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VisiCalc Turns 25, Creators Interviewed

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the column-z-row-2 dept.

Xaroth writes "It's hard to believe that it's already been 25 years since the release of one of the world's first 'killer apps.' 1979 saw the creation of VisiCalc, the first microcomputer-based spreadsheet and the single application that launched widespread computer use among businesses. To remember this event, PC World has published portions of interviews with the three co-creators of the modern spreadsheet: Dan Bricklin, Bob Frankston, and Dan Fylstra. Alternately, check out the Software History website for more information on this and other historical bits."

6 of 149 comments (clear)

  1. Small fact... by networkGhettoWhore · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I dont think the article mentioned this, but VisiCalc was also the first (known) enterprise app to be ported from the Apple OS to a *Nix based system.

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    Natural Selection: self-destruction of the poor and lazy
  2. Some Special on TV by aliens · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I remember watching something about the early days of PC's and there was an interview with one of Visicalc's creators and he discussed the first time he showed it to an accountant.

    The accountant supposedly started visibly shaking and proclaimed "Do you realize just how much time this will save me??"

    I just found that bit interesting for all the people who hold onto "the good old days" and question if computers have really helped or hindered us.

    In my mind I try to imagine just where we would be if we still only had large main frames. The power of the PC is truely amazing.

    (sorry just got back from a workout and am high on endorphines (or whatever they are))

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    -- taking over the world, we are.
    1. Re:Some Special on TV by Blakey+Rat · · Score: 4, Interesting

      What's interesting is that it doesn't actually save any time, it just means that they do more, and different kinds, or financial reports.

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      Comment of the year
  3. too bad they didn't GPL it by argoff · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Boy, if they would have, it would have stopped alot of the anticompetitive business practices that's happened in the 25 years since, they could have locked out execl before it even happened.

  4. Other Small Fact... by ackthpt · · Score: 4, Interesting
    I dont think the article mentioned this, but VisiCalc was also the first (known) enterprise app to be ported from the Apple OS to a *Nix based system.

    Some time ago there was the question raised concerning ownership and transfer of patents, etc. of the spreadsheet, which everyone and his kid brother eventually made their own version of. IIRC the creators didn't feel they actually sold all rights or something to that effect (sound similar to the SCO/Linux debacle?) Anyone know what has been determined in that regard? Seems if it was still unresolved it would make SCO/Linux look like a tempest in a teapot by comparison.

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    A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
  5. Re:jEdit beats the pants off it by OscarGunther · · Score: 5, Interesting
    The spreadsheet is productive, very. In fact, it doesn't mimic paper+calc+pencil for doing banking, it superceeds it.

    And yet VisiCalc was designed to mimic a real-world operation. IIRC, industrial planners used to have large blackboards divided into grids and each square in the grid could hold a number or an equation. When a number was changed in one square, all the dependent squares had to be recalculated. Of course, the concern was that something had been missed. I believe Bricklin heard one of his professors describe this process and chose it as his model for what eventually became VisiCalc.

    I think I read this in Cringely's Accidental Empires.