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What Early Software Was Influential Enough To Deserve Acclaim?

Posted by timothy on from the cultural-literacy dept.

theodp writes "That his 28-year-old whip-smart, well-educated CS grad friend could be unaware of MacWrite and MacPaint took Dave Winer by surprise. 'They don't, for some reason,' notes Winer, 'study these [types of seminal] products in computer science. They fall between the cracks of "serious" study of algorithms and data structures, and user interface and user experience (which still is not much-studied, but at least is starting). This is more the history of software. Much like the history of film, or the history of rock and roll.' So, Dave asks, what early software was influential and worthy of a Software Hall of Fame?"

3 of 704 comments (clear)

  1. McPaint source code by gbooch · · Score: 5, Informative

    BTW, the source for MacPaint is available online at the Computer History Museum:

    http://www.computerhistory.org/atchm/macpaint-and-quickdraw-source-code/

  2. TeX by Dr.+Tom · · Score: 5, Informative

    Not only is TeX practically the first open source program, it is still in use (rewritten, tho), along with all the tools it spawned.

  3. Re:VisiCalc by jqpublic13 · · Score: 5, Informative

    Tell me, Microsoft, what games of YOURS are still being played 20 to 30 years later?

    Ummm... Solitaire?

    --
    Non calor sed umor est qui nobis incommodat.