# Spinnaker Software > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Spinnaker_Software > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Spinnaker_Software.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinnaker_Software > Source revision: 1339566314 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|American software company}} {{Use American English|date=May 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}} {{Infobox company |name = Spinnaker Software Corporation |logo = Spinnaker Software logo.svg |successor = [The Learning Company](/source/The_Learning_Company) |fate = Merged |location = [Cambridge, Massachusetts](/source/Cambridge%2C_Massachusetts), United States |foundation = April 1, 1982 |defunct = 1994 |industry = Educational [software](/source/software) }} '''Spinnaker Software Corporation''' was an American software and [video game company](/source/video_game_company). Founded in 1982 by Bill Bowman and C. David Seuss, it was known primarily for its line of non-curriculum-based [educational software](/source/educational_software), which was a major seller during the 1980s.{{cite book |last=Case |first=John |url=https://archive.org/details/digitalfutureper0000case/ |title=Digital Future: the personal computer explosion{{mdash}}why it's happening and what it means |publisher=William Morrow |year=1985 |isbn=0-688-01101-2 |location=New York, N.Y |page=122 |url-access=registration}} Spinnaker pioneered the educational software market and was the first company to mass market low cost, educational software. It went public on [NASDAQ](/source/NASDAQ) in 1991 and was acquired by [The Learning Company](/source/The_Learning_Company) in 1994. The Learning Company was subsequently acquired by [Mattel](/source/Mattel). == Educational and entertainment titles == One of the key elements of the business plan was to change the marketing of software aimed at home users: Instead of plastic bags, the software was put into brightly colored, durable plastic boxes. To reach non-tech-savvy parents as potential buyers, full-color advertisements were run in magazines like ''[Good Housekeeping](/source/Good_Housekeeping)'', ''[Better Homes and Gardens](/source/Better_Homes_and_Gardens_(magazine))'' and ''[Newsweek](/source/Newsweek).'' The budget for advertising was huge: In 1983 $1.5 million were spent on advertising compared to sales of $11.1 million. By 1984 an industry rumor said that the company was running out of cash.{{r|caruso19840402}} Robert Nason Baker of advertising agency Harold Cabot & Co., Boston designed the company logo and the multicoloured stripe that appeared on all printed material.{{harvnb|Case|1985|p=123-125}}Bio for Robert N. Baker in ''Complete Marquis Who's Who Biographies.'' The initial lineup for Christmas 1982 comprised four titles:{{cite magazine |url=http://www.atarimagazines.com/compute/issue30/045_1_New_Products_Spinnaker_Software_Corp._Markets_Home_Learning_And_Strategy_Games_For_Atari_And_Apple.php |title=Spinnaker Software Corp. Markets Home Learning and Strategy Games for Atari and Apple |magazine=[Compute!](/source/Compute!) |issue=30 |date=November 1982 |page=235}} ''FaceMaker'' and ''The Story Machine'', learning games by San Francisco-based DesignWare, and two ''[Snooper Troops](/source/Snooper_Troops)'' strategy games by [Tom Snyder Productions](/source/Tom_Snyder_Productions). Among the Spinnaker Software titles of 1983 were three programs designed and programmed by [Interactive Picture Systems](/source/Interactive_Picture_Systems): ''Trains'', ''Aerobics'', and ''Grandma's House'' for [Apple II](/source/Apple_II), [Atari 800](/source/Atari_800) and [Commodore 64](/source/Commodore_64) systems. A well-known product of 1983 was ''[In Search of the Most Amazing Thing](/source/In_Search_of_the_Most_Amazing_Thing)'' by Tom Snyder Productions. Spinnaker's educational titles included such games as ''Alphabet Zoo'' and ''Kidwriter''. Kidwriter, a storybook authoring tool and the first [word processor](/source/word_processor) ever designed and developed specifically for children, was created by Jim and Jack Pejsa, who also developed Movie Creator (licensed by Spinnaker to Fisher Price Corp.) an 8-track video and 3-track music production and editing workshop for children. ''Alphabet Zoo'' was produced by Dale Disharoon, a teacher from Chico, California. By early 1984 ''InfoWorld'' estimated that Spinnaker was the world's 16th-largest [microcomputer](/source/microcomputer)-software company, with $10 million in 1983 sales.{{cite magazine | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kC4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA80 | title=Company Strategies Boomerang | work=InfoWorld | date=April 2, 1984 | accessdate=February 10, 2015 | last=Caruso|first=Denise | pages=80–83 |volume=6 |issue=14}} During the 1983–1988 time frame, Spinnaker consistently led the best seller charts for educational software. with Snooper Troops making the top ten list of bestselling games. === Branding === Beginning in 1984, Spinnaker introduced several brands to structure its product line and target different audiences. Branding was intended to get Spinnaker more shelf space at retailers.{{cite magazine |first=Marguerite |last=Zientara |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GS8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA43 |title=Inside Spinnaker Software |magazine=InfoWorld |volume=6 |number=33 |date=13 August 1984 |issn=0199-6649|pages=43-48}} The first new product line was a collaboration with toy manufacturer [Fisher-Price](/source/Fisher-Price). Spinnaker was responsible for creating, marketing and distributing the software and paid royalties for using the Fisher-Price name.{{cite magazine| first=Scott | last=Mace |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hy4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA14 |title=Spinnaker to market new line of Fisher-Price software |magazine=[InfoWorld](/source/InfoWorld) |volume=6 |issue=17 |date=April 23, 1984 |issn=0199-6649 |page=24}} In October 1984 Spinnaker founded two subsidiaries, the [Telarium](/source/Telarium) [Corporation](/source/Corporation) and the [Windham Classics](/source/Windham_Classics) Corporation. Telarium was initially named "Trillium", but Spinnaker changed the name shortly after its announcement and before launch to Telarium when another company claimed ownership of the Trillium name. Both corporations published [adventure games](/source/adventure_games) ([interactive fiction](/source/interactive_fiction)) based on literature works. The target groups were different, Telarium geared toward grown-up adventure players and Windham Classics geared toward children players. In marketing and sales issues, both subsidiaries worked closely together with their parent company. President of Telarium was C. David Seuss.[http://ifguide.if-legends.org/essays/Telarium.html C. David Seuss: ''Welcome to Telarium'', Fall 1984 (Telarium-Newsletter) at The Interactive Fiction Collector's Guide – Telarium by Manuel Schulz] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110818083534/http://ifguide.if-legends.org/essays/Telarium.html |date=August 18, 2011 }}. The game development was managed by [Seth Godin](/source/Seth_Godin).{{cite web |first=Shay |last=Addams |url=http://www.csd.uwo.ca/Infocom/Articles/parser-war.html |title=if yr cmptr cn rd ths... |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121122022751/http://www.csd.uwo.ca/Infocom/Articles/parser-war.html |archive-date=November 22, 2012 |work=Computer Entertainment |date=August 1985 |pages=24-27, 76-77}}{{cite magazine|first=Selby |last=Bateman |url=http://www.atarimagazines.com/compute/issue53/012_1_Is_A_Picture_Worth_A_Thousand_Words.php |title=Is A Picture Worth A Thousand Words? |magazine=[Compute!](/source/Compute!) |issue=53 |date=October 1984 |issn=0194-357X |page=32}} Telarium focused on prime quality text and published eight adventures, partly in cooperation with established writers like [Michael Crichton](/source/Michael_Crichton), [Byron Preiss](/source/Byron_Preiss), [Ray Bradbury](/source/Ray_Bradbury), and [Arthur C. Clarke](/source/Arthur_C._Clarke). Windham Classics focused on a nonviolent storyline appropriate for children and published five adventures. By December 1984 Spinnaker had established seven product lines, with the Fisher-Price and Telarium/Windham Classics brands comprising more than ten titles each.{{cite magazine|first=Faye |last=Zuckerman |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZSQEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA28 |title=Now Playing |magazine=[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine)) |volume=96 |issue=51 |date=December 22, 1984 |issn=0006-2510 |page=28}} The Windham Classics corporation went defunct circa 1985–86 or later. The Telarium Corporation went defunct in 1987. === Leaving the market of educational software === In response to a severe, if temporary, downturn in consumer purchases of personal computers in the mid-to-late 1980s, and the shift in the market from more entertainment-oriented machines from [Commodore](/source/Commodore_International) and [Atari](/source/Atari) toward more small business and personal [productivity software](/source/productivity_software) running on [IBM PC clones](/source/IBM_PC%E2%80%93compatible), Spinnaker decided to phase out its educational and entertainment titles and focus on personal productivity. == Productivity software == {{Redirect|Power Up!|other uses|Power up (disambiguation){{!}}Power up}} In 1985 Spinnaker created the ''BetterWorking'' brand of [productivity software](/source/productivity_software) for adults.{{cite magazine| first=Scott |last=Mace |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4C4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA23 |title=Spinnaker Ships Low-Cost Line |magazine=InfoWorld |volume=7 |number=23 |date=June 10, 1985 |issn=0199-6649 |page=23-24}} In 1990 Spinnaker bought [Springboard](/source/Springboard_Software), creator of Springboard Publisher and The Newsroom.{{cite magazine| first=Lisa |last=Picarille |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fVAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA5 |title=Software Publishing Sells PFS Line to Spinnaker |magazine=InfoWorld |volume=13 |number=3 |date=January 21, 1991 |issn=0199-6649 |page=5}} Spinnaker acquired the budget software house Power Up! Software in 1991, adding to its suite of budget business products. Power Up! Software was originally based in [San Mateo, California](/source/San_Mateo%2C_California), with the UK Head office in [Mytchett](/source/Mytchett), [Surrey](/source/Surrey). Spinnaker best seller during this time period was an integrated personal productivity application called "WindowWorks" which was an industry best seller, beating the [Windows](/source/Microsoft_Windows) version of [Microsoft Works](/source/Microsoft_Works) to market by two years. WindowWorks was the first title ever bundled on a [Compaq](/source/Compaq) computer when it was selected to be included in the first price competitive Compaq released to a general public, as opposed to corporate market. WindowWorks and other Windows titles in the Betterworking series tripled Spinnaker's revenues and positioned it to acquire the pfs brand from SPC. In January 1991 Spinnaker bought the [PFS](/source/pfs%3AWrite) line of business applications from [Software Publishing Corporation](/source/Software_Publishing_Corporation), creators of [Harvard Graphics](/source/Harvard_Graphics). ==Alumni== Employees of Spinnaker over the years included: Video executive [Chris Deering](/source/Chris_Deering), Network Associate's CEO Bill Larson, TV news producer Andrew Sugg,{{Cite web|url=http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/network-associates-inc-history/|title = History of Network Associates, Inc. – FundingUniverse}} author [Seth Godin](/source/Seth_Godin), television personality [Kevin O'Leary](/source/Kevin_O'Leary), and comedy writer John Bowman {{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0101337/|title=John Bowman|website=[IMDb](/source/IMDb)}} == References == {{reflist}} {{Authority control}} Category:Defunct educational software companies Category:Defunct software companies of the United States Category:Software companies based in Massachusetts Category:Defunct video game companies of the United States Category:Software companies established in 1982 Category:Software companies disestablished in 1994 Category:1982 establishments in Massachusetts Category:1994 disestablishments in Massachusetts Category: 1991 initial public offerings Category: 1994 mergers and acquisitions Category: Companies formerly listed on the Nasdaq Category:Defunct computer companies based in Massachusetts --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Spinnaker Software](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinnaker_Software) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinnaker_Software?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.