description Dan Bricklin Overview
Dan Bricklin is an American computer programmer and entrepreneur who co-created VisiCalc with Bob Frankston. VisiCalc was demonstrated publicly in 1979 and became the first widely recognized electronic spreadsheet program for personal computers. Its grid of cells, formulas, and automatic recalculation made it useful for budgeting, planning, and other tasks that previously required manual calculations.
help Dan Bricklin FAQ
Who created VisiCalc?
Dan Bricklin co-created VisiCalc with software developer Bob Frankston. They released it in 1979 for the Apple II.
Why is VisiCalc considered historically important?
VisiCalc is widely recognized as the first electronic spreadsheet program for personal computers. It allowed users to change values and have dependent calculations update automatically.
How did VisiCalc affect sales of the Apple II?
VisiCalc gave business users a practical reason to buy an Apple II computer. Its spreadsheet calculations helped move personal computers from hobbyist devices into offices.
How does VisiCalc relate to modern spreadsheet programs?
Modern programs such as Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets extend the spreadsheet model that VisiCalc helped popularize. The core idea of cells, formulas, and automatic recalculation was already present in Bricklin and Frankston's 1979 software.
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