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What was the first third-party commercial application for MS-DOS intended for IBM PC-compatible computers?

Anixx
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1 Answers1

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There were several first third-party commercial applications for MS-DOS (well, PC DOS really), since a number were launched on the same day as the original IBM PC:

There was also a game available on launch day, Microsoft Adventure, but it didn’t target DOS.

The Microsoft programs probably don’t count as third-party, but that still leaves VisiCalc, EasyWriter, and Peachtree, at least. (I think the communications package was written by IBM.)

Some of these were ported from other platforms, so arguably they’re older — VisiCalc was released in June 1979 on the Apple II, EasyWriter was also released in 1979 on the Apple II, and Peachtree’s lineage starts on the Altair in 1977.

Stephen Kitt
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  • I suspect we're about to have a debate about what counts as third party re: the Microsoft software. But whatever. Any idea whether any of those are plain recompiles of CP/M software? It's a digression, feel free to ignore me. – Tommy Jun 17 '19 at 13:51
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    @Tommy yes, you’re right, I’ve updated the answer to try to limit the debate. VisiCalc and EasyWriter weren’t CP/M recompiles; I don’t know about Peachtree. Microsoft Pascal was initially developed for DOS, and Adventure was initially developed for the PC, so they’re not CP/M recompiles either. – Stephen Kitt Jun 17 '19 at 13:59
  • @StephenKitt Microsoft Adventure was on the Apple II & TRS-80 in 1979 according to wikipedia, so I suspect it was a port rather than a new build. – PeterI Jun 17 '19 at 17:37
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    @PeterI so it was, I missed that; according to Moby Games, the first release was on the TRS-80. – Stephen Kitt Jun 17 '19 at 17:53
  • Microsoft Pascal actually predates the IBM PC; I remember using it - not under Microsoft badging - on Convergent Technologies workstations prior to the release of the PC. – Jeff Zeitlin Jun 18 '19 at 11:22
  • @Jeff thanks for the info, I wasn’t aware CTOS Pascal was a rebadged Microsoft Pascal; I see in the B20 manual that it uses the same standard/extended/system nomenclature as Microsoft Pascal. According to Pascal News (page 119, 121 in the PDF), Microsoft planned to target the 8080, Z80, 8086, Z8000 and LSI-11, with a release date in early 1980. – Stephen Kitt Jun 18 '19 at 12:30
  • @StephenKitt - It may be marginally more accurate to say that MS-Pascal was a rebadged port of CTOS Pascal, as my understanding was that MS did some of their early development work for DOS on CTOS... – Jeff Zeitlin Jun 25 '19 at 18:19