WordPerfect (1989)

WordPerfect 5.1, released in 1989, was the king of word processing. Its sea of function key combinations were intimidating but powerful, allowing users to format documents with precision. It dominated offices and homes alike, becoming synonymous with word processing itself. Many remember the frustration of learning the function keys, but also the satisfaction of mastering them. It was the go-to software for everything from writing letters to creating complex reports, shaping how people interacted with computers for a generation.