Editing Microsoft Excel (section)

=== Early history ===
In 1982, Microsoft launched its first spreadsheet program, [[Multiplan]], which gained popularity on [[CP/M]] systems. However, Multiplan struggled to compete on [[MS-DOS]] systems, losing market share to [[Lotus 1-2-3]], which became the dominant spreadsheet program by 1983, surpassing both Multiplan and the earlier [[VisiCalc]].<ref name="Allan 2001">{{cite book |last=Allan |first=Roy A. |title=A History of the Personal Computer |publisher=Allan Publishing |publication-place=London, Ontario |date=2001 |isbn=978-0-9689108-0-1 |pages=12/23–12/24}}</ref><ref name="Wallace 1993">{{cite book |last=Wallace |first=James |last2=Erickson |first2=Jim |title=Hard Drive |publisher=Harper Collins |publication-place=New York |year=1993 |isbn=978-0-88730-629-7 |page=217, 221–223, 226, 229–233, 239, 243–244, 281–283}}</ref>

To address Multiplan's falling marketshare, Microsoft began developing a new, advanced spreadsheet program in 1983, codenamed "Odyssey." The project was led by Jabe Blumenthal, who worked on its design, and Doug Klunder, the primary developer of Multiplan. Originally intended for IBM PCs running CP/M and MS-DOS, the project shifted focus in early 1984 when Lotus began developing Jazz, an integrated program for the [[Apple Macintosh]], and Lotus 1-2-3 maintained its dominance on IBM PCs. In March 1984, [[Bill Gates]] redirected Odyssey's development to the Macintosh platform, which required supporting the system's 512 KB memory. This decision delayed the project by nine months, after which Klunder temporarily left Microsoft to work growing lettuce, and the project then was led by Philip Florence, a former developer at [[Wang Laboratories]]. After Florence had a heart attack, Klunder returned to finish the project.<ref name="Allan 2001"/><ref name="Wallace 1993"/><ref name="Bishop 2015">{{cite web |last=Bishop |first=Todd |title='Recalc or Die': 30 years later, Microsoft Excel 1.0 vets recount a project that defied the odds |website=GeekWire |date=September 25, 2015 |url=https://www.geekwire.com/2015/recalc-or-die-30-years-later-microsoft-excel-1-0-vets-recount-a-project-that-defied-the-odds/ |access-date=March 31, 2025}}</ref>

On May 2, 1985, [[Steve Jobs]] of [[Apple Computer]] and Bill Gates held a joint press conference at [[Tavern on the Green]] in New York City to publicly announce Excel for Apple's Macintosh platform. Following the announcement, the software was officially released for sale on September 30, 1985.<ref name="Allan 2001"/><ref name="Wallace 1993"/><ref name="Bishop 2015"/><ref name="Freeberg 1985">{{cite web |last=Freeburg |first=Andy |title=Jobs & Gates At Tavern On The Green |website=Getty Images |date=May 2, 1985 |url=https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/american-computer-magnates-steve-jobs-co-founder-of-apple-news-photo/84623889 |access-date=March 31, 2025}}</ref> The first Windows version, Excel 2.05, followed on November 19, 1987, designed to align with the Macintosh version 2.2.<ref name="Allan 2001"/><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Vi8EAAAAMBAJ&q=macintosh%20spreadsheet%20arrow%20keys%20multiplan&pg=PA30|title=InfoWorld First Look: Supercalc 4 challenging 1-2-3 with new tactic|author1=Infoworld Media Group, Inc.|date=July 7, 1986}}</ref><ref name="chan_TheH">{{Cite web|title=The History of Microsoft – 1987|work=channel9.msdn.com|access-date=October 7, 2022|archive-date=September 27, 2010|url=http://channel9.msdn.com/series/history/the-history-of-microsoft-1987|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100927044515/http://channel9.msdn.com/series/history/the-history-of-microsoft-1987|url-status=dead}}</ref> A 1990 [[American Institute of Certified Public Accountants]] member survey found that 2% of respondents used Excel as their spreadsheet, 3% as their database, and 8% for graphics.<ref name="aicpa1990">{{Cite report |url=https://egrove.olemiss.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1563&context=aicpa_guides |title=1990 AICPA survey of computer usage |author-link=American Institute of Certified Public Accountants |year=1990 |id=561 |access-date=2025-04-30}}</ref> [[Lotus Software|Lotus]] was slow to bring 1-2-3 to Windows and by the early 1990s, Excel had started to outsell 1-2-3 and helped [[Microsoft]] achieve its position as a leading PC software developer. This accomplishment solidified Microsoft as a valid competitor and showed its future in developing [[Graphical user interface|GUI]] software. Microsoft maintained its advantage with regular new releases, every two years or so.