Software Spotlight: WinGraph
WinGraph, from Media Cybernetics of Dr. Halo fame, is a rudimentary business graphing presentation program for Microsoft Windows 2. But it can run under Windows 1!
https://winworldpc.com/product/wingraph
Yes, yet another Windows 1.x compatible application.
Officially WinGraph requires Windows 2. The executable's expected OS version number is set to require Windows "2.01", but Windows 1 ignores that. The drop down menus have "&" signs in them denoting hotkeys that are not available in Windows 1. But other than that, it seems to work fine. Almost certainly it was written for Windows 1 and then bumped before shipping.
WinGraph is not very feature-rich or customizable. It does what it says, enabling users to create line, bar, and pie charts, and import data from Lotus 1-2-3, Multiplan, or dBase III files. It can export graphs to TIFF or Halo CUT files.
It supports working with four graphs at once, includes a slideshow utility, and touts the ability to work with other programs at the same time under Microsoft Windows. Most of the graph layout is predetermined, and not customizable.
WinGraph is a Windows port of Media Cybernetics Nimbus charting software product. Unlike Nimbus, WinGraph does not support film recorders. Nimbus itself is based on the Halo Graphics Tool Box programmer's toolkit, that was used to create Dr Halo, and other applications.
So, not very fancy, but another program for Windows. There is very little information about Media Cybernetics WinGraph out there. It seems like it was just a small tool, possibly meant as a potential companion to other products, and not strongly marketed. I didn't even know Media Cybernetics made Windows programs.
It would have competed against Micrografx Windows Graph for Windows 1, of which WinWorld has a demo, but we are still looking for the full version: https://winworldpc.com/product/micrografx-windows-graph/1x
BTW another new addition, Show Partner FX https://winworldpc.com/product/show-partner includes a Windows native screen shot utility that works under Windows 1 and 2.
Comments
Nice find. According to 10th August, 1987 issue of Computerworld (link), it was "introduced" at that year's SIGGRAPH convention.
Whether that means it was just announced or actually released at that time, I don't know for sure. But considering the version here is not the original release, and it's dated January 1988, it's entirely possible that the original release was indeed from late 1987 or so and still officially supported Windows 1.0x.
BTW, there was also a similar program with the same name announced by Palantir in early 1988. Don't know if it ever shipped or not.
As far as Show Partner goes, the Windows Capture thingy seems to have been added in version 2.0 from 1987.
Hmm, actually, looking at the manual for WinGraph, it says "Documentation copyright 1988 by Media Cybernetics, Inc . and Palantir Software", several screenshots have a folder path "C:\PALANTIR\WINGRAPH" and the main window has an additional "Palantir" menu. So it's possible that Palantir also marketted this same program under their own name or perhaps purchased the IP from Media Cybernetics at some point.
Nice, I had not noticed that. Now I'm wondering who actually wrote it and which one licensed it. What I read suggests Media Cybernetics based it on their tech, but it doesn't seem anywhere as bad as Dr. Halo
Edit: found one book reference that states: "The Palantir graphing package called WinGraph was originally developed by Media Cybernetics and has a list price of $195"
I've got one from Media Cybernetics called Dr. Genius. It was with a pile of disks that also included Dr. Halo, so it may be related. I haven't had a chance to try installing it anywhere yet to see what it's like. Have you guys heard of it before?
I believe that is a rebranded version of Dr. Halo that was included with Genius mice.
Oh that makes sense. The copy of Dr Halo I have is on Emerson floppies and one of them is a mouse driver too, so I guess it was also bundled, but with an Emerson brand mouse.
If I were to guess only based on the copyrights in the manual, it seems more likely MC wrote it and then Palantir licensed it (and modified slightly, it seems, based on the screenshots in the manual).
BTW, I have just added not only the full Micrografx Windows Graph for Windows 1, but also the Windows 2 based Micrografx Graph Plus 1.2 https://winworldpc.com/product/micrografx-windows-graph/
Nice, I'll check it out. Thanks!