In the early 1990s, Microsoft was already ruling a large part of the computing world thanks to the enormous influence of MS-DOS. However, the future was flirting with graphical interfaces and connectivity. Every company tried to reach that future in its own way (Windows being the key for Microsoft), but in 1990 an alternative emerged: GeoWorks Ensemble, or simply GeoWorks, developed by Berkeley Softworks, whose essence had gained traction among Commodore 64 and Apple II users…
1990. You turn on your personal computer (IBM PC compatible), insert the diskette with the operating system (hard drives were luxury items), and all you have to work with is this:
Yes, MS-DOS was intimidating to the core, but in May of that year Microsoft released Windows 3.0, the first 'successful' version of the operating environment, and the beginning of several changes for the computing world. But Microsoft did not invent the graphical interface. Neither had Apple with its Macintosh. Everyone knew in one way or another that the evolution of computers was heading in that direction, and what we needed as users (besides performance, compatibility and low cost) was to know who would offer the best implementation. A fact that many ignore is that Microsoft and Apple were not alone in the race.
GeoWorks: Designed for Beginners
Its name was GeoWorks, technically GeoWorks Ensemble. Its development company was Berkeley Softworks, and if you enjoyed systems like the Commodore 64 and the Apple II, then you might remember that name. Why? Because they are the same creators of GEOS, an 8-bit operating system that we can only describe as "incredible" for its graphical complexity in such limited hardware environments.
Besides the explosion of colors that GeoWorks delivered, one of its most important aspects was its ability to adapt the interface according to the user's skill level. The "Appliances" section presented a simplified experience, while "Professional" led to full mode, and "DOS Programs" opened a standard MS-DOS shell.
Integrated Office
GeoWorks also included several productivity-oriented applications, identified with the designation "Geo". For example, GeoWrite was a fairly complete word processor, and I would dare say a step above what Microsoft offered at the time. GeoDraw, GeoManager, GeoPlanner, GeoDex and GeoComm formed the rest of the general package, so with a standard GeoWorks installation, any user was ready to work.
Hardware Humility
However, one of GeoWorks's virtues that could have tipped the scales in its favor was its low hardware requirements. GeoWorks worked marvelously on systems that virtually suffered with Microsoft's software. Windows 3.0 and 3.1 needed a high-performance 386 chip or a 486 to stretch their legs, while GeoWorks had fun on a 286. After all, it was an advanced graphical environment over DOS, one of the most stable and effective operating systems we have known.
An article from Compute! magazine dedicated to GeoWorks was blunt: In those years, the XT and 286 computers that had problems running Windows amounted to 20 million. All GeoWorks had to do to claim that portion of the market was survive… and it didn't. Why? Several company representatives (including one of its CEOs, Brian Dougherty) indicated that "Microsoft drove them out of the market" by signing exclusivity agreements with the main OEMs for two years. Every computer that reached the shelves would carry Windows, closing the doors to GeoWorks.
At the same time, all the hardware demands that did not harm the end user fell on the developers (since they could only use Sun workstations costing $7,000), and the lack of apps placed the final nail in its coffin. GeoWorks extended its lifespan under the wing of America Online, which adopted it as the basis for its MS-DOS-compatible connection software. It also found a place in the Tandy Zoomer, the Nokia 9000 Communicator, and some electronic typewriters. Its code is being released slowly, but if you can't wait, the original images and those of its later versions are very easy to find.
Source: Tedium
