what the name Excel (i.e. Microsoft Excel product) stand for?

---

Request for Question Clarification by sublime1-ga on 05 Nov 2005 13:50 PST

amit_eylon...

As my grandpappy used to say, when in doubt, choose the obvious.
I would think it simply means it's a product intended to allow
you to excel at producing quality spreadsheets by way of the 
many and coplex functions it provides for creating them.

Excel: To show superiority; surpass others.

Let me know what you think...

sublime1-ga

---

Clarification of Question by amit_eylon-ga on 06 Nov 2005 10:53 PST

why microsoft called it "excel"?

---

Clarification of Question by amit_eylon-ga on 07 Nov 2005 11:36 PST

may be i'll ask bill gates?

In addition to the obvious, the name might also be a pun on "X-cell."

Hi,

Perhaps this will be of interest.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Excel

"Microsoft originally marketed a spreadsheet program called Multiplan
in 1982, which was very popular on CP/M systems, but on MS-DOS systems
it lost popularity to Lotus 1-2-3. This promoted development of a new
spreadsheet called Excel which started with the intention to, in the
words of Doug Klunder, 'do everything 1-2-3 does and do it better' .
The first version of Excel was released for the Mac in 1985 and the
first Windows version (numbered 2.0 to line-up with the Mac and
bundled with a run-time Windows environment) was released in November
1987."

[edit]

"Early in its life Excel became the target of a trademark lawsuit by
another company already selling a software package named "Excel." As
the result of the dispute Microsoft was required to refer to the
program as "Microsoft Excel" in all of its formal press releases and
legal documents. However, over time this practice has slipped."


Best regards,
tlspiegel

Perhaps because Quattro-Pro was already taken...

Excel was for the word excel itself (as in do everything better,
surpass, ect.) and cell. The first priority was to do more with cells
like style them and do operations in a more intelligent way. I am also
refering you to the wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Excel
where you can find a lot of good infos.