<P> Microsoft originally marketed a spreadsheet program called Multiplan in 1982 . Multiplan became very popular on CP / M systems, but on MS - DOS systems it lost popularity to Lotus 1 - 2 - 3 . Microsoft released the first version of Excel for the Macintosh on September 30, 1985, and the first Windows version was 2.05 (to synchronize with the Macintosh version 2.2) in November 1987 . Lotus was slow to bring 1 - 2 - 3 to Windows and by the early 1990s Excel had started to outsell 1 - 2 - 3 and helped Microsoft achieve its position as a leading PC software developer . This accomplishment solidified Microsoft as a valid competitor and showed its future of developing GUI software . Microsoft maintained its advantage with regular new releases, every two years or so . </P> <P> Excel 2.0 is the first version of Excel for the Intel platform . Versions prior to 2.0 were only available on the Apple Macintosh . </P> <P> The first Windows version was labeled "2" to correspond to the Mac version . This included a run - time version of Windows . </P> <P> BYTE in 1989 listed Excel for Windows as among the "Distinction" winners of the BYTE Awards . The magazine stated that the port of the "extraordinary" Macintosh version "shines", with a user interface as good as or better than the original . </P>

Define the excel software application and explain key features of the excel application