Microsoft Works

Microsoft Works is a software suite developed by Microsoft, first released in 1987 for MS-DOS and later for Windows and Mac OS. It was designed to be a more affordable alternative to Microsoft Office, with a focus on home users and small businesses, similar to AppleWorks and Corel WordPerfect. The suite included a word processor, spreadsheet, and database applications, making it a competitor to Lotus 1-2-3, WordStar, and dBase. Microsoft Works was also influenced by VisiCalc and Multiplan.

● Introduction

Microsoft Works was introduced in 1987, with the goal of providing a user-friendly and affordable software suite for home users and small businesses, similar to IBM's Lotus Symphony and Borland's Borland Office. The suite was designed to be easy to use, with a focus on intuitive interfaces and tutorials, similar to Apple's Macintosh and Compaq's Compaq Presario. Microsoft Works was also compatible with Microsoft Office, allowing users to share files and collaborate with others, including Novell's Novell NetWare and IBM's OS/2. The suite was widely used in education, with many schools and universities adopting it as a standard, including Harvard University, Stanford University, and MIT.

● History

The development of Microsoft Works began in the mid-1980s, with a team led by Charles Simonyi, who had previously worked on Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel. The first version of Microsoft Works was released in 1987 for MS-DOS, and was later ported to Windows and Mac OS. The suite was initially called Microsoft Home, but was later renamed to Microsoft Works, possibly to avoid confusion with Microsoft HomeOS, a operating system developed by Microsoft Research. Over the years, Microsoft Works underwent several updates and revisions, with new features and improvements added, including support for Microsoft Access and Microsoft PowerPoint. The suite was also influenced by IBM's IBM PC, Apple's Macintosh 128k, and Compaq's Compaq Portable.

● Features

Microsoft Works included a range of features, including a word processor, spreadsheet, and database applications, similar to Microsoft Office and Corel WordPerfect. The suite also included a calendar and address book application, as well as a dictionary and thesaurus, similar to Merriam-Webster and Oxford University Press. The word processor included features such as font and formatting options, as well as spell checking and grammar checking, similar to Microsoft Word and WordStar. The spreadsheet application included features such as formulas and charting options, similar to Microsoft Excel and Lotus 1-2-3. The database application included features such as record and field management, as well as query and report generation, similar to Microsoft Access and dBase.

● Versions

There were several versions of Microsoft Works released over the years, including Microsoft Works 1.0, Microsoft Works 2.0, and Microsoft Works 3.0, similar to Microsoft Office 95 and Microsoft Office 97. Each version included new features and improvements, such as support for Windows 95 and Windows 98, as well as Mac OS 8 and Mac OS 9. The suite was also released in several languages, including English, French, German, and Spanish, similar to Microsoft Office and Adobe Creative Suite. Microsoft Works was also compatible with Microsoft Office, allowing users to share files and collaborate with others, including Novell's Novell NetWare and IBM's OS/2.

● Compatibility

Microsoft Works was compatible with a range of operating systems, including Windows, Mac OS, and MS-DOS, similar to Microsoft Office and Corel WordPerfect. The suite was also compatible with Microsoft Office, allowing users to share files and collaborate with others, including Novell's Novell NetWare and IBM's OS/2. Microsoft Works was also compatible with Adobe Acrobat, allowing users to create and edit PDF files, similar to Adobe Creative Suite and QuarkXPress. The suite was widely used in education, with many schools and universities adopting it as a standard, including Harvard University, Stanford University, and MIT.

● Discontinuation

Microsoft Works was discontinued in 2007, with the release of Microsoft Office 2007, similar to Microsoft Office 95 and Microsoft Office 97. The suite was replaced by Microsoft Office Starter, a limited version of Microsoft Office that included Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel, similar to Corel WordPerfect and Lotus 1-2-3. Microsoft Works is no longer supported by Microsoft, and is not compatible with modern operating systems, including Windows 10 and macOS, similar to Windows XP and Windows Vista. However, the suite remains a popular choice for retro computing enthusiasts, who continue to use and support it, including Linux and FreeBSD users. Category:Software suites