Instant Artist / Print Artist (1992) 107 Graphics Publishing Novelty DOS Windows

Instant Artist, later renamed to Print Artist, is a greeting card and sign creation program that uses vectorized graphics. It was created by The Pixellite Group, the original authors of The Print Shop, and published in 1992 by Autodesk. It was later sold by Sierra On-line. It features a high quality set of generic reusable clip art. The clip art uses vector based technology that was also used in BannerMania.

• 1.0 (DOS)
• 1.0
• 2.0
• 3.0
• 4.0
• 6.0
• 8.0

Microsoft Plus! (1995) 72 Utility Novelty Windows

Microsoft Plus! was an add-on package to Windows that added desktop themes, screen savers, sound effects, power-toys, and other assorted goodies for the home user. Plus! 95 also included Internet Explorer 1.0, which was not included in all Windows 95 distributions.

• 95
• 98

After Dark (1989) 39 Novelty Windows DOS

After Dark, from Berkeley Systems, Inc, is a set of entertaining screen savers for Mac and Windows. After Dark for Windows started off as "Magic Screen Saver" for Windows 2.x. After Dark was most famous for its "Flying Toasters" screen saver. Afterdark was very popular on both the early Macintosh computers and Windows 3.0, as neither included any kind of screen saver or screen blanker that would help prevent screen burn-in.

• Magic ScreenSaver
• 1.0 for Windows
• 2.x
• 1.0 for DOS
• 3.x
• 4.x
• Tenth Anniversary

Microsoft BOB (1995) 18 Novelty Windows

Microsoft BOB is a Windows 3.1 graphical shell intended for novice users. It presents your desktop as a series of "rooms" with various selectable objects, and assists you with a friendly animated guide. It features vector based graphics that scale to any size or resolution screen, supports user profiles, and includes rudimentary editor, calendar, address book, and checking programs. It was created as a response to Packard Bell Navigator and is somewhat comparable to Apple At Ease and 3DNA.

• 1.00
• 1.00a

Microsoft Fine Artist (1994) 7 Graphics Novelty Windows MacOS

Microsoft Fine Artist is a dumbed down Microsoft Bob-like drawing program targeted at children. It was sold alongside, and later bundled with, a word processor called Microsoft Creative Writer.

• 1.x

Microsoft Musical Instruments (1994) 7 Reference Novelty Windows

Microsoft Musical Instruments is a multimedia CD ROM encyclopedia of musical instruments from around the world. Part of the Microsoft Home family of multimedia products.

• 1.x

Microsoft Dangerous Creatures (1994) 6 Reference Novelty Windows

Multimedia title from the Microsoft Home series about venomous and dangerous animals, such as spiders, snakes, fish, etc. from around the world. Runs on Windows 3.1 or later.

• 1.0

Keyboarding Pro (1998) 3 Education Windows

Keyboarding Pro is a program for Windows that teaches touch typing. It contains numerous lessons and some game activities.

• 1.0

Faces (1998) 3 Graphics Novelty Windows

Faces 3.0 is a face composting tool similar to that which law enforcement uses. Select from a large number of facial features and parameters to re-create almost any face.

• 3.x

Dr. Sbaitso (1992) 2 Novelty Audio DOS

Dr. Sbaitso is a simple AI program, similar to the famous "Eliza", that makes use of text-to-speech software. Distributed as a demonstration application with Creative Labs Sound Blaster cards.

• 2.x

Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing (1988) 2 Education DOS Windows

An interactive typing tutor for the IBM PC that uses a variety of entertaining learning styles.

• 1
• 4.x

Microsoft Ancient Lands (1994) 2 Reference Novelty Windows

Multimedia software from the Microsoft Home series providing reference material of the ancient Roman, Greek, and Egyptian civilizations. Runs on Windows 3.1 or later.

• 1.0

Cellular Automata Lab (1989) 2 Novelty DOS

Cellular Automata Lab is a powerful commercial scientific mathematical program for working with and exploring Cellular Automata, a system where individual mathematical elements grow, spread, and die based on a set of rules (like the old BASIC "Life" programs). This software provides functionality to create custom sets of rules. Although it had some potential applications, this specific product is more of a novelty, similar to fractal generators. It was published by Autodesk during a period of experimental exploration in to new scientific applications.

• 1.0

Dilbert Break A Day (1997) 1 Novelty Windows MacOS

Released in 1997 by DayBreak Software, Break A Day is a calendar that shows a different Dilbert comic every day. Includes a 16-bit Windows 3.1 version, 32-bit Windows 9x/NT version, and a Mac version.

• 1

ABC 3D Atlas (1997) 1 Reference Novelty Windows

A 3D world atlas.

• 98

Johnny Castaway Screen Saver (1992) 1 Novelty Windows

Johnny Castaway Screen Saver from Sierra.

• 1.x

Microsoft Complete Baseball (1993) 1 Reference Novelty Windows

Multimedia software from the Microsoft Home series providing reference material of the early beginnings through to the 1990s of American baseball. Runs on Windows 3.1 or later.

• 1994

Microsoft Productivity Pack (1992) 1 Education Windows

The Microsoft Productivity Pack for Windows is a guided tour through Windows features and usage. It includes lessons on Windows essentials, using applications, managing files, OLE, and TrueType fonts. It was released shortly after Windows 3.1, and targeted at professionals as part of Microsoft's campaign to increase Windows adoption in the business marketplace.

• 3.1

IBM - Your PCJr Sampler (1983) 1 Novelty DOS

The PCJr sampler is a set of tiny applications that, while not really useful, demonstrate the abilities of the PCJr. This software was bundled with the PCjr.

• 1

Microsoft Creative Writer (1994) 1 Word Processor Novelty Windows MacOS

Microsoft Creative Writer is a dumbed down Microsoft BOB-like word processor and sign maker targeted at children. It was sold alongside, and later bundled with, a drawing program called Microsoft Fine Artist

• 1.x
• 2.x

3DNA (2002) 1 Utility Novelty Windows

3DNA is a 3D virtual environment shell that presents your computer as a series of 3D video-game like rooms. It features objects that you can set to launch applications, web site previews in the form of a "browser bay", and in-program advertising. It was bundled with some video cards. In many ways it is like a 3d-version of Microsoft Bob, and has a resemblance to Packard Bell Navigator.

• 1.0
• 1.1

Catz (1996) 1 Novelty Windows

Catz, from PF Magic, Inc, is a fun program that places an animated cat on your desktop for you to play with.

• 1.0
• II

IBM Morse Code Drills (1984) 1 Education DOS

IBM Morse Code Drills is an educational tool for learning and practicing Morse Code using your IBM Personal Computer.

• 1.00

IBM Electric Poet (1984) 1 Education DOS

Part of the IBM Electric Literature Series, Electric Poet is a creative authoring system targeted at literary community-writers, teachers, and students to create presentations and lessons. Its documents are referred to as "poems".

• 1.00

Easy Working Typing Teacher (1988) 0 Education DOS

Easy Working Typing Teacher is a low cost typist training program released as part of the Spinnaker "Easy Working" product family. Features an on-screen keyboard, built in help, drills, and statistics.

• 1.3