Killer apps are a fascinating phenomenon when looking at computers. You’ve likely been accustomed to some over the years, like the App Store on early iPhones. However, that is just the latest in a long line of applications that had people clamoring for more.
WordPerfect
The early days of microcomputers in the office were somewhat lacking in options. You could certainly rely on markup for word processing, but most written work was still handled by electric typewriters. That said, WordPerfect, which debuted in 1982, is arguably one of the first major killer apps to hit the market.
This was intended for Microsoft DOS or MS-DOS. Users had a graphical means of word processing and would set the trend for future office software.
Lotus 1-2-3
Spreadsheets are like the peanut butter to word processors’s chocolate, you can’t have one without the other. Less than a year after the debut of WordPerfect, Lotus 1-2-3 would arrive on the market. This graphical spreadsheet program was a killer app for many businesses, providing graphical processing alongside math-heavy operations.
It might seem primitive to you now, but in 1983 this was unheard of in the computing space.
AutoCAD
Few things have transformed businesses like AutoCAD, which is arguably one of the big killer apps seen. Debuting in the 1980s, this application used a co-processor to handle some of the heavier operations while making full use of the top-shelf hardware available for the time.
It certainly paid off, as AutoDesk is the de facto standard for computer-assisted drafting software 40 years later.
MCI and Compuserve
You can thank this killer app for just putting email on the map. Networking was still in its relative infancy, at least in consumer terms, when MCI and Compuserve debuted. However, these early clients were instrumental in making email available to the masses.
Oddly, this predates email addresses having @s pointing to a specific domain in the addresses.
Photoshop
You know you’re a killer app when you enter the public consciousness as a verb. Adobe’s Photoshop changed the game in more ways than one. Debuting in 1990, Photoshop is still going strong. Entire degree programs and professions are built around it, despite the somewhat exorbitant prices for the full-blown subscription.
Conclusion
It might seem somewhat silly, but killer apps drive computer sales. With platforms receiving somewhat universal support these days, they have lost relevance to some degree. However, you can see the roots of where industry giants like Microsoft and Apple got their reputations in today’s modern world.
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