A popular spreadsheet for PCs, originally introduced for DOS in 1983. Later ported to many other platforms, including Windows, OS/2 as well as minis and mainframes, Lotus 1-2-3 became part of the IBM Lotus SmartSuite package. In 2013, SmartSuite was discontinued.
Why 1, 2, 3?
The name was chosen because it integrated spreadsheet, database and graphics. Lotus 1-2-3 was the first innovative spreadsheet for the PC and was launched with a huge marketing campaign. Its ability to function like a simple database was unique, and turning data into a chart with a single keystroke was dazzling for its time. The Lotus macros were the first macro language widely used in a spreadsheet. The software was supplemented with LotusScript, a BASIC-like language that supported Notes manipulation. See
Lotus menu and
Lotus.