Boeing Calc

Boeing Calc was a spreadsheet system introduced by Boeing Computer Services in 1985, it pioneered the concept of 3D Spreadsheets and due to the implementation of virtual memory could handle larger sheets than its competitors in addition to being able to handle multiple sheets at a time, but lacked a graphics module, the company however sold a separate graphing application called Boeing Graph.

Because the software could read Lotus 1-2-3 files it was frequently used almost as an extender for the latter programs, not only could Boeing Calc handle much large spreadsheets than Lotus it could also combine them into one file in an arrangement reminiscent of tabs in modern spreadsheets and create multi-dimensional sheets out of a number of Lotus files. This allowed companies to merge spreadsheets from multiple departments or offices into one document that gave a much better overview of the data, but that was a tricky or impossible operation in other spreadsheets.

Links & publications

• Jim Toole: Program tackles large corporate spreadsheets: Complement to Lotus 1-2-3 does job but needs lots of power - A review of Boeing Calc 3.00E - From InfoWorld August 3, 1987

• Robert L. Glass: Recommended: a Minimum Standard Software Toolset - Published in ACM SIGSOFT Software Engineering, Volume 7 Issue 4, October 1982, Pages 3-13

Publisher

• Boeing Computer Services