Abandonware DOS title

Applications for DOS and other legacy systems

Abandonware DOS isn’t just about games. Those of us who grew up loving the classic games of the '80s, '90s, and early 2000s will likely remember using non-gaming software at some point for a variety of purposes. These applications were an integral part of the computing experience of that era, and for many, they hold a special nostalgic charm.

Whether it was graphic editing tools like Paint Shop, music trackers like the iconic Fast Tracker for composing chiptunes and electronic music, or word processors such as WordStar and WordPerfect for writing and documentation, these programs left their mark. Developers, too, relied on groundbreaking tools like Turbo Assembler and Turbo Pascal to create software and explore the art of coding.

And who could forget utility programs that became essential companions for navigating the early PC environment? Norton Commander, with its distinctive dual-pane file manager, revolutionized file organization and made complex tasks approachable for everyday users. These tools were more than just software; they were gateways to creativity, productivity, and learning, shaping how we interacted with computers in a pre-Internet world.

The best applications on Abandonware DOS

tasm-02

Turbo Assembler (TASM)

#1 Top application!application1989 4.35/5
Borland Software Corporation / Borland Software Corporation
Turbo Assembler and Tools 5.0, often referred to as TASM, is an x86 assembler for MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows. As a key component of Borland's suite of development tools, TASM was packaged alongside Turbo Debugger (TD), forming the Turbo Assembler/Turbo Debugger (TASM/TD) bundle. Turbo Assembler was favored for its speed and compatibility with the popular x86 architecture, which was widely used in personal computers of the time. Borland was a software company known for its development tools during the 1980s and 1990s.
visual-basic-3-02

Visual Basic 3

#2 Top application!application1993 4.30/5
Microsoft / Microsoft
Visual Basic 3 (VB3) is a programming language and integrated development environment (IDE) released by Microsoft in 1993. It is part of the Visual Basic (VB) series, which is known for its ease of use and rapid application development capabilities. Visual Basic 3 was a significant step forward in the evolution of the Visual Basic language and played a key role in popularizing visual programming for Windows applications.
borland--dbase-5-02

Borland DBase 5

#3 Top application!application1994 4.29/5
Borland Software Corporation / Borland Software Corporation
qbasic71-01

QBASIC

application1991 4.29/5
Microsoft / Microsoft
turbo-pascal-7-01

Turbo Pascal 7

application1992 4.29/5
Borland Software Corporation / Borland Software Corporation
neopaint3-03

NeoPaint 3.2

application1996 4.28/5
NeoSoft / NeoSoft
norton-utilities-01

Norton Utilities 8

application1994 4.27/5
Peter Norton Computing / Peter Norton Computing
3d-construction-kit-2-08

Virtual Reality Studio 2.0

application1992 4.26/5
Incentive Software / Domark Software
deluxe-paint-2-04

Deluxe Paint 2

application1988 4.25/5
Electronic Arts / Electronic Arts
msword-1-01

Microsoft Word

application1983 4.25/5
Microsoft / Microsoft
ibm-visicalc-1-01

VisiCalc 1.0

application1979 4.22/5
Software Arts / Software Arts
nortoncommander-5

Norton Commander 5.5

application1998 4.21/5
Peter Norton Computing / Peter Norton Computing