Introduction to Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet Programs

Spreadsheets  What’s a spreadsheet?  Spreadsheets are computer programs designed to organize data and show relationships between various pieces of data.  Spreadsheets have had more to do with the spread of personal computers than any other program.  Businesses found them more useful than word processing.  What’s a spreadsheet?  Spreadsheets are computer programs designed to organize data and show relationships between various pieces of data.  Spreadsheets have had more to do with the spread of personal computers than any other program.  Businesses found them more useful than word processing.

Spreadsheets  A bit of history:  The first spreadsheet in common use was called VisiCalc.  It was eventually replaced by Lotus 123  When Lotus 123 was being developed bankers wouldn’t loan Lotus any money.  Even Lotus’s most optimistic projection was at about 45,000 copies of the program the first year.  The first year Lotus sold several million copies of the program.  A bit of history:  The first spreadsheet in common use was called VisiCalc.  It was eventually replaced by Lotus 123  When Lotus 123 was being developed bankers wouldn’t loan Lotus any money.  Even Lotus’s most optimistic projection was at about 45,000 copies of the program the first year.  The first year Lotus sold several million copies of the program.

Spreadsheets  How they work:  They use cells to contain information (Data)  Every cell has an address with a letter and a number (Much like the old game Battleship).  Simple formulas can then be used to set up relationships between the cells.  How they work:  They use cells to contain information (Data)  Every cell has an address with a letter and a number (Much like the old game Battleship).  Simple formulas can then be used to set up relationships between the cells.

Spreadsheets  Enough background, Let’s get started!