it propelled the Apple from being a hobbyist's toy to being a much-desired, useful financial tool for business<ref name="tomcalc"/>.


Dennis coached as a reviewer of the [[product]]<ref name="tomcalc">{{cite web
⚫
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<ref name="joshcalc">{{cite web
| last =VanDusen
| first =Dennis
| authorlink =
| coauthors =
| title =VisiCalc Review
| work =
| publisher =[[Low End Mac]]
| date =[[1979-01-22]]
| url =http://dvandusen.no-ip.info:8080/visicalc_story/My_Version_1_79/page_01.htm
| format =
| doi =
| accessdate =2007-05-30 }}</ref> as it was developed but was kept out of the company.

⚫
According to Bricklin's version of the genesis, 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<ref name="joshcalc">{{cite web
| last =Coventry
| last =Coventry
| first =Joshua
| first =Joshua
Line 42: Line 120:
| doi =
| doi =
| accessdate =2007-03-02 }}</ref>.
| accessdate =2007-03-02 }}</ref>.

In any case, Visicalc 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]] (both based on the [[MOS Technology 6502]] processor, like the Apple), [[TRS-80]] (based on the [[Zilog Z80]] processor) and the [[IBM PC]]<ref name="tomcalc"/>. Curiously, one of the Visicorp (formerly Personal Software) developers of the VisiChart product was [[Mitch Kapor]]<ref name="mitchkap">{{cite web
| last =VanDusen
| first =Dennis
| authorlink =
| coauthors =
| title =Mitch Kapor
| work =
| publisher =[[PersonSoft]]
| date =[[1979-01-22]]
| url =http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitchell_Kapor
| format =
| doi =
| accessdate =2007-05-30 }}</ref> who was able to form a company called Lotus to serve the IBM PC.


==The successors==
==The successors==

Revision as of 16:11, 30 May 2007

VisiCalc
Developer(s)VisiCorp
Stable release
VisiCalc Advanced Version / 1983
Operating systemApple II, Atari 8-bit family, Commodore PET, MS-DOS and PC-DOS
TypeSpreadsheet
LicenseProprietary EULA
Websitewww.danbricklin.com

VisiCalc was the first spreadsheet program available for personal computers. It is generally considered to be the application that turned the microcomputer from a hobby for computer enthusiasts into a serious business tool. VisiCalc sold over 700,000 copies in six years. [1]

Origins

The real story behind the genesis of Visicalc has long been controversial because of the clouded title over the intellectual property, the lack of patent coverage for software in that era, and the appearance of copycats of the software.

In 1977, at Texas Instruments, a design for a Table Processor[2] was initiated as part of the new TI Personal Problem Solving software package by Dennis Van Dusen with a logical design[3]. After a review by Danny Acker[4], TI decided against the use of the design[2] and released it to Dennis. The design was shown to Dan Fylstra of Personal Software when he interviewed at TI in March, 1978. Dan and Dennis then began to form a larger companyTable Processor[2] with Peter Jennings, and Betsy, Dan's wife, based upon Dan's Pet Assembler, Peter's MicroChess, and Dennis' Table Processor. Several programmers were asked to develop the Table Processor based upon the TI design, including John Kaminski, Linda Rutledge (Delbridge), and Johan Malmquist.

After Fylstra met Dan and Bob, he enlisted their great assistance on the project. Based upon Dan's cloked exposure of the TI design, Dan Bricklin and Bob Frankston refined and developed the program through their company Software Arts[5], 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[5].

Dennis coached as a reviewer of the product[5] as it was developed but was kept out of the company.

According to Bricklin's version of the genesis, 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[6].

In any case, Visicalc 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 (both based on the MOS Technology 6502 processor, like the Apple), TRS-80 (based on the Zilog Z80 processor) and the IBM PC[5]. Curiously, one of the Visicorp (formerly Personal Software) developers of the VisiChart product was Mitch Kapor[7] who was able to form a company called Lotus to serve the IBM PC.

The 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. 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.

Charles Babcock of InformationWeek argues that in perspective, "VisiCalc was flawed and clunky, and couldn't do many things users wanted it to do." [1] 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 Mac OS in 1985 and for Windows 2.0 in 1987), a new generation of spreadsheets was born. Due to the lack of a patent, none of the developers of the VisiCalc clones had to pay any royalties to VisiCorp.

The idea was so free, that even an entire spreadsheet was shipped in C source code as a mere application "sample" of Borland's Turbo C compiler: the TurboCalc.

References

  1. ^ Secrets of Software Success: Management Insights from 100 Software Firms Around the World, ISBN 1578511054 (1999)
  2. ^ a b c VanDusen, Dennis (1977-07-30). "First Table Processor Description". TI. Retrieved 2007-05-30. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help) Cite error: The named reference "tabproc" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  3. ^ VanDusen, Dennis (1978-08-18). "Logical Design". Texas Instruments. Retrieved 2007-05-30. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  4. ^ VanDusen, Dennis (1978-05-17). "Danny Acker Review". Texas Instruments. Retrieved 2007-05-30. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  5. ^ a b c d Hormby, Thomas (2006-09-22). "VisiCalc and the rise of the Apple II". Low End Mac. Retrieved 2007-03-02. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help) Cite error: The named reference "tomcalc" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  6. ^ Coventry, Joshua (2006-11-02). "Interview with Dan Bricklin, Inventor of the Electronic Spreadsheet". Low End Mac. Retrieved 2007-03-02. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  7. ^ VanDusen, Dennis (1979-01-22). "Mitch Kapor". PersonSoft. Retrieved 2007-05-30. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
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