At the ProVUE News & Blog, Jim Rea writes:
Forty years ago today the doors opened for the very first MacWorld Expo in the Brooks Hall basement in San Francisco. For most of you this event probably seems like ancient history, somewhere back in the mists of time. But for me this was a very real and exciting event that I participated in as an exhibitor, the start of my amazing journey with the Mac community, a journey that continues on today.
As I recall there were two or three dozen software booths that first year. Some of the software on display included Multiplan (Microsoft), PFS:File, Think Tank, FileVision, Mac Slots, Habadex, Mac Draft, Mac Lion, Music Works, Click Art and of course OverVUE (the direct predecessor to today’s Panorama X). Of course all of these companies have long since disappeared, except for two – Microsoft and ProVUE Development. I’d say that’s a pretty nice club.
While it’s impressive that ProVUE has survived and thrived for so many years, it’s mostly a testament to Jim Rea’s skill and tenacity as a developer, tech writer, and business owner. Although all his code has evolved from OverVUE’s 68K assembly to Panorama X’s Objective-C using AppKit, Jim’s original vision of a RAM-based database has stayed strong. If you’re looking for an excuse to get started with Panorama X, which I relied on for Take Control business management before we sold the imprint to Joe Kissell, there’s a 40% discount for new users through the end of February.
