spreadsheet
Lotus 1-2-3 on the PC w/DOS
VisiCalc started it, but 1-2-3 finished it. "It" being the discussion of what a spreadsheet can be, and also VisiCalc itself.
Christopher Drum
A nerd who sometimes creates things that delight other nerds.
database
dBASE on the Kaypro II
CP/M and dBASE were industry giants with everything to lose, and they did. For a time they were the power couple to beat.
multimedia
Scala Multimedia on the Commodore Amiga
It's no Toaster, but it doesn't need to be to hold its own. Possibly one of the most impressive cover disk giveaways in history?
Atari 8bit
PaperClip on the Atari 8-Bit
Imagine an oven bakes gorgeous cakes, but gives random, severe burns. "When do the burns outweigh the beauty?" is posed by this cute word processor
C64
XPER on the Commodore 64
In a supreme act of hubris, I use 80s "expert system" AI technology to turn a C64 into a rain predictor. Will it fair better than a coin flip?
Macintosh
HyperCard on the Macintosh
There was once a tool so perfectly executed that careers, conventions, magazines, and entire companies were born from its vision and aesthetic.
Apple II
Bank Street Writer on the Apple II
Society was once hell-bent on "computers in the classroom." The promise to transform education never materialized, but a sharp word processor did.
outliner
ThinkTank on the PC w/DOS
Outliner software seems to attract a uniquely obsessive group. The lure of getting one's thoughts organized is powerfully strong, but does it work?
Atari ST
CAD-3D on the Atari ST
Historical "what ifs" are fun. What if IBM adopted CP/M over DOS? What if Atari delivered their TT line on time, becoming Hollywood's SFX king?
spreadsheet
VisiCalc on the Apple II
In 1978, Bricklin and Frankston took out a loan to develop "Calcu-ledger," a tool that could project the fiscal health of taking out that very loan
database
Superbase on the Commodore 64
Into the 80s, the promise of a "paperless office" sat always out of reach, but definitely almost here, so long as your office never grows past 1999
word processor
Electric Pencil on the TRS-80
A disillusioned filmmaker turned beach bum turned a hobby project into millions, creating the first word processor for home computers.