2. TOPIC: Introduction to Spreadsheets
OBJECTIVES:
1. Describe an electronic spreadsheet;
2. Compare an electronic spreadsheet
with a spreadsheet program;
3. Discuss the history of the electronic
spreadsheet.

3. SPREADSHEET is a document that
contains rows and columns of text and
numbers.
LEDGER is a book of spreadsheets
containing accounts to which debits and
credits are posted from books of original
entry.

4. ELECTRONIC SPREADSHEET is a
computerized version of the accountant’s
paper spreadsheet.
SPREADSHEET PROGRAM is an
application that helps the user to create
spreadsheets commonly used for
budgets, forecasting, and other finance-
related tasks.

5. A page organized into rows and columns
appearing onscreen and used for
constructing a single table is called a
WORKSHEET.
A file containing a number of related
worksheets is called a WORKBOOK.

6. HISTORY
1978 – The world’s first electronic
spreadsheet
program, VisiCalc, was invented.
Daniel Bricklin is considered
to be the father of
electronic spreadsheet.

7. HISTORY
1979 – VisiCalc was released to the public
by Fylstra’s company, Personal
Software (later renamed
VisiCorp). It became the first
computer spreadsheet program
and the first killer application for
PCs. (killer means, strikingly
impressive or effective)

8. HISTORY
1980 – SuperCalc, the first spreadsheet
that ran on computers using the
CP/M (Control Program/Monitor)
operating system, was introduced.
The DIF (data interchange
format) was developed. This
format allowed spreadsheet data
to be shared and imported into
other programs.

9. HISTORY
1981 – Multiplan, the first spreadsheet to
handle multiple spreadsheets
simultaneously, was released by
Microsoft.
Context MBA, the first spreadsheet
program that handled five tasks
(spreadsheets, graphs, databases, word
processing, and telecommunications), was
invented and released by Context
Management Systems.

10. HISTORY
1983 – 1-2-3, the spreadsheet program
that can handle three tasks
(spreadsheets, graphs, and
databases), was released by Lotus
Development. Lisa Calc, the first
spreadsheet program to use a
mouse, was released by Apple
Computer, Inc.

11. HISTORY
1985 – Excel, the spreadsheet program
that can handle three tasks
(spreadsheets, graphs, and
databases) in a graphical
environment, was released by
Microsoft Corp. Excel can run on
both PC and Mac.

12. HISTORY
1987 – Quattro Pro, the spreadsheet
program that has the combined
features of 1-2-3 and Excel and
runs in a graphical
environment, was released by
Borland. Newer versions of
Quattro Pro are now being
developed by Corel Corp.

13. HISTORY
1987 – Up to Present, new spreadsheet
programs and updated versions of
the old ones have flooded the
market.
“I’m not rich because I invented
VisiCalc, but I feel that I’ve made a
change in the world. That’s a satisfaction
money can’t buy.” Dan Bricklin