Corel Paradox is a relational database management system that was originally created as an MS-DOS program by Ansa Software. Later, Borland bought Ansa Software and released the program as “Borland Paradox” for Windows in 1992. Corel Paradox was launched in 1997 and was eventually integrated into the WordPerfect Office Suite.
The first version of Paradox was released in 1985 by developers Richard Schwartz and Robert Shostak. It was widely praised for its comprehensible illustrations and documentation, making it easy for beginners to quickly get the hang of the software. Paradox’s competitors at the time were dBase and FoxPro.
An updated version of Paradox for Windows was released in 1993. Nevertheless, by that time, Microsoft Access had already gained a considerable market share by offering more features and better usability. The strategic mistakes of Borland and Microsoft’s backing of Access caused Paradox to lose much of its market share to Access in the desktop database market. The last blow came in 1995 when Access was included in the Microsoft Office Suite, giving it an exclusive monopoly in this market.
Today, Corel’s WordPerfect Office Suite includes Paradox’s features in addition to new features like Template Viewer, Function Key Template, Macro Manager, Mail Merger, and AfterShot. While Paradox has a small but loyal following of enthusiasts determined to keep it active, it is no longer considered a significant contender in the desktop database market.
FAQs About Corel Paradox
What is Corel Paradox?
Corel Paradox is a database program that specialized in relational database management systems. It was initially known as “Borland Paradox” for the Windows platform and was later incorporated into Corel’s WordPerfect Office Suite.
When was Corel Paradox released?
The first version of Corel Paradox was released in 1997.
Who developed Corel Paradox?
Corel Paradox was created by Ansa Software, which was acquired by Borland. It was later tightened up and released as Borland Paradox in 1992.
What happed to Corel Paradox?
The strategic missteps by Borland and Microsoft’s backing of Access caused Paradox to lose much of its market share to Access in the desktop database market. The final blow came in 1995 when Access was included in the Microsoft Office Suite, giving it an exclusive monopoly in this market.
Conclusion
Corel Paradox was once a competitive database program used by many individuals and businesses. However, it lost its market share to Microsoft’s Access due to its limitations and poor strategic decisions by Borland, leading to its discontinuation. The software still has a small, dedicated group of enthusiasts who keep it alive. Today, the program’s features are integrated into Corel’s WordPerfect Office Suite.
