OUTLOOK & ANALYSIS

25 Years in Accounting Technology: Before Excel, when Lotus 1-2-3 was King

The magazine Accounting Technology ends its 25-year run this month, with editor Bob Scott writing the swan song.

It’s a great history of the profession, and its innovations. Here are the top-selling products from July 1984:

Accounting Software: BPI, (later purchased by Computer Associates) 15 percent; Peachtree, 5 percent; State of the Art, 5 percent; Open Systems, 3 percent; Star, 3 percent. Other, 51 percent.

Word processing: Micropro (WordStar), 29 percent, Apple; 13 percent; Software Publishing (PFS: Write), 3 percent; Perfect, 3 percent. Other 29 percent.

Database: Ashton-Tate (dBase), 25 percent; Software Publishing (SuperBase), 14; Apple, 8 percent; Stoneware, 7 percent. Other, 31 percent.

Spreadsheet: Lotus, 31 percent; Microsoft 17 percent; Visicorp, 10 percent. Other, 29 percent.

Personal computers: Apple, 25 percent ; IBM 15 percent; Kaypro, 9 percent; Sanyo, 5 percent; Commodore, 4 percent. Other 22 percent.

Read the rest at What Has 25 Years Changed?

Personally, I’ll miss Accounting Technology and The Practical Accountant, which is also folding. I was their publisher and group vice president until 2000, along with Accounting Today and what is today WebCPA. Congratulations to Bob SCott, Howard Wolosky, Jeff Stimpson and Stuart Kahan for many years of hard work, dedication and great journalism.

2 Responses to “25 Years in Accounting Technology: Before Excel, when Lotus 1-2-3 was King”

  1. Chad Bordeaux

    Sad to see Accounting Technology go. It was one of the few of many accounting magazines that I get that always had something worth reading in it.

  2. Gary Schroeder

    I would have thought in 1984 Multi-plan would have been higher. That may have been the year earlier. I didn’t think MS-DOS would have taken over the business Software Industry that soon.
    Interesting info. Thanks,