Timeworks

Timeworks, Inc., was founded in 1982{{cite book | last=Linzmayer | first=Owen | date=1994 | url=https://vintageapple.org/macbooks/pdf/The_Mac_Bathroom_Reader_1994.pdf#page=227 | title=The Mac Bathroom Reader | publisher=Sybex | page=214 | isbn=978-0-7821-1531-4 | via=Vintage Apple}} in Deerfield, Illinois, by Mark L. Goldberg ({{circa}} 1927–2006).{{cite journal | last=Darby | first=Edwin | date=February 27, 1984 | url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/press-and-sun-bulletin-file-records-in-c/141880525/ | title=File records in computer and ditch that cigar box | journal=Press and Sun-Bulletin | page=9 | via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite journal | last=Lazarus | first=George | date=September 19, 1983 | url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/chicago-tribune-fat-profits-seen-in-low/141881378/ | title=Fat profits seen in low-cal foods | journal=Chicago Tribune | page=3.5 | via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite journal | date=July 13, 2006 | url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/chicago-tribune-obituary-for-mark-l-gol/141883669/ | title=Goldberg, Mark L. | journal=Chicago Tribune | page=10 | via=Newspapers.com}} The company was originally founded to develop software for the Timex Sinclair 1000, an inexpensive home computer introduced in the summer of 1982. Goldberg had been a veteran of the merchandising industry before founding Timeworks, with a self-professed lack of knowledge in computing. Before having any products in the market, the company's vice president Vic Schiller constructed a number of mock-up packages emblazoned with the name Softworks, the original name for the company. Schiller soon learned that another company located in Chicago was trading with that exact name, however, and wanting to keep the company's name the same length, the company quickly reincorporated itself as Timeworks.

Goldberg initially kept their staff lean, having only five people on Timeworks' payroll in 1983 (including Goldberg, Schiller, and Schiller's wife).{{cite journal | last=Brogan | first=Daniel | date=March 20, 1988 | url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1988/03/20/software-finds-sweet-home-here/ | title=Software Finds Sweet Home Here | journal=Chicago Tribune | page=7 | archiveurl=https://archive.today/20240222232814/https://www.chicagotribune.com/1988/03/20/software-finds-sweet-home-here/ | archivedate=February 22, 2024}} Instead, Goldberg preferred to strike deals with freelance software developers, both in and out of state, giving them royalties for their software.{{cite journal | date=February 19, 1984 | url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tyler-courier-times-computer-program/141880508/ | title=Computer Program Can Help with Income Taxes | journal=The Tyler Courier-Times | page=44 | via=Newspapers.com}} As an example, two of the company's first video games, Star Battle and Dungeon of the Algebra Dragons, were developed by a 17-year-old programmer based in Chicago. Marketing and advertising, meanwhile, was outsourced to Brand Advertising (later Albert J. Rosenthal & Co.) of Chicago.{{cite journal | last=Lazarus | first=George | date=August 7, 1984 | url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/chicago-tribune-pillsbury-losing-taste-f/141881352/ | title=Pillsbury losing taste for pasta | journal=Chicago Tribune | page=6.3 | via=Newspapers.com}}

During the first couple of years of its existence, Timeworks focused exclusively on software for Commodore computers, namely the Commodore 64. One of Timeworks' first titles was Cave of the Word Wizard (1982), an educational video game that featured an early instance of speech synthesis for a home computer. The title was aimed at students with special needs and emphasized inflection and tone, as well as grammar.{{cite book | date=1982 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Qn0XAQAAMAAJ | chapter=Timeworks, Inc.: Cave of the Word Wizard | title=The A.V. Guide | volume=61–66 | page=138 | publisher=Education Screen | via=Google Books}}

Within less than two years, Timeworks had roughly 15 productivity software and video game titles in its catalog, including Electronic Checkbook, Money Manager, Data Manager, and Swiftax, as well as the aforementioned video games. Swiftax, one of the first tax filing applications for the Commodore 64, was developed by a couple of out-of-state programmers in Houston, Texas, and quickly became one of Timeworks' best-selling titles for 1983 and 1984. Sales accordingly doubled, from US$2.3 million in 1983 to $4.4 million in 1984.{{cite journal | last=Staff writer | date=April 10, 1993 | url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A13697418/GPS?sid=wikipedia | title=The 1993 Softletter 100 | journal=Softletter | publisher=Aegis Resources | volume=10 | issue=1 | page=1 et seq | via=Gale}} It was in the latter year that Timeworks began expanding in earnest, Goldberg hiring Vic Schiller to head a team to convert Timeworks' existing software library to other platforms, including the Apple II, the IBM Personal Computer, and the Atari 8-bit computers.{{cite journal | last=Staff writer | date=August 1985 | url=https://archive.org/details/consumer-software-news-v1n2/page/21/ | title=SwiftCalc Offers Spreadsheet Capability at a Modest Price | journal=Consumer Software News | volume=1 | issue=2 | page=21 | via=the Internet Archive}} As well, Goldberg hired a television screenwriter to write and simplify the company's paper and online documentation for their software.

In late 1984, Timeworks licensed Evelyn Wood's speed reading software from her company, Evelyn Wood Reading Dynamics, releasing the Evelyn Wood Dynamic Reader for multiple platforms.{{cite journal | last=Staff writer | date=November 1984 | url=https://archive.org/details/Commodore_Computing_International_Vol_03_No_05_1984-11_Croftward_GB/page/n60/ | title=Expanded software | journal=Commodore Computing International | publisher=Croftward Limited | volume=3 | issue=5 | page=61 | via=the Internet Archive}}{{cite journal | last=Pearlman | first=Dara | date=March 19, 1985 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mI2TxlvjaksC&pg=PA176 | title=Speed Through the Reading Barrier | journal=PC Magazine | publisher=Ziff-Davis | volume=4 | issue=6 | pages=175–186 | via=Google Books}} In the same year, Timeworks released Word Writer, their first word processor software package, for multiple platforms.{{cite journal | last=Bowden | first=Robert | date=June 10, 1984 | url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/tampa-bay-times-timeworks-well-buy-it/141880434/ | title=Timeworks' 'we'll buy it' offer no longer means what you think | journal=Tampa Bay Times | page=150 | via=Newspapers.com}} Word Writer sold well in the home office segment and was generally praised by software critics,{{cite book | last=Marshall | first=Allan | author2=Ginger Curwen | author3=Robert David Hale | date=1987 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=69V_rkR4xCAC | title=A Manual on Bookselling: How to Open and Run a Bookstore | publisher=Harmony Books | isbn=9780517568880 | via=Google Books}} especially its Atari ST version released in 1986. That version was based on the GEM desktop environment developed by Digital Research and was one of the first word processors for the Atari ST.{{cite book | last=Lendino | first=Jamie | date=2019 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KkaoDwAAQBAJ | title=Faster Than Light: The Atari ST and the 16-Bit Revolution | publisher=Steel Gear Press | isbn=9781732355217 | pages=73–74 | via=Google Books}}{{cite journal | last=Geiger | first=Peter | date=January 23, 1989 | url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-akron-beacon-journal-timeworks-new/141888872/ | title=Timeworks' new entry goes beyond others | journal=The Akron Business Journal | page=B7 | via=Newspapers.com}}

Timeworks continued to broadly support the Atari ST with productivity such as Data Manager ST (a database management system) and SwiftCalc ST (a spreadsheet application).{{cite journal | last=Shannon | first=L. R. | date=February 24, 1989 | url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-miami-herald-software-library-grows/141880867/ | title=Software library grows for Atari's powerful STs | journal=The Miami Herald | page=81 | via=Newspapers.com}} This was at a time when the Atari ST's marketshare in the United States was rather poor, especially compared to that of the IBM PC (and its compatibles). Word Writer 128, released in the same year as the ST version, was one of the few programs written exclusively for the Commodore 128, which also suffered poor adoption rates in the United States.{{cite journal | last=Fields | first=Gary V. | date=July 1986 | url=https://archive.org/details/Commodore_Microcomputers_Volume_7_Number_4_Issue_42_1986-07_Commodore_US/page/n55/ | title=Software Reviews: Word Writer 128 | journal=Commodore Microcomputers | publisher=Contemporary Marketing | volume=7 | issue=4 | page=54, 122 | via=the Internet Archive}}{{rp|54}} With the IBM PC market still ever-growing, however, Timeworks began focusing their attention to that platform starting in 1987.{{cite journal | last=Levine | first=Martin | date=March 29, 1987 | url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1987/03/29/telecommuting-still-growing/ | title=Telecommuting Still Growing | journal=Chicago Tribune | page=36 | archiveurl=https://archive.today/20240223001839/https://www.chicagotribune.com/1987/03/29/telecommuting-still-growing/ | archivedate=February 23, 2024}}

Timeworks replicated their success with the GEM desktop environment with Publish-It! for the IBM PC and Apple IIGS.{{cite journal | last=Staff writer | date=January 1988 | url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A6247572/GPS?sid=wikipedia | title=What's New from COMDEX | journal=Electronic Learning | publisher=Scholastic | volume=7 | issue=4 | pages=35 et seq | via=Gale}} Released in 1988, it was an adaptation of their earlier Desktop Publisher for the Atari ST, which was not based on GEM.{{cite journal | last=Brownstein | first=Mark | date=June 13, 1988 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-T4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA17 | title=Timeworks Announces GEM-Based Publisher | journal=InfoWorld | publisher=IDG Publications | volume=10 | issue=24 | page=17 | via=Google Books}}{{cite book | date=1990 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=excQAQAAMAAJ | title=Software Reviews on File | publisher=Facts on File, Inc. | page=415 | via=Google Books | chapter=Publish-It!}}{{cite journal | last=Chadwick | first=Ian | date=January 1989 | url=https://www.atarimagazines.com/st-log/issue27/188_1_REVIEW_TIMEWORKS_DESKTOP_PUBLISHER.php | title=Review: Timeworks Desktop Publisher | journal=ST-Log | publisher=ANALOG Computing | issue=27 | page=88 | via=Classic Computer Magazine Archive}} The software was positively compared to Ventura Publisher by software critics and was a best-seller for Timeworks.{{cite journal | last=Peterson | first=Tami D. | date=January 17, 1989 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=C6VFJIbxX7MC&pg=PA34 | title=$295 Publish-It! Works Like Ventura Publisher, Stresses Ease of Use | journal=PC Magazine | publisher=Ziff-Davis | volume=8 | issue=1 | page=34 | via=Google Books}} Later, Timeworks developed versions of Publish-It! for Mac OS and Windows platforms, under the names Publish-It! Easy and Publish-It! for Windows respectively. Timeworks abandoned GEM for these ports, as the built-in GUIs of Mac OS and Windows made a desktop environment like GEM running atop these redundant.{{cite journal | last=((Editors)) | date=March 1991 | url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A9812945/GPS?sid=wikipedia | title=The 6th Annual Editors' Choice Awards | journal=MacUser | publisher=Ziff-Davis | volume=7 | issue=3 | page=97 et seq | via=Gale}}{{cite journal | last=Glinert | first=Susan | date=September 1994 | url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A16187976/GPS?sid=wikipedia | title=Publishing Without Pain | journal=Computer Shopper | publisher=SX2 Media Labs | volume=14 | issue=9 | page=360 et seq | via=Gale}}

Timeworks' sales rose from $9.4 million in 1987 to a peak of $10.1 million in 1988. Employment in the company also peaked that year, Timeworks having 100 on its payroll. Sales hovered around the $9 million mark between 1989 and 1991 before reaching a new peak of $10.7 million in 1992. That year, the company moved their headquarters from Deerfield to Northbrook.

In 1993, Timeworks was acquired by Megalode Resources, Inc., of Burlington, Ontario, for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition was finalized in early 1994,{{cite journal | last=Staff writer | date=September 20, 1993 | url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/202748669/ | title=Burlington's Megalode buys Timeworks | journal=Computer Dealer News | publisher=Plesman Publications | volume=9 | issue=19 | page=8 | via=ProQuest}} the company renamed to Timeworks International and made a subsidiary of Megalode. They continued producing software until fall 1994, when Timeworks International went bankrupt and its entire staff was laid off.{{cite journal | last=McCracken | first=Harry | author2=Jean Osborne | date=January 16, 1995 | url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A16054595/GPS?sid=wikipedia | title=The people's press: Low-cost publishing software | journal=InfoWorld | publisher=IDG Publications | volume=17 | issue=3 | pages=68–83 | via=Google Books}}{{rp|69}}{{cite journal | last=Wood | first=Christina | author2=Peggy Nauts | date=November 1994 | url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A16168983/GPS?sid=wikipedia | title=Shop Talk | journal=PC World | publisher=IDG Publications | volume=12 | issue=11 | page=31 et seq | via=Gale}}

{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

Category:1982 establishments in Illinois

Category:1994 disestablishments in Illinois

Category:American companies established in 1982

Category:American companies disestablished in 1994

Category:Defunct software companies of the United States

Category:Defunct video game companies of the United States

Category:Software companies established in 1982

Category:Software companies disestablished in 1994