Lotus Symphony (MS-DOS)
| Company type | Software |
|---|---|
| Industry | Office software |
| Founded | 1984 |
| Founder | Lotus Development |
| Defunct | 1992 |
| Products | Integrated office suite (text documents, spreadsheets, charts, database, communications) |
| Owner | Lotus Development |
Lotus Symphony was an integrated software suite designed for composing and modifying text documents, spreadsheets, charts, and other file types on MS-DOS platforms. Developed by Lotus Development between 1984 and 1992, it was launched following the acclaim of the spreadsheet application Lotus 1-2-3. A related offering was Lotus Jazz for the Apple Macintosh.
In 2007, IBM repurposed the name Lotus Symphony for an office suite based on OpenOffice.org, though this later product bears no connection to the original.
History
Initially, Lotus 1-2-3 was marketed as a combined solution featuring spreadsheet, database, and graphing capabilities. Rival integrated suites such as Ashton-Tate's Framework and Apple's AppleWorks typically incorporated word processing as well. Symphony was Lotus’ strategic answer to this evolving market need.
The company promoted Symphony during the 1984 Summer Olympics, emphasizing its relevance to business users.
Overview
Symphony for MS-DOS loaded completely into memory upon launch and could operate as an MS-DOS task within Windows (3.x/95/98/ME), with limited support via Command Prompt and .pif configurations on Windows XP and subsequent versions.
Users navigated between five integrated "environments" using ALT+F10, each offering a distinct perspective on identical data:
- SHEET – spreadsheet akin to 1-2-3
- DOC – word processing module
- GRAPH – chart creation tool
- FORM – table-oriented database system
- COMM – communications interface
Additional modules enhanced capabilities with features like macros, document outlining, spell checking, statistical analysis, communication setups, and tutorials. The interface allowed multiple panes to display various environments concurrently, with changes reflected instantaneously across views—demonstrating advanced integration.
All content was maintained within spreadsheet-style cells; other environments modified display formats and menus but utilized this fundamental data structure saved in .WR1 files.
Engineered to function within the conventional 640k memory alongside expanded memory, Symphony competed with software packages such as SmartWare, Microsoft Works, Framework, and Ability Office.
Its spreadsheet engine evolved from Lotus 1-2-3 with several improvements:
- Macro-driven customizable menus enabling creation of application-like spreadsheets
- Reorganized worksheet menu prioritizing COPY and commonly used commands
- Expanded set of @ formula functions surpassing those in 1-2-3
- Multiple menu systems preserving first-letter shortcuts
- Use of TAB key for anchoring ranges in conjunction with the period key
- Copy-to-location feature positioning cursor at destination after operation
Symphony capitalized on IBM’s 84-key PC keyboard for efficient touch navigation through menus and functions; however, the emergence of larger keyboards later diminished this advantage.
Within word processing, Symphony provided a straightforward yet effective environment compared to contemporaries like WordStar, WordPerfect, and early versions of Microsoft Word.
The FORM database environment was less powerful than competitors such as dBase III or Borland Reflex but gained from seamless integration with spreadsheets and an automated form generator that rapidly transformed spreadsheet fields into database input forms.
Version 3.0 introduced significant enhancements:
- WYSIWYG graphical user interface supporting mouse interaction
- BASE module allowing access to any dBase IV file irrespective of size
- ExtraK add-on expanding memory capacity for spreadsheets beyond 4MB
Symphony featured a robust programming language called "Symphony Command Language (SCL)," which supported macros stored within spreadsheets or separate libraries. Its macro recording "learn" mode simplified automation tasks for users without programming knowledge. This integration enabled complex workflows—such as automatically retrieving stock market data, processing it, generating charts, and printing reports—all scheduled to execute unattended.
This blend of modular design, automation strength, and efficient memory usage established Lotus Symphony as a prominent business productivity solution during the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Reception
By 1987, Lotus had achieved sales of 400,000 units of Symphony. According to a 1990 survey conducted by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Symphony was utilized by 5% of participants for spreadsheet and graphics functions, 4% for database management, and 2% as their word processing solution.
See also
- Lotus Multi-Byte Character Set (LMBCS)
External links
- Dinosaur Sightings: Lotus Symphony 3.0 (DOS version) by Greg Shultz, TechRepublic