Name a "Killer App"

Rick_EE · 03-03-2005, 12:25 PM

You read in the press how that such-and-such will be the next "killer app"

Name a past "killer app" that turned out to be just that.

Feel free to chime in with what you think will be the next one.

*Fraoch* · 03-03-2005, 12:31 PM

Napster was a killer app back in its day.

PCBruiser · 03-03-2005, 12:32 PM

Visicalc was the first real killer application - it made the Apple II a legitimate business machine, and started the business based personal computer revolution.

StoogesNuke · 03-03-2005, 12:48 PM

StreamboxVCR. Has been an awesome tool/app.

Trillian - Instant messanger for all.

Rick_EE · 03-03-2005, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fraoch

Napster was a killer app back in its day.

I thought the same thing. Like a lot of them, the innovator doesn't always get the full benefit of their creation.

KingTermite · 03-03-2005, 03:32 PM

Cool idea for a thread!

I'm an editor geek...

First "killer app" I remember in the Windows world was
PFE - Programmer's File Editor

then a few years later I found another killer app (an even better text editor)
Ultra Edit - another killer editor great for programmers

Back in school...came across the best *nix (X-window) editor
Nedit - X based text editor

However, I'll admit that UE has had more revisions and is starting to border on bloated.

Back in the DOS days, Norton Utilities was a killer app....but now is the worst case of bloatware I know.

To me, "killer apps" are the ones that do one thing and do so damned well you fell you can't live without them.

Other contenders if you use that standards:
Beyond Compare - Greatest file/directory comparison tool ever used.
Tera Term Pro - Best telnet client I've ever used. Was my login program of choice when I had to log in to school's Unix account back in the modem days.
VNC - Great tool (especially at work) to access my computer when on others (like in the lab).
PSTools - command line tools from sysinternals...very handy at times.

Those are the few that immediately come to mind.

SupDawg · 03-03-2005, 03:35 PM

Nero---

Aikonik · 03-03-2005, 03:51 PM

Firefox?

**pointreyes** · 03-03-2005, 03:51 PM

Mean 18
dBase III (hey, it changed the way desktops handled databases)

Oracle
Mosaic - just look at the About Internet Explorer window.

Quote:

Based on NCSA Mosaic. NCSA Mosaic(TM); was developed at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

*Fraoch* · 03-03-2005, 04:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SupDawg

Nero---

Stike that one from the list - it's the most buggy app I have. Only works 25% of the time.

Just my experience though.

**pointreyes** · 03-03-2005, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fraoch

Stike that one from the list - it's the most buggy app I have. Only works 25% of the time.

Just my experience though.

At least you get to experience the bugs.

After a certain version of 6.<whatever>, my product key is useless. I guess that is a very effective way to make it so that they get less bug reports on the actual application.

Miles · 03-03-2005, 05:00 PM

Word Perfect the first truly legitamate word processor, back in the DOS days.

Bakku · 03-03-2005, 05:23 PM

the next killer app will be eXeem, a private bittorrent network client which is suppse to keep you away from the "big brothers".

03-03-2005, 12:25 PM	#1
Rick_EE Slightly Registered User Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Milwaukee, WI Posts: 1,043	Name a "Killer App" You read in the press how that such-and-such will be the next "killer app" Name a past "killer app" that turned out to be just that. Feel free to chime in with what you think will be the next one. __________________ "Your a looser"- internet phrase of the day.
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03-03-2005, 12:31 PM	#2
Fraoch Resident ABX Wizard Join Date: May 2003 Location: London, Ontario Posts: 8,814	Napster was a killer app back in its day.
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03-03-2005, 12:32 PM	#3
PCBruiser Registered User Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 13,497	Visicalc was the first real killer application - it made the Apple II a legitimate business machine, and started the business based personal computer revolution.
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03-03-2005, 12:48 PM	#4
StoogesNuke ITXpert Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 150	StreamboxVCR. Has been an awesome tool/app. Trillian - Instant messanger for all. __________________ Asus A8V - Deluxe BIOS 1014 * AMD Athlon 64 X2 4800+ * Koolance EXOS Water cooling for CPU * 4096 MB Corsair XMS 2-3-3-6 RAM * ATI Radeon X850XTPE * 4x WD 400re2 Gig SATA HDDs * Soundblaster Audigy 2 * 2x Plextor 16X DVDRW * Viewsonic Ultrabight monitor * Antec True Power 550W PSU
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03-03-2005, 03:32 PM	#6
KingTermite The Shade of Lazarus Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: PM me to keep in contact Posts: 26,003	Cool idea for a thread! I'm an editor geek... First "killer app" I remember in the Windows world was PFE - Programmer's File Editor then a few years later I found another killer app (an even better text editor) Ultra Edit - another killer editor great for programmers Back in school...came across the best nix (X-window) editor Nedit* - X based text editor However, I'll admit that UE has had more revisions and is starting to border on bloated. Back in the DOS days, Norton Utilities was a killer app....but now is the worst case of bloatware I know. To me, "killer apps" are the ones that do one thing and do so damned well you fell you can't live without them. Other contenders if you use that standards: Beyond Compare - Greatest file/directory comparison tool ever used. Tera Term Pro - Best telnet client I've ever used. Was my login program of choice when I had to log in to school's Unix account back in the modem days. VNC - Great tool (especially at work) to access my computer when on others (like in the lab). PSTools - command line tools from sysinternals...very handy at times. Those are the few that immediately come to mind. __________________ Bye Bye ABXZone.....Rest In Peace.
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03-03-2005, 03:35 PM	#7
SupDawg Registered User Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 7,079	Nero--- __________________ The views expressed in this electronic dialogue are mine alone. "All physics are belong to me. " Kongo
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03-03-2005, 03:51 PM	#8
Aikonik Toxic Avenger Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: New York, New York Posts: 409	Firefox? __________________ DFI Lanparty 875B 2.8c @ 3.2 GEIL Golden Dragon 1GB 3200 9800 Pro Audigy 2
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03-03-2005, 05:00 PM	#12
Miles Registered User Join Date: May 2001 Location: South Carolina Posts: 5,558	Word Perfect the first truly legitamate word processor, back in the DOS days. __________________ Regards, Miles ________________________________ Intel Core 2 Duo E6850 w/ Enzotech Ultra \| ASUS Blitz Formula SE \| 2 x 2Gb Mushkin XP2-6400 DDR-2 \| XFX 8800 GTX XXX\| 2 - Seagate 750GB Barracuda ES \| PCP&C 1KWSR \| Lian Li G70 \| Windows Vista 64-bit Ultimate \| Dell 2407 FPW Monitor
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03-03-2005, 05:23 PM	#13
Bakku Registered User Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Texas Posts: 768	the next killer app will be eXeem, a private bittorrent network client which is suppse to keep you away from the "big brothers". __________________ FX-55 2.9GHz @ 223x13 \| ASRock 939Dual-SATA2 \| 2GB (4x512) Mushkin XP4400 2.5-3-3-8-2T \| Zalman CNPS9700 \| X1900XT 512MB \| Creative X-Fi Platinum \| Logitech Z-560 4.1 THX 400W \| Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 320GB \| Maxtor 120GB 7200RPM w/8MB \| BenQ DW1640 \| Lite-on 52x32x52 Combo Drive \| "work...work...work..." - WarCraft - Clan bRa \| a.k.a. CrazyRhino Any man who falls behind, is left behind.
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