The most popular abandonware applications
Abandonware DOS is not only about games. Some of the most fondly remembered software for old PCs is an application. These applications, both for DOS and early versions of Windows, played pivotal roles in shaping the personal computing landscape. They introduced users to various productivity tools, multimedia experiences, and the potential of GUI-based interfaces.
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Norton Commander 5.5
DOS1998 file management
Norton Commander was one of the most popular and influential file management applications ever released for MS-DOS. Introduced in 1986, it featured an innovative, dual-pane interface that allowed users to perform tasks like copying, deleting, moving, and previewing files with ease, eliminating the need to type every command manually. This side-by-s...
Turbo Assembler (TASM)
DOSWindows XP/98/951989 programming, utility
Turbo Assembler and Tools 5.0, often referred to as TASM, is an x86 assembler for MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows. As a key component of Borland's suite of development tools, TASM was packaged alongside Turbo Debugger (TD), forming the Turbo Assembler/Turbo Debugger (TASM/TD) bundle. Turbo Assembler was favored for its speed and compatibilit...
QBASIC
DOS1991 programming
QBasic, or QuickBASIC, was an interpreted version of the BASIC programming language developed by Microsoft. It was designed to be easy to learn and use, making it accessible to beginners and hobbyist programmers. QBasic was part of Microsoft's QuickBASIC product line, which included both compiled and interpreted versions of the language. QBasi...
DOSBox
Windows XP/98/95LinuxMac OS2002freeware emulator
DOSBox is an open-source emulator that allows you to run software and games designed for the MS-DOS operating system on modern computers. As you probably already know, MS-DOS was a popular operating system used in the 1980s and early 1990s. DOSBox emulates the necessary hardware components and provides a DOS-like environment, allowing users to...
Wordstar 4
DOS1986 word processor
WordStar 4 was a popular word processing software program during the early days of personal computing. WordStar 4 included features typical of word processors in that era, allowing users to create, edit, and format documents. It used a command-driven interface, where users would enter specific commands to perform various tasks. The software wa...
Banner Mania
DOS1989 graphics editor
dBASE III
DOS1984 database
dBASE III is a relational database management system (RDBMS) that was popular in the late 1980s. It was developed by Ashton-Tate, a software company. dBASE III was a successor to the earlier dBASE II and was part of a series of dBASE products. dBASE III played a significant role in the history of database management systems, especially during ...
Deluxe Paint 2
DOS1988 graphics editor
Deluxe Paint, often abbreviated as DPaint, was a popular bitmap graphics editor and animation software package. It was developed by Electronic Arts (EA) and released in the mid-1980s. Deluxe Paint was initially designed for the Commodore Amiga computer, which was known for its advanced graphics capabilities at the time.
Borland Turbo Basic 1.0
DOS1987 programming
Borland Turbo Basic was a programming language developed by Borland, a software company that was prominent in the 1980s and 1990s. Turbo Basic was part of the Turbo series of programming languages and development tools that Borland created during that time.Turbo Basic was designed as a fast and efficient version of the BASIC programming language. B...
Turbo Prolog 2.0
DOS1986protected programming
Borland Turbo C v2
DOS1988 programming
VisiCalc 1.0
DOS1979freeware spreadsheet
VisiCalc was the first spreadsheet software for personal computers, and it played a pivotal role in the early history of personal computing. It was developed by Dan Bricklin and Bob Frankston and first released in 1979 for the Apple II computer. VisiCalc is often considered the first electronic spreadsheet, and its success had a significant impact ...
GW-BASIC 3
DOS1988 programming
GW-BASIC (short for Gee Whiz BASIC) is a dialect of the BASIC programming language that was developed by Microsoft. It's one of the early implementations of BASIC and was included as the default programming environment in early versions of the MS-DOS operating system.GW-BASIC was initially released with MS-DOS 2.0 in 1983. Subsequent versions of MS...
Arj
DOS1990 utility
ARJ is a file compression utility and file format created by Robert K. Jung. The name "ARJ" stands for "Archived by Robert Jung." It was popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s as a compression tool for MS-DOS and other systems. ARJ offered high compression ratios and various features, such as archive encryption and error recovery.
Adventure Game Studio (AGS)
Windows 10/11LinuxMac OS1997freeware gaming software
Adventure Game Studio (AGS) is a software development tool that enables users to create point-and-click adventure games. It was originally created by Chris Jones and has been used by game developers to produce a variety of 2D adventure games. AGS provides a scripting language, a visual editor, and various other tools to simplify the game developmen...
NeoPaint 3.2
DOS1996 graphics editor
NeoPaint 3.2 is a raster-based graphics editing software designed for DOS. It is a lightweight yet powerful alternative to more complex image editing programs like Photoshop. NeoPaint offers a range of features for creating, editing, and enhancing images, including tools for drawing, painting, photo retouching, and animation.
3D Studio 3
DOS1993 graphics editor
Before Pixar made you cry with a lamp and a toy cowboy, there was 3D Studio 3 on DOS. Released in 1993, this was the go-to tool for aspiring animators who didn’t mind waiting three hours to render a spinning cube. It came with more menus than a diner and a learning curve that looked like the Matterhorn. Still, if you had the patience of a mon...
Borland DBase 5
DOS1994 database
DeskMate
DOS1984 utility, spreadsheet, word processor
Deskmate is a software suite developed by Tandy Corporation that provided a graphical user interface (GUI) and a set of applications for personal computers. It was often bundled with Tandy's TRS-80 and Tandy 1000 series of computers in the late 1980s and early 1990s.Deskmate included various applications such as a word processor, spreadsheet, calen...
Norton Utilities 8
DOS1994 file management, utility
Skyglobe 3.5
DOS1992 utility
SkyGlobe is an astronomy software that was popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It was a DOS-based planetarium program that allowed users to explore the night sky in real-time or by adjusting dates and times. Some of its key features included: a rendering of stars, constellations, and planets, the ability to simulate past and future astr...
Quattro Pro v4
DOS1991 spreadsheet
Borland Turbo Pascal 3.0
DOS1986 programming
Borland Turbo C v1
DOS1987 programming
Word Perfect 5
DOS1989 word processor
Doszip Commander
DOS2007freeware file management
Fast Tracker 2
DOS1994 sound software
Norton Editor 2
DOS1990 word processor
Visual Basic 3
Windows XP/98/95Windows 3.x1993 programming
Visual Basic 3 (VB3) is a programming language and integrated development environment (IDE) released by Microsoft in 1993. It is part of the Visual Basic (VB) series, which is known for its ease of use and rapid application development capabilities. Visual Basic 3 was a significant step forward in the evolution of the Visual Basic language and...
Norton Commander 1.0
DOS1986 file management
Norton Commander was a file manager and editor application released by Peter Norton Computing for DOS. Norton Commander used a text-based user interface with side-by-side panels and featured copy, delete, editing and preview any kind of file easily: it was an improvement over the command-line only MS-DOS interface. Norton Commander 1.0 was fir...