Excel 5 also had a 32-bit version, however due to distribution flaws it was not widely used. Known as Excel 95, it marked the first major 32-bit version of Excel. These new features meant that Excel became more vulnerable to the macro virus attacks, which is something that would remain an issue all the way until the 2007 version. It included workbooks with multi-worksheets and support for VBA and Macros. It included lots of usability features, such as AutoFill, which was first introduced in this version.Įxcel version 5 marked a major upgrade.

The next version added toolbars, drawing capabilities, outlining, add-in support, 3D charts, and many more new features.Įxcel version 4 marked the first “popular” version.

It included a run-time version of Windows and was actually a port of the Mac “Excel 2”. The first Microsoft Excel version for Windows was labeled “2” to correspond to the Mac version. Until 2016, versions of Excel for different operating systems went under different names.

Microsoft had actually developed an earlier spreadsheet program called Multiplan back in 1982, which was not successful. This remains unknown to many Excel enthusiasts and may seem a bit strange. The first version of Excel was released exclusively for Mac. Because of the existence of multiple versions for both Mac and Windows, we will be focusing mainly on the Windows versions. So all the way to the present time, with the latest release of the various versions of Excel for Windows that you may encounter. The table below revisits all the different versions that Excel has evolved through – starting from the first version back in 1985 and finishing with the latest one from 2019. So let’s take a walk down memory lane, shall we?

During its life, Excel has undergone a number of different transformations to become the powerful spreadsheet software that we know and love today.ĭriven by our love for Microsoft Excel, we decided to make a small rundown of the metamorphoses that Excel has gone through over the years. Did you know that Microsoft Excel’s first version was released almost 35 years ago, as of the date of writing this article? Initially, our beloved spreadsheet program was available exclusively for Macintosh, back in 1985, with a version developed for Microsoft following in 1987.

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