Screen Shot Gallery -- DOS® Shareware

During the "golden age" of PC computing from the early-1980's to the mid-1990's, if you were searching for an inexpensive shareware or Public Domain program you had two choices -- you could visit your favorite computer software store and browse racks of shareware programs on 5¼" floppy disks, or, from the comfort of your own computer, download a DOS shareware program from your favorite bulletin board service (BBS).     The shareware "try before you buy" concept offers users free trials of software. Most commercial software companies will not let you return products once their shrinkwrapped packages have been opened.     After finding the shareware program that best meets your needs, to both obtain the full-featured program free of "nag" screens and to support the authors who offer these low-cost software alternatives, it is only right to "register" the program by paying the author's registration fee. Shareware programs can cost tens or even hundreds of times less than comparable commercial software.

Audio     In the early 1990's, MOD and MIDI were the most popular audio formats for distributing music on-line. This was done through Bulletin Board Services (BBSs), FTP sites, and even point-to-point.

MultiPlayer 2.05 Copyright © 1993 dgs MultiPlayer is just that -- a multi-audio-format player. It supports mod, mid, voc, rol, wow, cmf, amf, 6cm, 8cm, stm, s3m, 669, okt, med, and p16 formats. Unlike other DOS text-base command line players, this is a menu-driven program with which you can "tag" files in a directory listing and configure to your sound settings. Total install size: 614K

Player 1.0 Copyright © 1993 Dareware, Inc. A command-line .voc, .wav, .cmf, and .mid player. Allows you to play multiple file formats and use wildcards in a single command. The registration fee was US$9.95. Total install size: 22K

Visual Player 2.0 Copyright © 1993 Hector Martinez From Barcelona, Spain comes one of the coolest mod players of the day. This mouse-driven, GUI-based player lets you "see" the music as well as hear it. There are 4 oscilloscopes which show the 4 mod channels waveforms. The center of the screen shows file data info, 4 volume level indicators a full-spectrum oscilloscope, and a psychedelic lights panel that "moves" to the music. At the bottom of the screen are either two spectrum analyzers for stereo mode or one for mono mode, selectable in the options setup. All of the displays move in real time to the music simultaneously. It is, unfortunately, severely crippled. The registration fee was US$30.00. Total install size: 114K

CAD     Throughout the 1980's and 1990's, AutoCAD was the dominant commercial DOS CAD program. It also cost US$3,400.00. The average business, much less the average user, often was not in a position to afford the high cost of this commercial software. Shareware DOS CAD software offered a far less expensive alternative.

PC-Draft II 3.20 Copyright © 1988 Natural Software A graphics-mode CAD program featuring PIC graphics mode drawing format, line, multi-line, arc, box, rectangle, circle, ellipse, free draw, curve, paint, object, spray can, snap-to grid, 9 fill patterns, create and edit patterns, create and edit fonts, bar, line, and pie graphs, cut and paste objects, save objects to file, macros, resolution up to 1280 x 700 dots (8½"x11" at 150DPI), cross-hair cursor, print, on-line help and more. The registration fee was US$50.00. Total install size: 275K

PrintCADD 3-D 1.09 Copyright © 1991 Birdseye Enterprises Ltd. PrintCADD 3-D is a three dimensional CAD program. It comes with 4 fonts, printer and plotter drivers, sample files, and more. Unlike 2-D CAD programs, it lets you rotate drawings along X, Y, and Z-axis for true 3D perspectives. The display shows top, front, and right side views in addition to the main display. You can edit drawings in any view window. It comes with an array of tools including text, dimension, color, group, layer, variables, view, surface, grids, etc. It includes a full text manual and on-line tutorial and help. The registration fee was US$75.00. Total install size: 2.14MB

bCAD 1.00 Copyright © 1992 ProPro Group This program uses the GeoWorks graphical user interface to create a mouse-driven, graphical windowed environment. Create drawings of real world objects in 2D using actual measurements. They can be observed and printed at any scale. Drawing elements include lines, arcs, circles, points and text. Line types, color and width can be specified. Features include copy, delete, scale and rotate, zoom, pan, fill pattern, macros, font control, export DXF & PCX, import DXF, VGA & SVGA (800x600) support, on-line help and more. The registration fee was US$98.00. Total install size: 591K

DC CAD 1.0 Copyright © 1992 DC Software DC CAD combines the ease and versatility of a drawing program with the tools and functions of a CAD program. Create schematics and double-side board layouts. It has a "pencil & paper" feel and mouse response is adjustable. Designed for engineers, it has a printer setup screen for configuring printers. There are pull-down menus for drawing symbols and toolbar-like drawing and line tools. There is also an X-Y position status. It has tools for font sizes and there is on-line help. The registration fee was US$34.00. Total install size: 256K

CirCAD 3.5 Copyright © 1993 HOLOPHASE, Inc. "A CAD Program for the 90s" as they put it, CirCAD is a PCB and schematics editor. It features a multi-document environment, auto-panning, variable zoom, layering, block and drawing tools, drawing scaling and rotation, snap-to grid, ortho mode, variable size text, X/Y coordinate display, ISO islands, pad and autopan modes, net list, rat nest, Protel Autotrax/PCB, Tango I & II PCB, OrCAD/PCB, AutoCAD (.DXF), Gerber photo-plot, and ASCII text export, on-line help and more. For a CAD program that looks like a kid scribbled the menu items into the program, HOLOPHASE, Inc. asked one of the largest registration fees for a DOS shareware program -- US$995.00! There were many commercial CAD programs available at the time that cost far less (Key CAD Complete, Generic CADD, TurboCAD, etc.). Total install size: 1.03MB

Draft Choice 2.15 Copyright © 1994 TRIUS, Inc. Draft Choice can create complex drawings, diagrams, etc. It features graphics import/export of .dwg/.pic/.pcx/.wpg, has line, box, circle, arc, bezier, polygon, complex and other drawing tools, copy, move, erase, scale, extend, rotate, array, mirror, trim, break, offset editing tools, explode, warp, rubber, tween/etc. effects tools, image tools, fill, hatch, style units options, macros, animation, fonts, grid, snap-to, undo, mark, boundaries, graphical toolbars, pull-down menus on-line help and more. The registration fee was US$55.00. Total install size: 442K

ProtoCAD 3D 2.0 Copyright © 1994 TRIUS, Inc. A 3D CAD program, ProtoCAD features layering, drawing tools, height/width/angle orientation, arc, polygon, bezier, complex objects, spline, sphere, hemisphere, mesh, cone, prism, block, polyhedron, scale, rotate, array, trim, flip, layer move, revolve, xtrude, sweep (profile curve), explode, skin, patch, intersect, bind/group/ join/fragment objects, change vector normal (point to light source), pan, update, window, left/right/front/back/top/under/center/isometric/observer/perspective (graphical "ball" changes perspective angle) views, snap-to grid, attach objects, print/plot, render, on-line help and more. The registration fee was US$65.00. Total install size: 735K

PC Draft CAD 3.07 Copyright © 1995 Natural Software A more advanced CAD program than their earlier PC-Draft II, the menu items are not in a standard order (File, View, etc.). It features drawing tools (line, arc, curve, box, circle, spline, dimension, etc.), scale, rotate, stretch, mirror, layering, center, pan, zoom, redraw, snap-to grid, text, ratio, X/Y coordinate display, midpoint, endpoint, base set, print options, on-line help and more. The registration fee was US$70.00. Total install size: 596K

Card-Sign-Banner-Etc.     From the mid-1980's to mid-1990's, Printmaster and The Print Shop were the dominant commercial DOS card/sign/banner programs. They also cost US$80.00. Shareware DOS card/sign/banner software offered a less expensive alternative.

Bannerific 2.1 Copyright © 1992 TexaSoft No fancy frills in this program. Just print horizontal or vertical banners. Like the old "ASCII art" of days gone by, Bannerific uses any keyboard character to produce large banner messages (# is the default). The program asks you to enter values for letter height, width, left printer margin, etc. Then it prints the banner. And unlike other print programs that consumed precious megabytes of older, smaller hard drive space, Bannerific is very compact in size. The registration fee was US$20.00. Total install size: 103K

PrintPartner 2.01 Copyright © 1992 Acropolis Software Move over Printmaster and The Print Shop and make room for a shareware program that can do almost as much as the "big boys." With 9 fonts and 74 graphics, PrintPartner lets you create cards, signs, banners, calendars, and letterheads. It also has a "picture editor" to edit existing graphics or create new ones. It supports 24 printer models. The registration fee was US$20.00. Total install size: 379K

Communication     From the mid-1980's to the early 1990's, BitCOM and Procomm were two of the dominant commercial DOS communication programs. They also cost over US$200.00. Shareware DOS communication software offered a much less expensive alternative.

PC Talk III Copyright © 1983 The Headlands Press, Inc. A very rare find these days, this freeware communication program delivers data and file transfers at a blistering 300 baud -- high-speed communication for 1983. It features call timing, file send/receive, Xmodem protocol, screen print, redial last number, a 15 number capacity dialing directory, message mode, echo on/off, view file, set macros for F1-F10, a help screen, and more. Total install size: 134K

Qmodem 1.05-B Copyright © 1985 The Forbin Project Another rare find, before going commercial, Qmodem started out as a shareware program. This is one of the first versions of Qmodem. It features a phone dialer, ANSI mode, translate table, echo, function key programming, baud rate change, redial, chat mode, printer echo, send break, scroll back, configuration menu, download/upload files, ASCII/Xmodem/Xmodem CRC/Relaxed Xmodem protocols, a utility to move the program menu windows, and more. Total install size: 106K

Lync 3.0 Copyright © 1992 Jason Alward One of the easiest and smallest DOS comm programs ever to dial a modem. It comes with a menu-driven interface, 45-entry dialing directory, handles baud rates from 300-38400, supports COM1 - COM4, up to 7 external transfer protocols and 5 built-in protocols: Ascii, Xmodem, 1k-Xmodem, Ymodem, and Zmodem, host mode with password protection, DOS shell, auto redial, tagging, auto dial, auto untagging, variable dial time, pause between dial attempts, capture session to file supported with ANSI code stripping, a complete manual and more. Total install size: 137K

Database     For much of the 1980's, dBASE was the dominant DOS commercial database program. It also cost US$495.00. The average user often was not in a position to afford the high cost of commercial database software. Shareware DOS database software offered a much less expensive alternative.

PC-File+ 2.0 Copyright © 1988 Buttonware, Inc. PC-File+ is a database program that can create custom databases, reports, and graphs. Features include data form screen "painting" or automatic generation, custom field definition, scrolling "window" fields, find/add/modify/delete/browse records, 5 graph types (vertical/horizontal bar charts, pie chart, line, chart, scatter diagram), graphics mode chart display with the ability to dynamically change graph type by entering a menu choice, import PC-Calc spreadsheets, built-in calculator, macros, print screen, shell to DOS, field edit masks, mail merge commands, teach mode, on-line help and more. Also included is a separate program, PC-Label (1986 version) that can print mailing and other labels. The registration fee was US$69.95. This version was released on two 360K floppies. Total install size: 667K

SSQL 3.1b Copyright © 1992 Steve Silva A dBASE-compatible SQL-based relational database management system. Using DOS VGA 80x50 resolution, it features an integrated multi-window environment similar to Borland's "Turbo" programming languages and includes text editor, forms and report generators, search and replace, cut, copy, paste, clear, undo, create table/view/index, insert values, update, delete, drop, column calculations, avg, min, max, sum, count, null support, up to 14 tables in joins, queries, up to 14 levels of subqueries, supports correlated subqueries, dBASE III support (databases without memo fields), creates dBASE III-compatible databases, calls script files, shell to DOS, order by clause, redirect to file, union, exists predicate, view (derived table), 100+ page manual (first quarter of the entire manual provided to registered users). It does not have SQL grant and revoke security features and does not have expanded memory support. The original registration fee was US$35.00. Total install size: 1.12MB

Desktop Publishing     From the mid-1980's to early 1990's, Ventura Publisher was one of the dominant commercial DOS desktop publishing programs. It also cost US$495.00. The average user often was not in a position to afford the high cost of high-end commercial software. Shareware DOS desktop publishing software offered a much less expensive alternative.

EnVision Publisher 2.01 Copyright © 1994 Software Vision Corporation Winner of several shareware awards, this desktop publishing program has more functionality than some Windows 3.x desktop publishing programs. It features a graphical WYSIWYG interface, horizontal and vertical toolbars and rulers, templates for fliers and newsletters, 4 fonts, spell checker, style sheets, line, graphic, fill options, kerning, line justification, text rotation and color, cut, copy, paste, PCX and text import, zoom, page insert, clear, and delete, on-line help, and more. It also has a built-in screen saver. The registration fee was US$134.00. Total install size: 1.80MB

Educational     DOS commercial educational software was relatively expensive. The average user often was not in a position to afford the high cost of commercial software. DOS shareware educational software offered a less expensive alternative.     Do you really need a "new" computer to teach children math, the alphabet, and other "constant" knowledge? One plus one equals two on an 8088, 286, 386, 486, 586, etc.

Amy's First Primer 1.2 -- BASIC Version Copyright © 1985 Computing Specialties An extremely rare find these days, this is one of the first versions of Amy's First Primer. It is released as an UNCOMPILED BASIC PROGRAM, which is almost unheard of for shareware program releases after the early 1980's. The 5¼" 360K floppy disk this program was distributed on included Microsoft GW-BASIC 3.21 and the system boot files of IBM PC-DOS 2.15. The details of this educational program are explained in the 1.7 version below. This version was released on one 360K floppy. Total install size: 279K

Amy's First Primer 1.7 Copyright © 1988 Computing Specialties A good learning program for children 4-8 years old. It's colorful CGA menu is easy for kids to use. Use the up and down arrow keys to point the blue arrow to the exercise you want and press enter. "ABC SONG" is musical tones played as small and captial letters are displayed along with an associative picture. "BEARY FUN LETTERS" is an exercise that displays a picture and the child must press the letter the picture begins with. If the letter is correct, a picture of a bear is placed on the screen and a short musical bleep is played. "BUNNY LETTERS" associates pictures with letters. The child must match four pictures with the letters the pictures begin with. If all four are correct, the picture of a bunny is displayed at the top of the screen and a musical bleep plays. "BEARY FUN COUNTING" shows 1-9 objects in the middle of the screen. The child must press the correct number to advance to the next screen. "HELP THE FROGGY" has the child guide a frog through a maze to a lilly pad. "LOAD THE TRUCK" teaches object/shape association by having to place the correct shapes on a truck using a hyster. This program can be run on 8088 XT and later PCs running DOS 2.x and later. The registration fee was US$15.00. This version was released on one 360K floppy.   Total install size: 271K

ABC FUN KEYS 4.1 Copyright © 1989 Courtney E. Krehbiel An educational program for children 2-6 years old. It features 38 colorful full-screen graphics, action, and 27 nursery rhyme songs. The new feature in this version is scrolling lyrics for the nursery rhymes. ABC FUN KEYS consists of four different games. "Display" is where a picture is displayed and song is played for each letter and number key pressed. "Basic" where one must match the letter/number picture displayed on the screen with the corresponding key on the keyboard. "Guess Quick" is a more advanced version of "Basic" where the picture is gradually revealed and the child must make the correct match in a limited time period. "Heaven & Mud" is a child's typing tutor where letters and numbers float in the "air" between "heaven" and "mud." Letters need to be "hearted to heaven" by pressing the corresponding key before they expire and sink into the mud. This version was released on one 360K floppy. Total install size: 291K

Liberty! 1.0 Copyright © 1989 Taegan D. Goddard "Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Citizens of the U.S.A. might not have any of those rights had it not been for the creation of the U.S. Constitution in 1787. Written with an early version of Layout, this educational program covers the history of the U.S. Constitution, nine key U.S. Supreme Court cases (Miranda vs. Arizona, Roe vs. Wade, etc.), a quiz on some of the most important passages of the U.S. Constitution, and a complete hypertext edition of the U.S. Constitution and amendments (current to 1989). This is a good learning tool for people of all ages to familiarize themselves with the most important document ever created for the United States of America. This version was released on one 360K floppy. Total install size: 338K

Treasure Hunt Math 1.2 Copyright © 1993 Adventure LearningWare For home and school, this program covers elementary math education for grades 1 through 6. It contains over 1000 math facts in all the math operations introduced in elementary school (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, decimals and percents) organized by subject and level and include review lessons. An editor lets you customize and add math problems. Parents and teachers will appreciate the record keeping capabilities and the ability to generate printed math tests and certificates of achievement. The objective of the game is to find a treasure that was long sunk with a pirates' ship. There are four phases that take you in and around the treasure island and under the sea. As you progress you are presented with math problems to solve. A study mode is available where you can preview the equation before attempting to solve it. The registration fee was US$19.95. Total install size: 376K

Electronic Document     The "paperless office" -- that was what electronic document imaging software promised. No more hard copies. No filing cabinets full of paper documents. No papers getting lost or discarded. All information would pass from one computer to another and the documents would be "filed" electronically on servers, hard drives, or other electronic storage. Welcome to the wave of the future.     At least, that was the way it was supposed to work...     If anything, in many cases, the more businesses tried to reduce paperwork, more often than not they tended to generate even more than before the reduction measures were implemented. Copier and computer printer manufacturers don't have to worry about going out of business anytime soon.

Acrobat Reader 1.0 for DOS Copyright © 1993 Adobe Systems, Inc. A rare find these days, having a graphical interface similar to Windows 3.x, this is the first DOS version of Acrobat Reader. Distributed free with software and available for free download from BBS's and later the Internet, Adobe's PDF format became a standard for documentation files the same way zip files did for archiving. PDF files are able to incorporate multi-font multi-pitch text, graphics, hyperlinks, and have standard page size formatting. Acrobat Reader only reads PDF files. It doesn't edit existing files or create new ones. Newer versions of the reader are still offered free today. This version was released on two 1.44MB floppies. Total install size: 3.43MB

Financial -- Accounting & Payroll     In the 1980's and early 1990's, Peachtree, DacEasy, and Pacioli were some of the dominant commercial DOS accounting programs. They also cost up to US$400.00. The average user often was not in a position to afford the high cost of this commercial software. Shareware DOS accounting software offered a much less expensive alternative.

Medlin Accounting Software Copyright © 1990 Jerry Medlin This is a menu-driven shareware accounting/payroll system that covers nearly the entire spectrum of the accounting process -- general ledger, accounts receivable, accounts payable, and payroll. Track vendors, invoices, transactions, customers, and employees. Manage your chart of accounts, sales codes, charges, and payments. Print business and payroll checks, balance sheets, income and general statements, customer activity, payroll reports, and more. It also comes with full documentation for each "module." The registration fee was US$35.00 per module. Total install size: 375K

Financial -- Financial Manager     In the mid to late 1980's, Quicken was the dominant commercial DOS financial manager program. It also cost over US$200.00. Shareware DOS financial manager software offered a much less expensive alternative.

CashTrac 5.12 Copyright © 1985 John MacEvoy A "personal finance manager," CashTrac manages many of your day-to-day financial tasks such as your checking and/or savings account records. The "Graphing & Additional Utilities" option is available only to registered users. The screen displays and reports are formatted to display check numbers up to 9999 and U.S. dollar values up to 9,999,999.99. Other options include sorting options for checking and saving account files, packing the unpaid bills file, setting a minimum balance and more. The registration fee was US$35.00. Total install size: 231K

ExpressCheck 2.06 Copyright © 1988 Expressware Corporation With its unique menu system, ExpressCheck stood out from other menu-driven software of the time. This is another "personal finance manager" program to help you manage checking accounts. The registration fee was US$29.95. Total install size: 320K

Form Generator     In the mid to late 1980's and early 1990's, Form Tool was one of the dominant commerical DOS form generating programs. It also cost over US$100.00. Shareware DOS form generating software offered a less expensive alternative.

FormGen 2.62 Copyright © 1986 R. MacLean A very old and rare version of FormGen, this version features draw single line, draw double thick line, set cursor to draw with character under cursor, set cursor to erase, insert single/double line at cursor, insert/delete column, stretch mode, copy/ move/clear block, center cell, shell to DOS, on-line help and more. The registration fee was US$35.00. Total install size: 133K

SuperForms 3.12 Copyright © 1992 SuperSoftware This is a mouse-supported, menu-driven form generator. Choose from many drawing tools and put your imagination to work. The forms can be simple or complex. It also has an on-line manual to guide you through the software. The registration fee was US$49.00. Total install size: 262K

Graphical User Interface     So? Do you think you have to buy a commercial graphical user interface to make DOS more user friendly? Not even! There are shareware and freeware graphical user interfaces for DOS that rival or even surpass the GUIs of commercial software offerings.

Desktop 2.62e Copyright © 1998 Felix Ritter This isn't GEM. This isn't GEOS. And it most definitely isn't that other graphical user interface by Microsoft. What is it called? I keep confusing its name with Lindows®.... Desktop was originally developed in German and later translated into English by Sarah Bown and Nathan Stanley. A GUI for DOS, it features a progam manager in which programs, represented as icons, and groups, shown as folder icons, can be run. It also has a CD player, a calculator with 5-decimal precision and memory/ exponentiation/root functions, a full-featured file manager with drag-and-drop, directory utilities, file utilities, and disk utilities including disk copy/label/format/ freshen (for those of you who believe in "magnetic media degradation") a DOS command line, shell to DOS and more, a text editor with hex and programming modes, search, insert date/time, cut/copy/paste/delete, etc. It also has system setting options, time display and on-line help. DOS is dead? Not! Desktop was offered as a free Internet download. Total install size: 1.57MB

Graphics Software     From the mid-1980's to mid-1990's, PC Paintbrush and Deluxe Paint were two of the dominant commercial DOS graphics programs. They also cost over US$150.00. Shareware DOS graphics software offered a less expensive alternative.

PC Picture Graphics System Copyright © 1985 Eugene Ying Once you get familiar with the way this graphics program works, you can make some eye-catching graphics with it. The principle of this program is objects, text and graphics, are placed in a temporary file and arranged as necessary and then saved. The program will also allow you to draw lines and geometric shapes and import other graphics pictures. Background and symbol colors can be changed. Images can be saved and printed. It has 270 symbols and pictures and 5 five fonts. This program also has on-line help. A US$10.00 donation was asked for this program. Total install size: 206K

Painter's Apprentice Copyright © 1988 Russell Nelson and Pat Naughton A mouse driven "paint" program looking very much like a Macintosh program, it features text, scroll, air brush, fill, pen, brush, eraser, line, polygon, rectangle, filled rectangle, rounded rectangle, filled rounded rectangle, oval, filled oval, horizontal and vertical constraining, and 36 fill patterns aligned in a toolbar at the bottom of the screen. The pull-down menus at the top of the screen are condensed into a "shadow bar" and only visible when you click a menu item. Other features include file scratch, restore, save as, drive select, undo, cut, copy, paste, clear, flip horizontal/ vertical, rotate, invert, outline, fill, grid, WYSIWYG preview page, font pitch/styles, on-line help and more. The registration fee was US$35.00. Total install size: 206K

Graphic Workshop 7.0e Copyright © 1994 Alchemy Mindworks A graphics conversion program, Graphic Workshop supports ART, BMP, CUT, EPS, EXE, GEM, IMG, GIF, HRZ, JPG, IFF/LBM, MAC, MSP, PCX, PIC, RAS, RLE, TGM, TIF, TXT, UUE, and WPG graphics formats. Other features: image scale, dither, crop, transform (rotate, flip) reverse color, color reduction, grey scale, sharpen, soften, smudge, spatial posterize, convert to 24-bit, cataloging (thumbnails), print, file list tag/untag, file rename/delete, shell to DOS, on-line help and more. The registration fee was US$40.00. Total install size: 1.81MB

Menu     From the mid-1980's to mid-1990's, Menu Works and Direct Access were two dominant commercial DOS menu programs. They also cost up to US$100.00. Shareware DOS menu software offered a less expensive alternative.

PowerMenu 2.15 Copyright © 1987 Brown Bag Software PowerMenu features 10 menu items with submenus and hotkeys. Other features include Disk Manager, System Information, Map of Progs, Window to DOS, Printer Status, RAM Status, Time Set, New Date, Colors, Options, a screen saver, on-line help and more. It also had an unusually high registration fee of US$97.45. Total install size: 216K

3DMENU 2.0 Copyright © 1988 Tony Minichillo This menu system can create submenus to organize groups of software and has mouse support. No cursor, the highlight bar moves. Its compact size makes it ideal for small hard drives. The registration fee was US$39.00. Total install size: 65K

Easy Access Menu System 5.0c Copyright © 1988 TengWare Ent. Easy Access is a DOS menu system which also includes a calendar system which can record daily reminders. It features custom color settings, unlimited sub-menus with 16 items per sub-menu, optional usage logging with user log-on, screen saver and on-line help. The registration fee was US$20.00. Total install size: 158K

Turbo Menu 5.5 Copyright © 1993 Decisis, Inc. A mouse-compatible DOS menu program featuring automatic menu generation with nearly 1,000 programs it can recognize, up to 26 menu items on the main menu and sub-menus, scrolling menu bars, hot keys, 5 levels of password protection, resident and non-resident memory modes, network compatible, log file generation, adjusting menus, automatic file checking, clock display, directory utility, built-in text editor, configurable colors and menu style, hard drive head parking utility, screen saver and on-line help. The registration fee was US$39.95. Total install size: 527K

Central Command 3.1 Copyright © 1994 Nallionworks Programming This menu program has point-and-click graphical buttons running in text mode. It features up to 300 items on 25 menu "pages," item configuration, customizable menu title, shell to DOS, password protection, customizable colors, screen saver, on-line help and more. The registration fee was US$29.95. Total install size: 306K

Practical Joke     Alright, who's the wise guy? Computer practical joke programs are the electronic equivalent of the hand-held "joy buzzer." Since the dawn of computer programming, witty programmers have thrown computer code together to tease and razz people.     So be careful the next time you boot up your computer -- someone may have just planted a practical joke program on it to "get" you.

''Water detected in Drive A:'' Copyright © 1985 (?) Who said there was never any FUN in the office or in the home with the computer? This is perhaps the original PC practical joke. This classic was one of the most widespread jokes of its day. It was usually put on a bootable floppy and booted to the A> prompt. The unsuspecting victim would press any key and BUZZ! Up would pop these horrible "error" messages. This tiny program also had great sound effects for its day. The "Standby" message plays the sound of draining water. There's also a great "spin" sound for the "spin dry cycle" message. I had fun with this one years ago. On older PCs running DOS it can still get people today! Total install size: 10.6K

''Backtalk'' Copyright © 1988 Timothy Trimble Are we having any FUN yet? Be nice to your computer or it's liable to "talk back" to you! It works very hard and it needs its rest. If it doesn't get enough rest it can become grouchy and irritable. Don't believe me? Try running this program and see what happens. Total install size: 11.6K

Presentation     In the early 1990's, WordPerfect Presentations was one of the dominant commercial DOS presentation programs. It also cost US$495.00. The average user often was not in a position to afford the high cost of this commercial software. Shareware DOS presentation software offered a much less expensive alternative.

Charts Unlimited 2.0 Copyright © 1991 Graphware, Inc. Looking like a desktop publishing program using a Lotus 1-2-3 for DOS style menu, Charts Unlimited lets you create charts, graphs, schematics, and other items. Files consist of a grid of 100 rows (1000 in the registered version) and 256 columns. It features solid/dashed lines, grid, move, repeat, erase, clear, view, insert, delete, bold/find text, 36 objects (squares, triangles, bar patterns, math, etc.), 36 symbols (arrows, more math, etc.), print configuration/"magnification," save all or part of a chart, a general help screen, and a user's manual. The registration fee was US$45.00. Total install size: 229K

NeoShow 1.0 Copyright © 1993 OSCS Software Development, Inc. This is the first version of NeoShow by the software company under its original name before it became known as NeoSoft. NeoShow is a presentation program that can group PCX and GIF images into slide show presentations. Features include the "Neo" graphical user interface, a slide preview window with the ability to position graphics within each slide, add/copy/remove slide, select all, pre-show do nothing, clear screen, fade to black, match previous palette, 27 blind, crush, diagonal, dissolve, explode, fade, slide, spiral, split, weave, and wipe transitions, set time delay for each slide in min./sec., after slide display, do nothing, wait for key or mouse event, show remote control, debug slide show, 320x200 to 640x480 slide resolution, show looping, use EMS/XMS/virtual memory, beep on error, create backup, swap mouse buttons, use DOS temporary directory, set default video mode, show/hide thumbnails in slide preview, on-line help and more. The registration fee was US$30.00. "OSCS" stands for "On-Site Computer Services." Total install size: 835K

The Multimedia Workshop 12.00 Copyright © 1994 Jeff Napier This is a fully-functional authoring kit to make disk-based presentations including text, pictures, animations, screen effects, melody, digitized speech, sound effects, hyperlinking and user interaction. Its Windows-like graphical interface is mouse supported and the work area shows the coordinates of the pointer. The registration fee was US$29.95. Total install size: 709K

Productivity -- Personal Information Manager     In the mid to late 1980's, Borland's Sidekick and WordPerfect's Office were two of the dominant DOS commercial personal information manager productivity programs. They also cost US$150.00. The average user often was not in a position to afford the high cost of this commercial software. Shareware DOS productivity software offered a less expensive alternative.

PC Yearbook Copyright © 1984 Ulderic F. Racine PC Yearbook is a calendar/appointment schedule program. This program turns your computer into an electronic appointment book. Appointments can be scheduled in half-hour increments from 8:00 am to 6:30 pm. There is also a note pad to record other information. This progam packs a lot of funcitonality into a tiny amount of space. Written for a time of small hard drives and low-density floppy disks, PC Yearbook can do almost as much as electronic planners created many years later. The registration fee was US$15.00. Total install size: 36.6K

PC-DeskTeam 1.04 Copyright © 1986 Alternative Decision Software, Inc. Similar to Sidekick in features, PC-DeskTeam is a personal information manager and reminder program. It features an alarm clock to notify you of events, calculator, calendar with date/time scheduler, DOS command menu, notepad, phone dialer with phone list, printer control menu, typewriter mode, setup menu, on-line help and manual. The registration fee was US$27.50. Total install size: 209K

Homebase 2.15 Copyright © 1987 Brown Bag Software Another Sidekick-like program, Homebase features a calendar/planner with day, week, and month planners, a DOS file manager, a text editor with word wrap, "Notebase" for creating personal database files, Quick Term communication program with autodialer, file send/receive, terminal emulation, session capture, etc., "K-Cut" screen capture cut-and-paste utility, calculator with "tape" and 26 memory variables, novice and expert modes, and on-line help. It had an unusually high registration fee of US$97.45. This version was released on three 360K floppies. Total install size: 209K

Productivity -- Resume/Job Search     To land that perfect job you need a resume that is polished and perfect. It must convey the best possible portrayal of your skills, education, and other attributes. Special programs to offer advice, provide popular resume formats, and even provide databases with pre-filled data on compaines were provided to aid you in landing that career you have strived for. Forget those "head hunters," job service and "temp" companies -- let your fingers "do the walking" across your keyboard with a resume/job search program. Shareware DOS resume/job search programs offer a less expensive alternative to commercial software.

Resume Shop 4.0 Copyright © 1994 Gary Marrer Keep your resume current with Resume Shop 4.0. This resume making program divides all of the categories of a resume into separate sections to be worked on individually, then combined to produce a finished resume. It also includes a "Resume Professor" which asks questions to collect the information to be put into the resume. When you have polished your resume, it can be printed using the print menu option. Resumes can be formatted for work or education. The registration fee was US$15.00. Total install size: 227K

Programming     From the 1980's to the mid-1990's, commercial DOS programming languages were very expensive with some costing several hundred U.S. dollars. Clarion Professional Developer originally retailed for US$799.99. Shareware DOS programming languages offer a less expensive alternative.

Schooner 2.50 Copyright © 1995 Jonathan Cook Schooner is a DOS shareware programming language. It features 91 functions, all syntax explained in its on-line help, dBASE-compatible database engine, Clipper- like memory functions and programming, and a text-based editor. Schooner can create graphical, mouse-driven, GUI-based programs complete with background and foreground graphics, toolbars, menus, scrollable "windows," and more. Schooner is an interpreter and does not have a program compiler. It generates RUN files that Schooner executes. The registration fee was US$39.95. Total install size: 2.98MB

Reference     During the 1980's and early 1990's there were several companies that created commercial DOS reference software. Some titles cost US$100.00 or more. Shareware DOS reference software offered a less expensive alternative.

Computer Chef 1.1 Copyright © 1982 James J. Gillogly A very rare find, this program was created before "shareware" was invented. With only parameter input to program options, this is a recipe database management system and features 26 recipes databases containing hundreds of recipes. You can search these recipes by keyword, ingredients, and title words. You can also "prune" the list by specifying further selection criteria. In a day when 20MB (that's MEGAbyte) hard drives were the largest capacity, this program was considered very big. Total install size: 426K

Thesaur Plus 5.0 Copyright © 1992 Derrick Burgess Thesaur Plus is a memory resident thesaurus. It pops up over your word processor program and automatically looks up the word the cursor is under. It can also look up words you enter into it. It then displays synonyms for the entered word (if it is in the program's word list). Thesaur has approximately 15,000 main words and 80,000 synonyms. There is also a program that allows you to add your own words as synomyms and delete words. The registration fee was US$20.00. Total install size: 726K

Skyglobe 3.5 Copyright © 1992 Derrick Burgess One of the more popular DOS-based astronomy programs, Skyglobe shows the view of the sky from nearly any location on earth. It lists many deep-sky objects, shows the Milky Way, and tracks the positions of the planets, moon, and sun. It has mouse support and when you hold down the left mouse button the "sky" moves in relation to the earth's rotation. Total install size: 293K

Screen Saver     Screen savers were originally designed to prevent screen "burn-in" -- the result of the same or similar displays "burning" their image into the inner phosphorous lining of a CRT monitor. A CRT monitor can be ruined in 72 hours with an idle screen displayed continually. This is why you will find used CRT monitors with patterns of spreadsheets and other programs "burned" into their picture tubes.     This can also happen to "new" monitors.     While the best screen saver is one that "blanks" the screen, it is not as entertaining as one that displays something while at the same time "saving" the screen from damage. It also does not earn as much money. Hence, a market was created filled with screen savers flashing displays and animations and some adding sound to make them a multimedia experience.     But if a screen saver has to hold your attention is it still a screen saver or has it become an entertainment program?

386 CPU Or Earlier Software America 3.0 Copyright © 1990 Thomas Wilson "And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air..." If you're a true blue American, you know the rest. This freeware screen saver is a fireworks show for your PC. It is a continual display of colorful fireworks bursting and fading. With settings to adjust the explosion and particle sizes, you can customize your settings to see the show just how you like it. Ironically, this screen saver was made to express the author's right to freedom of speech in America. It's too bad the people that abuse this fought-and-died-for right don't realize the price that has been paid to allow their "expressions." This program only runs on 386 or earlier PCs. It aborts with a "divide error" on newer CPUs. Total install size: 62K

Dazzle 4.2 Copyright © 1991 MicroTronics This was one of the more popular DOS shareware screen saver programs of the early 1990's. Dazzle produces complex multi-color patterns and randomly scrolls different patterns on top of the original pattern it builds. At times it also "warps" between pattern generations. It supports EGA, VGA, SVGA modes, XT computers, has several configuration options, and includes a complete documentation manual. The registration fee was US$15.00. Total install size: 201K

Aquarium 1.046 Copyright © 1992 Ron Gray "Aquariums are a proven method of relaxing." Or so this author says. This aquarium screen saver has a control panel that lets you control the number and type of fish and objects, display messages in the background, make the fish change direction and more. The registration fee was US$14.95. Total install size: 308K

Acid Warp 4.06 Copyright © 1993 Noah Spurrier & Mark Bilk The authors called this freeware program "eye-candy." Acid Warp can function as a DOS screen saver. The multi-colored displays are graphic representations of mathematical functions in integer approximations so a NPU isn't necessary to run it. With over 40 displays generated randomly, Acid Warp can mesmerise you without appearing overly repetitive. For the intricate displays it generates it is amazingly small compared to other DOS screen saver programs. No drugs are necessary to "trip out" on this program. Total install size: 25K

Manifestations of Einstein Copyright © 1994 Daniel Prust This is a freeware DOS screen saver of Einstein, relatively speaking. This screen saver features five positions of a picture of Einstein painted by F. Szasz in 1973 along with an animation of one of Einstein's quotes, "Imagination is more important than knowledge." The picture is actually divided up into four partial sections and one reduced full view. A DOS runtime switch allows you to set the delay time in seconds for the "slide show" of images (the default is 60 seconds). An exiting logo titled "Digitally insane" bids you fairwell. Total install size: 759K

Spreadsheet     For most of the 1980's and into the early 1990's, Lotus 1-2-3 was the dominant DOS commercial spreadsheet program. It also cost US$495.00. The average user often was not in a position to afford the high cost of commercial software such as 1-2-3. Shareware DOS spreadsheet software offered a much less expensive alternative.

PC-Calc 2.0 Copyright © 1984 ButtonWare A very rare find these days, this is an early version of PC-Calc. It's spreadsheet file size is 26 columns by 255 rows. There is no graph capability. It uses the slash (/) key like Lotus 1-2-3 to access its menu and features range blanking, width/height/layout/ color/keys/and printer configuration, row/column insert/delete, cell editing and formatting, global border/row/column/manual/auto/and zero-as blank, file load and save, print range/all, cell replication, horizontal/vertical/both/no titles, external data import from PC-Calc and PC-File, "zap" clear cell contents, and a partial on-line manual. The registration fee was US$48.00. This version was released on one 360K floppy.   Total install size: 289K

EZ-Spreadsheet Rev. A Copyright © 1986 Enerco Associates Just as the name implies, EZ-Spreadsheet is an "easy" spreadsheet program for calculating practical applications. It features auto-calc, insert/delete row/column, jump to cell, cell formatting, copy/move/sort/delete cell range, .DIF file import/export, math/financial/trig/logical/etc. formulas, on-line help, and more. EZ-Spreadsheet does not have graph capabilities but can accomplish many of the same tasks of spreadsheets costing ten times its price. The registration fee was US$49.95. P&M software would later acquire this program and call it TurboCALC. Total install size: 205K

As Easy As 3.00 Copyright © 1987 Trius, Inc. In the 1980's, spreadsheet developers made their software look like Lotus 1-2-3 in the hopes it would bring them success (revenue). Trius' approach was to make a spreadsheet that was "as easy as" 1-2-3 but cost far less. With Quattro-like menus and less functionality than 1-2-3, this spreadsheet was for people and small businesses that couldn't afford the US$495.00 license fees of some commercial spreadsheet software (like Lotus 1-2-3). The registration fee was US$30.00. This version was released on one 360K floppy. Total install size: 259K

TurboCALC 8.10 Copyright © 1987 P & M Software Co. Looking nearly identical to EZ-Spreadsheet (see above), P&M Software added more functionality to this spreadsheet program, integrated a text editor into it, and called it TurboCALC. It features 13 formula types, 48 functions, a text-based bar graphing utility, macros, "Turbo EDITOR TOOLBOX" -- a pull-down menu based text editor with the ability to work on two files at once, on-line help and more. The registration fee was US$40.00. Total install size: 259K

ExpressCalc 4.00 Copyright © 1988 Expressware Corporation With many commands and features, ExpressCalc is actually an advanced version of PC-Calc (note it even has the same sample spreadsheet as in PC-Calc's screenshot above). Its menu works like Lotus 1-2-3 and features 3D spreadsheet linking, trig/ math/logical/finanical/other formulas, recalculation, multiple windows, insert/delete rows/columns, horizontal/vertical title lock, and more. A spreadsheet file is 64 columns by 256 rows in size. It displays available memory in K on-screen. It also comes with complete manuals. The registration fee was US$63.45. Total install size: 594K

The Thinker 3.0 Copyright © 1988 Alan C. Elliott Looking very much like early versions of Lotus 1-2-3, this spreadsheet program has a file size of only 125 rows by 26 columns. The Thinker does not have graph capability and only has 0-15 place decimal cell formatting. It features worksheet row /column insert/delete, column width, range erase, range erase/copy/move, file retrieve/save/list/import, recalculation, 33 @ formula functions (financial, statistical, etc.), on-line help, and more. The registration fee was US$39.00. Total install size: 254K

QubeCalc 3.10 Copyright © 1990 FormalSoft QubeCalc is not your ordinary DOS spreadsheet. Unlike other programs that link separate spreadsheet files together, QubeCalc's "WorkQube" lets you place data in a six-sided spreadsheet "cube" and manupulate the data differently in each "page," creating multiple perspectives of the same data. It can convert rows into columns, and columns into pages. It also features Lotus 1-2-3, dBASE II, dBASE III, and DIF file import/export, sorting by row or column, title row/column locking, math/trig/finance/ statistics/logical/date/time/etc. functions, graphs, macros, auto-recalc, context- sensitive help and more. The registration fee was US$74.95. Total install size: 337K

InstaCalc Version 3 Copyright © 1991 FormalSoft Another program by FormalSoft, InstaCalc has a file size of 4,096 rows and 256 columns and can run as a TSR. It features mouse support, a layered menu, 100 @ functions in mathematical, trigonometric, statistical, financial, date/time, logical, string, data, and macro categories, cut and paste with other programs, import/export 1-2-3, dBASE, DIF, and ASCII files, macro language with loops, conditionals, etc., 7 chart types, EMS support, encryption, linking, auditing, search and replace, database forms, sorting, querying, file manager, on-line help and more. The registration fee was US$54.00. Total install size: 773K

Spreadsheet Accessory     From the 1980's forward, DOS spreadsheet software was a feat of programming technology that propelled the personal computer into the modern business world. But even this incredible software was not all-encompassing when it came to features and functionality.     To meet the needs of spreadsheet software users, accessory software was developed to accentuate spreadsheet programs. From enhanced printing capabilities to jargonless on-line help to improved user interfaces and beyond, spreadsheet accessory software took a good idea and made it better.

On-Side 1.01 Copyright © 1988 Expressware Corporation As DOS spreadsheets were becoming one of the most popular PC applications the solution to one problem eluded users of them -- how to print wide spreadsheet files without truncating the rightmost columns. One answer . . . print the spreadsheet sideways, or in landscape mode, to have a wider print area. And on continuous forms, very large spreadsheets could be printed like a banner with supposedly infinite columns. On-Side is one such solution to this problem. It can print a spreadsheet file "sideways" to include as many columns as a spreadsheet can create. The registration fee was US$23.45. This version was released on one 360K floppy.   Total install size: 344K

Training     What is an operating system? What is the proper syntax to perform a function in that programming language?     These and other questions can be answered by using training software. From the basics of an operating system to the most cryptic programming language, training software can broaden your knowledge and improve your computer skills. So fire up the computer, insert that floppy disk properly, type in the correct command to start the program, then sit back and prepare to be enlightened.

The BASIC Prof. Beginning BASIC Copyright © 1983 Eagle Software, Inc. An extremely rare find today, this is a very early freeware training program to teach the BASIC programming language for the first versions of BASIC released on some of the first personal computers of the early 1980's. This training program has an introduction, four lessons, index, table of contents, and covers various BASIC commands and statements such as PRINT, variables, line numbers, LIST, RUN, INPUT, LOAD, SAVE, READ, DATA, GOTO, IF THEN, ELSE, logical operators, STOP, REM, EDIT, AUTO, TRON, TROFF, RND, INT, ABS, and more. It also includes a very rare version of The IBM Personal Computer Basic Version A1.10 This version was released on one 160K floppy.   Total install size: 125K

Utility -- Archive     The advent of computer telecommunications was a wonderful thing. It allowed computers to share informaiton and led to the birth of Bulletin Board Services (BBSs) in the early 1980's. If you had a computer with a modem you could dial in to these BBSs and view their information, play games in the "doors" section, participate in on-line forum discussions, and download shareware/freeware software, image files, and other data.     The one drawback computer telecommunication had was only one file could be downloaded or uploaded at a time over a single-line DOS dial-up link. If you had two or more files that needed to be transferred, without an archive utility the files would have to be transmitted individually and uncompressed. If the files were large, using slow baud rates anywhere from 300 to 2400 baud, these transmissions could literally take hours and rack up expensive telephone bills if the connection involved long-distance charges.     Archive compression software helped solve both of the above problems with one utility program. These utilities can both archive and compress one or more files into a single file archive, allowing multi-file transfers via a single filename. This shortens transfer times and potentially saves money on connection fees. These utilities can also be used to archive program and data files to reduce disk consumption.

PKZIP 2.04g Copyright © 1993 PKWARE, Inc. The most successful DOS file compression utility, PKZIP makes it possible to send multiple files via modem as a single archive. With password protection, store paths, span disks, extra/normal/fast/super fast/no compression, view/sort zip files, and more. Also Included were PKUNZIP for expanding archives, ZIP2EXE for creating self-extracting archives, PKZIPFIX for fixing corrupt archives, and PKUNZJR, a PCjr unzip program which is compact and uses little memory. PKZIP 2.04g's file format became an informal universal standard for archives on BBSs and the Internet that remains to this day. The registration fee was US$47.00. Total install size: 41K -- Complete package size: 360K

Utility -- Diagnostic     ROM BIOS version numbers and dates, hexadecimal port addresses, IRQ assignments, used and available system memory, hard and floppy drive capacity, video graphics modes, operating system versions, device drivers, environment information, CPU benchmarks, drive read-write tests, RAM and video memory tests, and on and on and on. Because computers have so many components and use so many technologies to operate there are many different problems that can arise within them. Diagnostic software can "look inside" a computer and report and test many of these components. A good diagnostic program is an essential tool for anyone needing to troubleshoot computer problems.     But commercial DOS diagnostic software could be expensive, costing hundreds or even thousands of U.S. dollars. Shareware DOS diagnostic software offered a far less expensive, and sometimes free, alternative.

RamTest 3.02 Copyright © 1988 Brown Bag Software This RAM diagnostic program is designed to seek out defective memory chips in 8088 and 286 PCs using individual memory chips instead of SIMMs. It can test various combinations of conventional and expanded memory (if present). If one or more memory chips are bad they will be flagged and located to aid in replacing them. It can generate a report of its findings and route it to a COM or LPT port or a file on disk. The registration fee was US$25.00. Total install size: 96K

Port Test 1.1 Copyright © 1991 MicroSystems Development A utility for testing system comm and LPT hardware ports. It features internal and external diagnostic tests, display of installed ports with address and IRQ number, user modification of system tables, auto test all ports for burn-in, port test patterns, utilities for manipulating output lines, programming information, register definitions, pinout diagrams of connectors and primary components, serial port performance testing up to 115,200 baud, terminal emulation (serial port I/O), auto detection of COM3 and COM4 port addresses and more. The registration fee was US$62.00. Total install size: 61K

VESA Inspector Copyright © 1992 Dlugosz Software In the early 1990's there was a power struggle over computer video hardware standards. After ISA came VESA, and software vendors began writing drivers and programs specifically for VESA. VESA Inspector is a video information gathering and diagnostic program which can test your system's video hardware. Its compact size is impressive for the features it contains. Total install size: 17K

The Modem Doctor 5.1 Copyright © 1993 Hank Volpe A communication port and modem diagnostics program. Features communication port manual configuration, auto-detect, register tests for UART, DTR/DSR, RTS/CTS echo and handshake, Xon/Xoff handshake, display S-registers, carrier tests, select modem drivers, analog/digital loopback tests, interactive terminal mode, statistics display, setup options, on-line help, and more. The registration fee was US$19.95. Total install size: 64K

SYSCHK 2.42 Copyright © 1995 Advanced Personal Systems Provides a system hardware profile. It displays PC model, CPU (including Pentium floating-point bug), IRQ listing, NPU, Windows setup, ISA, PCI, Micro Channel, or EISA bus info, BIOS info, keyboard and mouse type, number of parallel/serial ports and base addresses, network connection, HD size/controller/manufacturer/partition, SCSI/IDE detail, cache info, floppy drives, video type/chipset/memory/BIOS/color capability/resolution, env. space used/available, conventional/extended/expanded memory, resident programs, non-standard drivers, throughput/video/HD speed, CMOS values and more. It did not like a 2.1GB HD partition or 128MB RAM. Total install size: 134K

Utility -- File Manager     DOS by itself was very user-unfriendly when it came to file management. Copy, delete, rename functions for files and directories were done by entering individual commands at a DOS prompt. File manager programs opened up a wealth of functionality and information for DOS users. On a single screen you can see disk data such as disk space, file lists, etc. At your fingertips are commands such as move, attributes, remove directory, format, print, and more. You can see exactly where you copy or move files and have an overall view of your disk's data structure. File manager software made DOS much easier to work with.     From the mid-1980's to the early 1990's, the two most popular DOS file managers were The Norton Commander and XTree. They also cost upwards of US$100.00. Shareware DOS file manager software offered a less expensive alternative.

The Compleat Filer 1.1 Copyright © 1985 Alan Farmer Never mind the spelling of this freeware program, The Compleat Filer is a file manager utility that makes DOS a easier to use. Moving to different drives, directories, and subdirectories is as easy as pressing an Alt-key and an arrow key. Displayed on-screen are the current date, DOS version, available RAM, drive letter and label, number of files in current directory and their disk usage. Multiple files can be selected to copy, move, delete, rename, compare, and print. There are utilites for making/removing subdirectories, changing file attributes, changing drive labels and printing directory listings. Total install size: 34K

ActaeOn 2.04 Copyright © 1991 Jon Clempner An XTree-like DOS file manager, ActaeOn features directory tree and file list "windows," drive information, file and directory delete, find, global view, info, jump, log, output, rename, shell, tag, untag, volume, window, xplore and zoom, new directory, file attribute, browse, copy, edit, find, move, output, perform (run), on-line help and more. The registration fee was US$44.95. Total install size: 350K

Stereo Shell 4.10 Copyright © 1993 M.R.E. Software A dual-"window" -- what the author calls "stereo" -- DOS file manager, Stereo Shell looks like a cross between GW-BASIC and The Norton Commander. It features function key commands for file copy, erase, move, rename, view, edit and mark. The built-in file viewer features text/hex views, search engine and print. Other features include subdirectory tree display accessed from the center directory area, change drive, subdirectory create/rename/erase, "gateway" (shell) to DOS, EGA/VGA/MCGA support, compress files (uses external compression programs), mouse support, on-line help and more. The registration fee was US$32.00. Total install size: 254K

Word Processor     From the early 1980's to the mid-1990's, WordPerfect was the dominant commercial word processor program. It also cost US$495.00. The average computer user often was not in a position to afford the high cost of this commercial software. Shareware DOS word processor software offered a much less expensive alternative.

PC-Write 2.55 Copyright © 1985 Quicksoft A rare find these days, this is an early version of PC-Write. It features color/b&w editing, insert, replace, delete text, search and replace, copy/move block, set margins/tabs, reformat/justify paragraphs, italics/underlined/bold, headers, footers, footnotes, split screen, transpose, change case, bookmark keys, macros, reformat, "hold" area for cut or deleted block text (clipboard), bookmark, center line or marked text, create backup file, special characters, text ruler, "jump" to a line or page, "dot" commands for headers, footers, indexes, etc., creation of template files, text/file merge, on-line help and more. The registration fee was US$75.00. This version was released on one 360K floppy.   Total install size: 341K

PC-Type+ 1.1 Copyright © 1986 Buttonware Another rare find, this is one of the first versions of PC-Type+. It features a DOS-like command line with cryptic syntax commands is used to perform functions such as opening files, moving text lines, moving to a new location in a document, etc. Other features include a spell checker, block highlighting of text for copying/moving, text justification, book markers, undo (the "whoops key"), macros, call DOS commands, use ASCII characters for "boxes," and more. The registration fee was US$69.95. This version was released on three 360K floppies. Total install size: 754K

PC-Outline! 3.34 Copyright © 1987 Brown Bag Software PC Outline! was one of the earliest DOS shareware programs to offer pull-down menus. It features ASCII, WordStar and "structured" file compatibility, move/ delete/create/mark/unmark/join/divide outline entries, copy/move marks, sort outline level, find/replace string, copy/move/delete block, page breaks, tab stops, global/default/range/current paragraph styles, start/reset/skip numbering, title toggle, even right margins, printer options, text hiding/display options, up to nine movable, sizable, "windows," on-line help and more. The registration fee was high for a DOS shareware program -- US$202.50. This version was released on one 360K floppy.   Total install size: 199K

Word Fugue 3.0 Copyright © 1992 Fugue Software This shareware word processor has advanced features found in commercial word processors costing up to ten times the price of this one. Featuring mouse support, printer driver files, spell check, find, replace, generate index/TOC, calculator, multiple file editing in sizable "windows," ruler, auto save, page/line/column numbering, block copy/move/delete/hide/format/etc., go to, format paragraph, margin release, bold, double, underscore, sub/superscript, compressed, italic, footnotes, annotation, center line, set marker (10 available), file info, context sensitive on-line help and much more. The original registration fee was US$50.00. Total install size: 1.48MB

EZX-Word 3.0 Copyright © 1993 EZX Publishing EZX-Word has user-friendliness and functionality. It features a spell checker, up to 6 sizeable document "windows" on the same screen, paragraph format, undelete, margin settings, bold/underscore/superscript/subscript/italic/compressed fonts, block begin/end/hide/copy/move/delete/format, go to page line/column number, top of file, bottom of file, start/end of block, marker, search and replace, macros, tab settings, file/display/color options, on-line help and more. A "nag" screen also pops up every few minutes. The registration fee was US$39.00. Total install size: 343K

Galaxy Pro-Lite 2.10 Copyright © 1993 Starlite Software Co. Galaxy Pro-Lite has many features high-end commercial word processors have -- mouse support, auto-save, save-as, mail merge, two "windows" for working on two documents at the same time, word wrap, auto-indent, scroll bars, spell checker, document backup, undo, WordStar format, tab settings, search and replace, go to beginning/ending of file/block, line, or marker, block begin/end/copy/move/read/ write/delete/hide/spell check/word count, macros, on-line help and more. The registration fee was US$50.00. Total install size: 1,018K

StarWriter 6.0 Lite Copyright © 1993 Pavilion Software Move over WordPerfect 6.x for DOS -- here is a shareware program that can almost match its features, and with ten times less install size. Features include a mouse-driven, windowed graphical user interface that looks like a cross between Microsoft Windows 2.x and WordPerfect 6.0 for DOS, thesaurus, spell checker, glossary, outlining, calculator, sorting, page numbering, line drawing, pagination, macros, hyphenation, paragraph/page formatting, tab settings, headers, footers, TOC/index, insert file/db record/picture/equation, text mode display, one and two page WYSIWYG print preview, document info, search, replace, repeat, cut, copy, paste, move, undo, document and file managers, 13 multi-pitch fonts, bold, italics, underline, left/center/right justification, on-line help and more. The registration fee was US$59.00. Total install size: 3.55MB

PowerText Professional 4.5 Copyright © 1993 Pavilion Software This is not your typical DOS word processor. PowerText uses formatting codes and style sheets. This program is intended to help people create resumes, screen plays, TV scripts, academic papers, business reports, newsletters, etc. Other features include "newspaper" columns, parallel columns, outline, checkbox, float blocks, frames, grid, preface, remarks, dropcap, show clipboard, format actor speech, scene, split, step, Roman Numeral page numbers, printer drivers, 11 fonts, spell check, mouse support, multiple, sizable document "windows" and much more. The registration fee was US$45.00. Total install size: 1.75MB

DOS is DEAD???   Never!




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