Ah, the 1980s—a decade defined by big hair, neon colours, and, for those of us in the business world, the groundbreaking advent of personal computing.
It was an era when setting up a spreadsheet was a Herculean task of its own, a far cry from today’s user-friendly applications that barely require a second thought..
... but for those who ventured into the world of Lotus 1-2-3, the experience was a blend of exhilarating discovery and occasionally baffling complexity.
A Glimpse into the Past
Before Excel became the spreadsheet heavyweight we know today, there was Lotus 1-2-3. Released in 1983, Lotus 1-2-3 was the software that brought spreadsheets to the masses, transforming how we did business.
It was a marvel of its time, offering the power of electronic calculations and data management on a personal computer.
The only problem?
It came with a learning curve steep enough to give most users vertigo.
I still remember the excitement of setting up my first spreadsheet for a small business. The thrill of entering data into those grid-like cells, the anticipation of seeing the calculations unfold—it was like magic, but with more buttons and fewer rabbits.
The Setup Begins
The setup process for Lotus 1-2-3 was, in hindsight, a bit like assembling a complicated piece of flat-pack furniture.
You had your computer, which in my case was an Amstrad PC1512, complete with a 3 1/2 drive from a disembowelled Olivetti typewriter and a rather noisy hard card—a charmingly beige box that hummed and clicked like a well-oiled machine.
You had your software, which came on a series of floppy disks, each one a precious commodity. And then you had your manual, a tome thick enough to double as a doorstop, filled with commands, functions, and abbreviations that seemed designed to perplex.
Starting up Lotus 1-2-3 was an adventure in itself. You inserted the first floppy disk, booted up the computer, and watched as the screen filled with cryptic text.
If you were lucky, you’d get to a menu that made some semblance of sense. If you were unlucky, you’d be staring at an error message that required the kind of technical expertise usually reserved for defusing bombs.
Creating the Spreadsheet
Once you had managed to navigate through the initial setup and avoided any major disasters, you were ready to create your spreadsheet. The first step was to understand the grid.
Unlike today’s spreadsheets, which are intuitive and user-friendly, Lotus 1-2-3 presented a grid of cells that required a series of commands to manipulate.
Each cell could hold data or formulas, and moving around involved a series of keypresses that felt more like a combination lock than a user interface.
I remember the first time I entered data. It felt like a breakthrough moment—typing figures into cells and hitting Enter, then watching as the numbers appeared where I wanted them.
The real magic, though, came with the formulas. With Lotus 1-2-3, you could perform complex calculations by simply typing in a formula and pressing Enter.
It was like discovering that your calculator could do algebra. I vividly recall the thrill of calculating profit margins and expenses with formulas like =SUM(A1:A10) and =AVERAGE(B1:B10).
Customising the Spreadsheet
Customising your spreadsheet was where things could get a bit hairy.
You could adjust the layout, format cells, and even create graphs, but it required a detailed understanding of the commands and options available.
I still have fond memories of spending hours tweaking fonts, adjusting column widths, and trying to get the perfect alignment. The beauty of Lotus 1-2-3 lay in its power and flexibility, but that also meant you had to work hard to get it right.
One memorable feature was the ability to create “macros.” These were essentially recorded sequences of commands that you could play back to automate repetitive tasks.
Setting up a macro was a bit like programming in a language you didn’t quite understand.
I spent a fair amount of time experimenting with macros, only to discover that they sometimes did exactly what I wanted and sometimes produced results that made me question my sanity. It was a learning experience that taught me as much about patience as it did about spreadsheets.
A Surprising Discovery
During my visits to the business where I was implementing Lotus 1-2-3, I stumbled upon a curious sight.
The staff, despite having this powerful new tool at their disposal, were still inputting figures into their spreadsheets and then using calculators to do the calculations! I couldn’t believe my eyes.
Here was a room full of people diligently using a sophisticated piece of software, only to fall back on their trusty calculators for the very tasks that the software was designed to handle.
I approached the team, and it turned out that they were more comfortable with their old habits.
The idea of letting Lotus 1-2-3 handle the calculations was foreign to them. They were so used to manually crunching numbers that even the thought of relying on the spreadsheet seemed risky. It was a bit like having a state-of-the-art kitchen appliance but still cooking everything by hand.
The Triumph of Success
Eventually, after much trial and error, and a fair bit of cajoling, the staff began to embrace the full capabilities of Lotus 1-2-3.
The shift from manual calculations to automated ones was like moving from a horse-drawn carriage to a sports car.
The spreadsheet became an indispensable tool for managing the business, streamlining operations, and making sense of financial data with ease.
Looking back, it’s remarkable how far we’ve come. Today, setting up a spreadsheet is a straightforward task, thanks to the user-friendly interfaces of modern software. But the experience of working with Lotus 1-2-3 holds a special place in my heart. It was a time of discovery, of grappling with new technology, and of experiencing the thrill of mastering something complex and powerful.
A Legacy of Innovation
The legacy of Lotus 1-2-3 extends beyond its historical significance. It was a pioneer in the field of spreadsheet software, paving the way for future developments and innovations. Its influence is still felt in today’s spreadsheet applications, which owe much of their functionality to the groundwork laid by Lotus 1-2-3.
Setting up a spreadsheet in the 80s was an adventure—a combination of technical challenge and creative problem-solving. It was a time when mastering software was a significant achievement, and the satisfaction of creating something from scratch was immense.
In many ways, working with Lotus 1-2-3 was like being part of a grand experiment. It was a time when personal computing was evolving rapidly, and every new tool or technique felt like a breakthrough.
As we navigate the ease of modern spreadsheets, it’s worth taking a moment to remember the pioneers who made it all possible and to appreciate the journey from those early days of computing.
Your efforts paved the way for the simplicity and functionality we enjoy today, and your adventures in data management will always be remembered with a sense of nostalgia and respect.