VCN ExecuVision

{{Short description|Graphics and presentation program}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2023}}

{{refimprove|date=March 2014}}

Image:IEEE Presentation Graphics.jpg

VCN ExecuVision, a combination graphics program and file manager,{{Cite magazine |last=Puglia |first=Vincent |date=6 March 1984 |title=Pretty Pixels |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZhoP0KRkQe4C&pg=PA143 |magazine=PCMag |language=en |publisher=Ziff Davis |publication-place=New York City, NY, USA |volume=3 |issue=4 |issn=0888-8507 |access-date=18 March 2023}} was the first presentation program for the personal computer, created by Visual Communications Network, Inc. and published by Prentice-Hall, Inc. for the IBM PC in 1984. The program's pre-loaded graphics library and its separate additions make the VCN ExecuVision the first professional digital clip art library.{{Cite web |last=Garber |first=Megan |date=2 December 2014 |title=A Eulogy to Clip Art, in Clip Art |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/12/a-eulogy-to-clipart-in-clipart/383322/ |url-access=registration |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150214214557/https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/12/a-eulogy-to-clipart-in-clipart/383322/ |archive-date=14 February 2015 |access-date=21 March 2022 |website=The Atlantic |publisher=Emerson Collective |language=en |publication-place=Washington, D.C., USA |issn=2151-9463 |oclc=936540106}} Featuring ten different typefaces, 64 color schemes, clip art, animation options, the ability to import images and the ability to draw freehand using a mouse, this program allowed users to manipulate graphics and text built with business data presentation in mind but could be used for all visual communication purposes.{{Cite magazine |last=Freeze |first=Ken |date=29 October 1984 |title=V-C-N ExecuVision: Pictures really worth a thousand words |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nS4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA63 |department=Review board |magazine=InfoWorld |language=en |publisher=InfoWorld Media Group, Inc. |publication-place=San Francisco, California, USA |volume=6 |issue=44 |pages=62{{ndash}}66 |issn=0199-6649 |access-date=18 March 2023}} The program's capabilities were expanded with the release of six supplemental graphics libraries sold as individual floppy disks, which were to be joined by four more said to be in production{{Cite web |last= |first= |date= |title=VCN ExecuVision 1.0 |url=https://winworldpc.com/product/vcn-execuvision/10 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220523073004/https://winworldpc.com/product/vcn-execuvision/10 |archive-date=23 May 2022 |access-date=21 March 2022 |website=WinWorld |language=en |via=WinWorldPC}} but were ultimately never released. All of these functions required PC DOS 1.01, 128KB RAM, two disk drives, a color monitor and color graphics adapter to operate, as well as either an IBM dot-matrix or Hewlett-Packard printer to print visuals created within the program.

VCN ExecuVision gained popularity quickly following its release as it enabled businesses to create presentation slides and data visualizations quickly and easily, and was relatively cheaper than having to rely on an art department to produce all professional visual media.{{Cite magazine |last= |first= |date=11 June 1985 |title=VCN ExecuVision: The Cadillac of Presentation Graphics |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZFw924nLBSoC&pg=PA160 |department=Business Graphics |magazine=PCMag |language=en |publisher=Ziff Davis |publication-place=New York City, NY, USA |volume=4 |issue=12 |pages=160{{ndash}}161 |issn=0888-8507 |access-date=18 March 2023}} The benefits of this software program were first discussed in the journal of Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers in March 1984.{{Cite journal |last=Toong |first=H.-M.D. |last2=Gupta |first2=A. |date=March 1984 |title=A new direction in personal computer software |url=https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/1457136 |journal=Proceedings of the IEEE |language=en |publisher=Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers |publication-place=New York City, NY, USA |publication-date=2007 |volume=72 |issue=3 |pages=377–388 |doi=10.1109/PROC.1984.12868 |issn=0018-9219 |lccn=86645263 |oclc=807623131 |s2cid=30327627 |url-access=subscription |access-date=18 March 2023}} In addition to the benefits of VCN ExecuVision, the journal published images created by the software, illustrating the new emerging software available for personal computers at that time.{{comp-sci-stub}}