Over the weekend, the world observed the 30th birthday of Lotus 1–2–3, the onetime office hegemon that, in the words of co-creator Mitch Kapor, “really legitimised the PC worldwide as a general business tool for non-technical users.” Current iOS developer Dan Bricklin also happens to be the co-creator of the original spreadsheet app, VisiCalc, and earlier this week he posted an account of his own experience with 1-2-3, laying out why it was such a hit. If the app is before your time, take a look at the video below to get a feel for the enthusiasm around the office for the all-in-one spreadsheet, database, and graphics application, re-enacted as a musical number.
30 years ago, Lotus 1-2-3 made office software awesome
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