CXO

Tech history in photos: Software giants of the 1980s

By // April 17, 2014, 1:00 PM PST // connerforrest

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  • Peter Norton

    The 1980s were not just a decade of big hair and neon colors, they actually saw major innovation in software. Take a look at the some of the definitive software pioneers of the decade.

    This first photo features Peter Norton, who got his start writing DOS-based software programs, such as the UNERASE tool. He is best known for his anti-virus software that he eventually sold to Symantec.

    Image: Symantec

  • Adobe Founders Chuck Geshke and John Warnock in 1988

    Warnock and Geshke founded Adobe Systems in 1982. The company introduced its flagship product, Photoshop, in 1989.

    Image: Doug Menuez

  • John Walker, founder of Autodesk, with early employees

    Walker founded the company in 1982 and helped to author the company's AutoCAD (computer-aided design) software. AutoCAD is still popular among engineers and architects, among others.

    Image: The Autodesk File/John Walker

  • Avid founder Bill Warner

    Avid got its start in 1987, and is known for its video production and editing software. Founder Bill Warner, an MIT grad, credits his start in technology to a farmer named John Beall.

    Image: boston.com/Scott Kirsner

  • Ed Iacobucci, co-founder of Citrix

    Iacobucci was a former IBM developer who helped found Citrix in 1989. Unfortunately, he died of cancer in 2013.

    Image: Citrix Blogger/Jeff Muir

  • Intuit founders Scott Cook and Tom Proulx

    Cook and Proulx founded Intuit in Palo Alto, California in 1983. The company gained traction with its Quicken program for personal finance, and later its accounting software, QuickBooks.

    Image: Virginia Boyd

  • Mitch Kapor, founder of Lotus Software

    Kapor cofounded Lotus with Jonathan Sachs in 1982. Kapor designed Lotus 1-2-3, the company's spreadsheet program that led to its success.

    Image: tricycle

  • John McAfee, founder of McAfee Associates

    McAfee founded McAfee Associates, to produce anti-virus software, in 1987. McAfee has faced criticism for his personal life after his run-ins with the law.

    Image: John McAfee/Personal Photo

  • Ray Noorda of Novell

    Novell, developer of NetWare, was founded by Noorda and Drew Major. Unfortunately he died from complications with Alzheimer's disease in 2006.

    Image: Brigham Young University

  • Michael Cowpland of Corel

    Cowpland launched Cowpland Research Laboratory, which would become Corel, in 1985. The company was know for its purchase of WordPerfect and for later introducing CorelDRAW in 1989.

    Image: Corel Corp.

Peter Norton

The 1980s were not just a decade of big hair and neon colors, they actually saw major innovation in software. Take a look at the some of the definitive software pioneers of the decade.

This first photo features Peter Norton, who got his start writing DOS-based software programs, such as the UNERASE tool. He is best known for his anti-virus software that he eventually sold to Symantec.

Image: Symantec

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By Conner Forrest

Conner Forrest is an analyst for 451 Research. He was formerly a Senior Editor for TechRepublic.