| Multiplan | |
|---|---|
  Multiplan on MS-DOS (top) and Commodore 64 | |
| Developer | Doug Klunder[1] ofMicrosoft[1] |
| Initial release | August 1982; 43 years ago (1982-08)[2] |
| Written in | p-codeC |
| Operating system | CP/M,Apple II,Microbee,Classic Mac OS,MS-DOS,Xenix,Commodore 64,CTOS,TI-99/4A,TRS-80,UNIX,Thomson |
| Type | Spreadsheet |
Multiplan is aspreadsheet program developed byMicrosoft and introduced in 1982 as a competitor toVisiCalc.
Multiplan was released first forcomputers runningCP/M; it was developed using aMicrosoft proprietaryp-code C compiler[1] as part of aportability strategy that facilitated ports to systems such asMS-DOS,Xenix,Commodore 64 and128,TI-99/4A (on four 6K GROMs and a single 8K ROM),Radio Shack TRS-80 Model II,TRS-80 Model 4,TRS-80 Model 100 (on ROM),Apple II,AT&T UNIX PC, andBurroughs B20 series. The CP/M version also ran on the TRS-80 Model II and 4,Commodore 128, and Apple II with a CP/M card. In France, Multiplan was also released for theThomson computers in 1986 and, in the same year, it was released in Japan forMSX compatible computers with the name MSX-Plan.
Despite the release ofMicrosoft Chart, a graphics companion program, Multiplan continued to be outsold byLotus 1-2-3. Multiplan was replaced byMicrosoft Excel, which followed some years later on both theApple Macintosh (1985) andMicrosoft Windows (1987).
Although over a million copies were sold, Multiplan was not able to mount an effective challenge to Lotus 1-2-3. According toBill Gates, this was due to the excessive number of ports (there were approximately 100 different versions of Multiplan). He also believed that it was a mistake to release 8-bit versions instead of focusing on the newer 16-bit machines and as a result, "We decided to let [Lotus] have the character-based DOS market while we would instead focus on the next generation–graphical software on the Macintosh and Windows."[citation needed]Around 1983, during the development of thefirst release of Windows, Microsoft had plans to make aWindows version. However, the plans changed a year later. Microsoft releasedMicrosoft Excel in 1985, which became a very popular offering in the spreadsheet space.
A version was available for theApple Lisa 2 runningMicrosoft/SCOXenix 3. It fit on one 400K microfloppy diskette.[3]
A fundamental difference between Multiplan and its competitors was Microsoft's decision to use R1C1 addressing instead of the A1 addressing introduced by VisiCalc. Although R1C1-style formulae are more straightforward than A1-style formulae[4] – for instance, "RC[-1]" (meaning "current row, previous column") is expressed as "A1" in cell B1, then "A2" in cell B2, etc. – most spreadsheet users prefer the A1 addressing style introduced by VisiCalc.[5][6]
Microsoft carried Multiplan's R1C1 legacy forward intoMicrosoft Excel, which offers both addressing modes, although A1 is Excel's default addressing mode.
In a 1983 evaluation of eight spreadsheets forHeath/Zenith computers,Sextant approved of Multiplan's computation speed and menu structure, finding them comparable toSuperCalc's. While expensive compared to others, the magazine noted that as the only spreadsheet with a 16-bit version already available, upgrading would be simple.Sextant concluded that "If your budget can handle the cost, Microsoft's Multiplan wins this race by a couple of lengths".[7]Ahoy! in 1984 called the Commodore 64 version, distributed byHuman Engineered Software, a "professional quality spreadsheet ... There is not enough room in this article to mention all the mathematical operations performed ... Documentation is lengthy but well written".[8] A second review in the magazine noted the limitation of the computer's 40-column screen, but praised the ability to stop any ongoing action. It also praised the documentation, and concluded that "its ease of use and foolproof design makeMultiplan an outstanding value".[9]BYTE said that "Multiplan for the Macintosh is a winner", stating that combining other versions' power and features with the Macintosh's graphics and user interface "rivals, and in many ways exceeds, anything else available in the spreadsheet genre".[10]
A 1990American Institute of Certified Public Accountants member survey found that 7% of respondents used Multiplan as their spreadsheet.[11]
