Microsoft Multiplan: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 03:48, 22 March 2023

A spreadsheet from Microsoft originally developed for CP/M and released in 1982. It eventually got ported to a host of 8-bit computers and a few 16-bit ones in the form of DOS, Burroughs B-20, the Apple Macintosh and later OS/2, at its peak Multiplan was available in 100 different versions. While well received on the 8-bit platforms as being more advanced than what was currently available when it was released, it bombed on the IBM PC and other more powerful computers as it was considered seriously underpowered, the only exception being The Apple Macintosh, but Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates had made an exclusivity deal with Apple so for over a year it was the only spreadsheet available for the platform.

Nonetheless the company managed to sell a million copies of the program by late 1985. The bulk of those sales were for 8-bit systems on one hand and on the other on the Apple Macintosh, the uptake on the IBM PC had been slow due to Lotus 1-2-3 although Multiplan initially gained some sales due to being much cheaper than 123. With the introduction of cheaper and more powerful spreadsheets like SuperCalc it more or less died in the DOS marketplace.

Versions

CP/M

1981: 1.02
Aug 1982: 1.03 - for Apple II, Osborne
1.05
1.06

DOS

Oct 1982: 1.0 - first version for IBM PC DOS
1983: 1.1
1984: 1.2
1985: 2.0 - extension of cells from 63x256 to 255x485
1987: 3.0 - LAN support

DOS & OS/2

1988: 4.0 - first version for DOS and OS/2
1989: 4.1 - bugfix release
1990: 4.2 - last version

Version 4.x came with both DOS and OS/2 executable but note that sales for the program had slowed down considerably by then and the 4.1 and 4.2 versions are very rare, and they are copy protected, which makes installing them on a modern system a bit of a hassle.
XENIX

1984: 1.0 - ported by SCO
1986: 2.0
1987: 2.01 - multi-user
2.201
SCO Multiplan 3.00N
1987: SCO Multiplan 3.20E
Nov 1987: SCO Multiplan 3.25E

Macintosh

Jan 1984: Multiplan 1.0
1985: Multiplan 1.1
Nov 1986: Multiplan 1.11

Author & publisher

Douglas Klunder
Microsoft

Publications

Robert E. Williams: The Power of Multiplan - MIS 1982, ISBN 0-943518-05-9
M. Laric: Multiplan for the IBM Personal Computer - W.C. Brown 1984, ISBN 0-697-00330-2
Rob Krumm: Understanding and Using Multiplan - Brady 1985, ISBN 0-89303-921-7

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 A spreadsheet from [[Microsoft]] originally developed for [[CP/M]] and released in 1982. It eventually got ported to a host of 8-bit computers and a few 16-bit ones in the form of [[DOS]], Burroughs B-20, the Apple [[Macintosh]] and later OS/2, at its peak Multiplan was available in 100 different versions. While well received on the 8-bit platforms as being more advanced than what was currently available when it was released, it bombed on the IBM PC and other more powerful computers as it was considered seriously underpowered, the only exception being The Apple Macintosh, but Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates had made an exclusivity deal with Apple so for over a year it was the only spreadsheet available for the platform.
-Nonetheless the company managed to sell a million copies of the program by late 1985, but the wast bulk of those sales were for 8-bit systems on one hand and on the other on the Apple Macintosh, the uptake on the IBM PC had been slow due to [[Lotus 1-2-3]] although Multiplan initially gained some sales due to being much cheaper than 123, with the introduction of cheaper and more powerful spreadsheets like SuperCalc it more or less died in the DOS marketplace.
+Nonetheless the company managed to sell a million copies of the program by late 1985. The bulk of those sales were for 8-bit systems on one hand and on the other on the Apple Macintosh, the uptake on the IBM PC had been slow due to [[Lotus 1-2-3]] although Multiplan initially gained some sales due to being much cheaper than 123. With the introduction of cheaper and more powerful spreadsheets like SuperCalc it more or less died in the DOS marketplace.
 == Versions ==