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{{Short description|Presentation and vector graphics program}}
'''Harvard Graphics''' was a pioneering, award-winning ] developed for ] and ]. Harvard Graphics, Inc. released the first version of their landmark ] for MS-DOS in ] as '''Harvard Presentation Graphics'''. It was the first presentation consumer ] program to allow ] to incorporate text, ], and ]s into custom ] presentations.
{{Infobox software
| name = Harvard Graphics
| logo = <!-- Image name is enough -->
| logo alt =
| screenshot = Harvard Graphics v2.10 floppy disks.jpg
| caption = 6 floppy disk set of version 2.10
| screenshot alt =
| collapsible =
| author =
| developer = ]
| released = {{Start date and age|1986}}
| discontinued = {{Start date and age|2017}}
| latest release version =
| latest release date = <!-- {{Start date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|df=yes/no}} -->
| latest preview version =
| latest preview date = <!-- {{Start date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|df=yes/no}} -->
| programming language =
| operating system = ], ]
| platform =
| size =
| language =
| language count = <!-- Number only -->
| language footnote =
| genre = ]
| license =
| alexa =
| website = <!--{{URL|example.org}}-->
| standard =
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}}


'''Harvard Graphics''' was a graphics and ] for ]. The first version, titled '''Harvard Presentation Graphics''', was released for ] in 1986 by ] (SPC) and achieved a high market share. It was taken off the market in 2017.
Although Harvard Graphics was first to market, a small company in ] called Forethought had also been developing a presentation product for years; they released their competing product for the ], ], in ]. The next year, ] purchased Forethought, and released ] of ] for MS-DOS and ].


==History==
Microsoft assimilated PowerPoint into the ] release of their ] ] for ]; in turn, Harvard Graphics, Inc. ] their own software to ] in ].
Harvard Graphics was one of the first desktop business ] programs that allowed ] to incorporate text, ]s, and ]s into custom ] presentations. The original version could import data from ] or ], charts created in Symphony or PFS Graph, and ] text. It could export text and graphics to ] and to ], also manufactured by SPC.<ref name="iw1986">{{citation|last=Rufener|first=Sharon L.|title=Harvard Graphics Is Easy to Learn and Use|work=InfoWorld|date=May 26, 1986|pages=47–48}}</ref> Its use of vector graphics produced mixed results on the ] and ] displays common at the time, but output was usually sent to a slide printer or a color ].<ref name="hg">{{citation|url=http://www.harvardgraphics.com/about.asp|title=Harvard Graphics: Our Company|accessdate=2010-01-18|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928192337/http://www.harvardgraphics.com/about.asp|archivedate=2007-09-28}}</ref>


Harvard Graphics, PowerPoint, and (later) WordPerfect Presentations competed through the early ], and Harvard Graphics gradually lost ]. In ], Serif Incorporated purchased exclusive ] rights to the product line of Harvard Graphics, Inc.; Serif also assumed product support responsibilities.


==Sources==
* - Abbreviated history of Harvard Graphics, Inc.


"Presentation" was dropped from the name for the second release, which came in 1987, developed by Mario Chaves, Carl Hu, Lenore Kirvay, and Dana Tom. With Harvard Graphics 2 one was able to export graphics as ], which allows to use graphics created by the software until the present day. ] PC1640.]] Harvard Graphics 2.0 also added the ability to import the latest Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet data before generating graphics, as well as drawing and annotations for graphs.<ref name="iw187">.
==See also==
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{{citation|last=Miller|first=Michael J.|title=Harvard Graphics 2.0: Simplicity Veils Powerful Program|work=InfoWorld|date=August 3, 1987|page=47}}</ref> Version 3.0 was not released until 1991, offering improved editing functions, but its graphics and export capabilities were being outperformed by competitors like ] and ].<ref name="iw1991">{{citation|title=Version 3.0 of Harvard Graphics improves drawing, color features|work=InfoWorld|last=Fridlund|first=Alan|date=July 8, 1991|page=72}}</ref>
⚫ ==External links==
⚫ * - official ] of Harvard Graphics, Inc.
⚫ * - offical website of Serif Incorporated


Harvard Graphics was used as bonus product with ] by Australian Retailer ].


==Demise==
{{Compu-soft-stub}}
The market leader through the late 1980s, Harvard Graphics struggled as the market shifted to ]. SPC released a version for Microsoft ] in 1991, but its market share never approached the 70% it had previously commanded.<ref name="iw1993">{{citation|title=SPC's Gibbons: High-end Harvard Should Stand Alone|last=Gibbons|first=Fred|work=InfoWorld|date=August 9, 1993|page=86}}</ref> The Windows market came to be dominated by ] and then the bundle of PowerPoint into ].

In 1996, ] purchased exclusive ] rights to the product line of Harvard Graphics, Inc., and assumed product support responsibilities. Serif continued to market Harvard Graphics 98 for Windows and other software under the Harvard Graphics brand until mid-year 2017, when the product was taken off the market.<ref>{{cite web|title=Harvard Graphics is now closed|url=http://www.harvardgraphics.com|website=harvardgraphics.com|publisher=serif.com|accessdate=7 April 2018|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170814181020/http://www.harvardgraphics.com/|archivedate=14 August 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

⚫ ==External links==
⚫ *
⚫ *

{{Presentation software}}


] ]
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Latest revision as of 22:57, 23 December 2024

Presentation and vector graphics program
Harvard Graphics
6 floppy disk set of version 2.10
Developer(s)Software Publishing Corporation
Initial release1986; 39 years ago (1986)
Operating systemMS-DOS, Microsoft Windows
TypePresentation program

Harvard Graphics was a graphics and presentation program for IBM PC compatibles. The first version, titled Harvard Presentation Graphics, was released for MS-DOS in 1986 by Software Publishing Corporation (SPC) and achieved a high market share. It was taken off the market in 2017.

History

Harvard Graphics was one of the first desktop business application software programs that allowed users to incorporate text, information graphics, and charts into custom slideshow presentations. The original version could import data from Lotus 1-2-3 or Lotus Symphony, charts created in Symphony or PFS Graph, and ASCII text. It could export text and graphics to Computer Graphics Metafile and to pfs:Write, also manufactured by SPC. Its use of vector graphics produced mixed results on the CGA and EGA displays common at the time, but output was usually sent to a slide printer or a color plotter.


"Presentation" was dropped from the name for the second release, which came in 1987, developed by Mario Chaves, Carl Hu, Lenore Kirvay, and Dana Tom. With Harvard Graphics 2 one was able to export graphics as Encapsulated Postscript, which allows to use graphics created by the software until the present day.

Misplaced Pages Happy Holiday greetings, created with Harvard Gaphics 2.12 from 1988, on original hardware of the time, an Amstrad PC1640.

Harvard Graphics 2.0 also added the ability to import the latest Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet data before generating graphics, as well as drawing and annotations for graphs. Version 3.0 was not released until 1991, offering improved editing functions, but its graphics and export capabilities were being outperformed by competitors like Aldus Persuasion and Lotus Freelance.

Harvard Graphics was used as bonus product with Windows 95 by Australian Retailer Harvey Norman.

Demise

The market leader through the late 1980s, Harvard Graphics struggled as the market shifted to Microsoft Windows. SPC released a version for Microsoft Windows 3.0 in 1991, but its market share never approached the 70% it had previously commanded. The Windows market came to be dominated by Microsoft PowerPoint and then the bundle of PowerPoint into Microsoft Office.

In 1996, Serif purchased exclusive marketing rights to the product line of Harvard Graphics, Inc., and assumed product support responsibilities. Serif continued to market Harvard Graphics 98 for Windows and other software under the Harvard Graphics brand until mid-year 2017, when the product was taken off the market.

References

  1. Rufener, Sharon L. (May 26, 1986), "Harvard Graphics Is Easy to Learn and Use", InfoWorld, pp. 47–48
  2. Harvard Graphics: Our Company, archived from the original on 2007-09-28, retrieved 2010-01-18
  3. . Miller, Michael J. (August 3, 1987), "Harvard Graphics 2.0: Simplicity Veils Powerful Program", InfoWorld, p. 47
  4. Fridlund, Alan (July 8, 1991), "Version 3.0 of Harvard Graphics improves drawing, color features", InfoWorld, p. 72
  5. Gibbons, Fred (August 9, 1993), "SPC's Gibbons: High-end Harvard Should Stand Alone", InfoWorld, p. 86
  6. "Harvard Graphics is now closed". harvardgraphics.com. serif.com. Archived from the original on 14 August 2017. Retrieved 7 April 2018.

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