Guest Editors' Introduction: PC Software--Spreadsheets for Everyone

In the October-December 2006 issue of the Annals, devoted to the history of word processing, we noted that word processing has long been the primary use for personal computers (although lately it may be in second place after Web "surfing"). Yet when one looks at the history of the personal computer's adoption, another, entirely different program stands out: the electronic spreadsheet. Why is that?