Lotus 1-2-3 For Windows Review

Lotus Development Corporation, however, was slow to react. They were riding high on the success of 1-2-3 Release 2.01 and 3.0. Their customers—financial analysts, accountants, and business managers—loved the keyboard-driven speed. Management famously underestimated Windows, believing their loyal user base wouldn’t trade keystroke efficiency for a mouse and icons.

Reviewers at the time often admitted: Its database capabilities (thanks to the built-in Lotus Approach query tools) were better. Its spreadsheet auditing was unmatched. Its 3D worksheets were more intuitive than Excel’s workbooks. lotus 1-2-3 for windows

But the crown jewel was (1992) and Release 3.0 for Windows (1993?). These versions introduced Version Manager —an auditing feature that let users create multiple “what-if” scenarios inside a single cell and track changes. Excel wouldn’t get a proper Scenario Manager until later. For auditors and financial modelers, this was a killer feature. The Battle: Excel 4.0 vs. Lotus 1-2-3 for Windows The war peaked between 1992 and 1994. Excel 4.0 was fast, stable, and introduced a revolutionary macro language (XLM). Lotus countered with 1-2-3 for Windows Release 4 (1993), which had a complete makeover: a tabbed toolbar, a “context-sensitive” right-click menu, and drawing tools. Lotus Development Corporation, however, was slow to react