Boeing Calc

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Boeing Calc
Basic data

developer Boeing Computer Services
Current  version 4.0
operating system PC DOS
category Spreadsheet
License Proprietary
German speaking Yes

Boeing Calc was the first spreadsheet program that enabled three-dimensional calculations with pages, rows and columns. It was initially developed by the computer department of the aircraft manufacturer Boeing (Boeing Computer Services) for in-house purposes. The end of 1986 was Boeing Calc 3.0 as a PC - software available on the market. It supported worksheets with (theoretically) up to 16,000 rows and as many columns and pages. By using hard disk space as virtual main memory , its capacity was practically limited only by the hard disk hardware. The maximum size for a Boeing Calc file was an immense 32 megabytes at the time.

In terms of the interface , Boeing Calc was based on the Lotus 1-2-3 , which was widespread at the time , also comprised 89 functions and was able to import and export 1-2-3 or Symphony spreadsheets, both in DIF format and in ASCII . However, the use of Boeing Calc was limited by its very slow processing. Therefore it was mainly suitable to combine files generated with Lotus 1-2-3 in addition to three-dimensional calculations. It supported simple keyboard recording macros saved in separate files , but not Lotus macros.

Boeing Calc was as Singleuser- and as multiuser available version with access protection and record locking (locking of individual areas) for up to eight jobs. It was supplemented by Boeing Graph, a program with which the calculation data could be displayed and printed as two- or three-dimensional diagrams in numerous variants. In the fall of 1987, Boeing Calc 4.0 followed. a. improved macros bot.

Version 3.0 required PC XT or AT with at least 384 kilobytes of RAM and PC-DOS version 2.0 or higher and supported mathematical coprocessors . Version 4.0 required DOS 2.0 or 3.0 in the network version as well as 512 or 640 kB RAM.

From 1988 Boeing Calc considerable competition got through programs such as Quattro Pro from Borland . A planned sale of the product failed. In August 1988, Boeing finally announced that it was saying goodbye to the PC software sector. While Boeing Calc disappeared from the market, Boeing Graph lived on as "Foxgraph" from Fox Software, the provider of Foxbase .

Individual evidence

  1. ^ [1] Info World, Volume 9, Issue 45, November 9, 1987, p. 53 ff
  2. ^ [2] Info World, Volume 10, Issue 37, September 12, 1988, p. 19

Sources / web links