Comments on: Microsoft Excel: The Most Valuable Software of All Time http://www.scottporad.com/2010/03/04/microsoft-excel-the-most-valuable-software-of-all-time/ Wed, 01 Feb 2012 22:00:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Grant BlahaErath http://www.scottporad.com/2010/03/04/microsoft-excel-the-most-valuable-software-of-all-time/comment-page-1/#comment-902 Grant BlahaErath Thu, 11 Mar 2010 02:46:54 +0000 http://www.scottporad.com/?p=1734#comment-902 I think its one of the most dangerous apps ever made. One can lay the current financial crisis at its feet since without it all those multiple tranche, default swap, collateralized debt, spooky high correlation million row spreadsheets would have been out of the hands of the crazies that were inclined to risk OPM in the glorious pursuit of bonus commissions. I don't want to paint people like Mike as the Oppenheimers of the software world, but maybe, just maybe, couldn't those guys left out the cut-n'-paste feature. I'm sure that without cut-n'-paste we would be in a much better shape globally than we are today. Financial types are not rewarded for the ability to 10 key so without that feature they would have gotten tired long before everything blew up. I think its one of the most dangerous apps ever made. One can lay the current financial crisis at its feet since without it all those multiple tranche, default swap, collateralized debt, spooky high correlation million row spreadsheets would have been out of the hands of the crazies that were inclined to risk OPM in the glorious pursuit of bonus commissions.

I don’t want to paint people like Mike as the Oppenheimers of the software world, but maybe, just maybe, couldn’t those guys left out the cut-n’-paste feature. I’m sure that without cut-n’-paste we would be in a much better shape globally than we are today. Financial types are not rewarded for the ability to 10 key so without that feature they would have gotten tired long before everything blew up.

]]> By: Lloyd Budd http://www.scottporad.com/2010/03/04/microsoft-excel-the-most-valuable-software-of-all-time/comment-page-1/#comment-875 Lloyd Budd Fri, 05 Mar 2010 04:07:52 +0000 http://www.scottporad.com/?p=1734#comment-875 I knew a guy who knew a guy that did all his letter writing and publishing in Excel. Layout control made easy! (Maybe Excel was the inspiration of the table based layouts of Web 1, LOL) I knew a guy who knew a guy that did all his letter writing and publishing in Excel. Layout control made easy! (Maybe Excel was the inspiration of the table based layouts of Web 1, LOL)

]]> By: Mike Koss http://www.scottporad.com/2010/03/04/microsoft-excel-the-most-valuable-software-of-all-time/comment-page-1/#comment-874 Mike Koss Thu, 04 Mar 2010 20:10:31 +0000 http://www.scottporad.com/?p=1734#comment-874 As one of the original Excel developers, THANKS! But, to be fair, we followed in the steps of giants. All of the properties you love about Excel were also present in VisiCalc, and then Lotus 123. But, we did a damn fine implementation of a powerful and easy to use spreadsheet (if I do say so, myself). And Lotus dropped the ball and took too long to make credible Windows or Mac versions of their product. I actually use Google Spreadsheets more today than I do Excel. While Excel is still more powerful and faster - the portability and ease of sharing an online spreadsheet tips the scales for me to using a Cloud-based solution (I'm also not a big fan of the "ribbon" in the newest versions of Excel - I can't find most of the commands I know and love anymore!). As one of the original Excel developers, THANKS! But, to be fair, we followed in the steps of giants. All of the properties you love about Excel were also present in VisiCalc, and then Lotus 123.

But, we did a damn fine implementation of a powerful and easy to use spreadsheet (if I do say so, myself). And Lotus dropped the ball and took too long to make credible Windows or Mac versions of their product.

I actually use Google Spreadsheets more today than I do Excel. While Excel is still more powerful and faster – the portability and ease of sharing an online spreadsheet tips the scales for me to using a Cloud-based solution (I’m also not a big fan of the “ribbon” in the newest versions of Excel – I can’t find most of the commands I know and love anymore!).

]]> By: Microsoft Excel: Feature Request at Scott Porad http://www.scottporad.com/2010/03/04/microsoft-excel-the-most-valuable-software-of-all-time/comment-page-1/#comment-871 Microsoft Excel: Feature Request at Scott Porad Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:10:29 +0000 http://www.scottporad.com/?p=1734#comment-871 [...] comments After my deification of Microsoft Excel, I was thinking that there is one feature I wish Excel had that it doesn’t.  Note: this is a [...] [...] comments After my deification of Microsoft Excel, I was thinking that there is one feature I wish Excel had that it doesn’t.  Note: this is a [...]

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