Back in the days before Internet-based software distribution, heck back even before the Internet existed in a form resembling what it is today, one of the most important ways of keeping track of the consumer computing industry was to subscribe to the Softsel Hot List, a weekly poster of the top sellers in various categories. Here is the Softsel Hot List for the week of December 22, 1986, or at least an HTML reproduction of it. The title at the top was inspired by a space agey font popular at the time, but I am too lazy to figure out how to do that in HTML so you’ll have to use your imagination. (If your imagination fails you, you can use the photo from this page.)

SOFTSEL® HOT LIST®
HARDWARE This Week Last Week Weeks on Chart   PRINTERS  1   1   43    120D Dot Matrix • Citizen America  2   3   30  P7 Pinwriter • NEC Information Systems  3   2   100    MSP-10 Dot Matrix • Citizen America  4   4   19    P6 Pinwriter • NEC Information Systems  5   5   34    Premiere 35 Daisywheel • Citizen America  6   6   37    MSP-20 Dot Matrix • Citizen America  7   7   86    MSP-15 Dot Matrix • Citizen America  8   8   46    3550 Spinwwriter • NEC Information Systems  9   9   33    P5 Pinwriter • NEC Information Systems  10   –   1  KX-P1080i Dot Matrix • Panasonic     MONITORS  1   1   40    JC 1401 Multisync • NEC Home Electronics  2   2   98    Video 310A Hi-Res Amber TTL • Amdek  3   3   79    Color 600 Hi-Res RGB • Amdek  4   4   33    JB 1285 Amber TTL • NEC Home Electronics  5   6   37    Color 722 CGA/EGA • Amdek  6   5   82    121 Hi-Res Green TTL • Taxan  7   –   1  318 Hi-Res Color • AT&T  8   7   50    122 Amber TTL • Taxan  9   –   1  Super Vision 720 Hi-Res • Taxan  10   –   1  313 Mono • AT&T     DISK DRIVES & STORAGE DEVICES  1   1   27    Laser FD100 Apple Drives • Video Technology • AP  2   4   17  Bernoulli Box Dual 20MB • Iomega • IBM, MAC  3   2   26    FileCard 20MB Hard Disk/Card • Western Digital • IBM  4   3   36    QIC-60H External Tape Backup • Tecmar • IBM  5   6   23    Bernoulli Box Dual 10MB • Iomega • IBM, MAC  6   5   26    QIC-60AT Internal Tape Backup • Tecmar • IBM  7   8   3    Teac AT 360k Drive • Maynard • IBM  8   –   23    Maynstream 20MB Portable Backup • Maynard • IBM     BOARDS, MODEMS & INTERFACES  1   1   165    Hercules Graphics Card Plus • Hercules • IBM  2   2   155    SixPakPlus • AST Research • IBM  3   3   113    Hercules Color Card • Hercules • IBM  4   4   170    Smartmodem 1200B • Hayes • IBM  5   7   14    Above Board/AT • Intel • IBM  6   5   188    Smartmodem 1200 • Hayes • AP  7   8   38    Advantage AT! • AST Research • IBM  8   6   68    Smartmodem 2400 • Hayes • IBM  9   9   36    Gamecard III • CH Products • IBm  10   11   35    Smartmodem 2400B • Hayes • IBM  11   13   113    Grappler • Orange Micro • AP  12   16   37  Practical Modem 1200 • Practical Peripherals • IBM  13   12   37    Above Board/PC • Intel • IBM  14   10   31    QuadEGA+ • Quadram • IBM  15   15   7    SixPakPremium • AST Research • IBM  16   20   20    Rampage! AT • AST Research • IBM  17   –   19    Hotlink • Orange Micro • AP  18   18   17    Autoswitch EGA • Paradise Systems • IBM  19   19   39    Expanding Quadboard • Quadram • IBM  20   17   2    Advantage Premium • AST Research • IBM     ACCESSORIES  1   1   116    Mach III • CH Products • AP, IBM  2   2   98    Microsoft Mouse • Microsoft • IBM  3   3   178    Joystick • Kraft Systems • AP, IBM  4   4   35    Mach II • CH Products • AP, IBM  5   5   2  Tac 10 • Suncom • AP, IBM  6   7   34    Safe Strip • Curtis Manufacturing  7   8   222    System Saver • Kensington • AP, MAC  8   9   10    Intel 80287 Coprocessor • Intel • IBM  9   10   99    MasterPiece • Kensington • IBM  10   –   21    Intel 8087 Coprocessor • Intel • IBM	SOFTWARE This Week Last Week Weeks on Chart   BUSINESS  1   1   138    WordPerfect • WordPerfect Corp • AP, IBM  2   2   202    1-2-3 • Lotus • IBM  3   5   22  Javelin • Javelin • IBM  4   3   161    Microsoft Word • Microsoft • IBM, MAC  5   4   7    Quicken • Intuit • AP, IBM  6   6   15    PFS:First Choice • Software Publishing • IBM  7   8   31    SQZ! • Turner Hall • IBM  8   7   49    dBase III Plus • Ashton-tate • IBM  9   11   3  Lotus HAL • Lotus • IBM  10   9   57    Q & A • Symantec • IBM  11   12   113    Sidekick • Borland Int’l. • IBM  12   10   56    Paradox • Ansa Software • IBM  13   27   2  NewsMaster • Unison (Brown-Wagh) • IBM  14   20   27  ProDesign II • American Small Bus. Comp. • IBM  15   15   27    DAC Easy Accounting • DAC • IBM  16   16   9    Microsoft Works • Microsoft • MAC  17   13   57    VP Planner • Paperback Software • IBM  18   18   11    PFS:Professional Write • Software Publishing • IBM  19   14   18    MacDraft • IDD • MAC  20   21   177    Multimate • Ashton-Tate • IBM  21   22   55    Reflex • Borland Int’l. • IBM, MAC  22   19   37    Multimate Advantage • Ashton-Tate • IBM  23   24   25    Note-It • Turner Hall • IBM  24   25   8    Clipper • Nantucket • IBM  25   23   97    Wordstar 2000 • MicroPro Int’l. • IBM  26   28   52    Microsoft Windows • Microsoft • IBM  27   17   62    Microsoft Excel • Microsoft • MAC  28   –   9    MORE • Living Videotext • MAC  29   –   1  PFS:Professional File • Software Publishing • IBM  30   –   7    R:Base System V • Microrim • IBM     SYSTEMS & UTILITIES  1   1   167    Crosstalk XVI • DCA/Crosstalk Communications • AP, IBM  2   3   116    Norton Utilities • Norton Computing • IBM  3   4   140    Sideways • Funk Software • IBM  4   2   39    Fastback • Fifth Generation • IBM  5   9   109  Turbo Pascal • Borland Int’l • AP, IBM, MAC  6   8   17    Carbon Copy • Meridian Technology • IBM  7   6   25    Dan Bricklin’s Demo Program • Software Garden • IBM  8   5   99    Smartcom II • Hayes • IBM, MAC  9   7   27    XTREE • Executive Systems • IBM  10   10   5    Disk Optimizer • SoftLogic Solutions • IBM     HOME & EDUCATION  1   1   128    Print Shop • Broderbund • AP, IBM, MAC, COM  2   2   163    Math Blaster! • Davidson & Assoc. • AP, IBM, MAC, COM, AT  3   6   5  Microsoft Learning DOS • Microsoft • IBM  4   3   122    Typing Tutor III • Simon & Shuster • AP, IBM, MAC, COM  5   4   21    Certificate Maker • Springboard • AP, IBM, COM  6   –   90  Managing Your Money • MECA • AP, IBM  7   5   95    The Newsroom • Springboard • AP, IBM, COM  8   8   194    Bank Street Writer • Broderbund • AP, IBM, COM  9   7   211    Mastertype • Mindscape • AP, IBM  10   –   118    E.G. for Young Children • Springboard • AP, IBM, MAC     RECREATION  1   1   203    Microsoft Flight Simulator • Microsoft • IBM, MAC  2   2   156    Sargon III • Hayden Software • AP, IBM, MAC, AT  3   4   3    King’s Quest III • Sierra On-Line • IBM, ST  4   3   71    Jet • SubLogic • AP, IBM, COM  5   5   52    Winter Games • Epyx • AP, MAC, COM, ST  6   7   91    F-15 Strike Eagle • Microprose • AP, IBM  7   6   204    Flight Simulator II • SubLogic • AP, COM, AT, AG  8   8   43    Silent Service • Microprose • AP, IBM  9   10   48    Where is Carmen San Diego • Broderbund • AP, IBM, COM  10   –   1  Bop’N Wrestle • Mindscape • AP, IBM, COM
BEST PERFORMERS THIS WEEK COMING UP FAST WATCH CLOSELY Week of December 22, 1986	<div STYLE="padding-bottom: 1ex; LEGEND AG = Amiga, AP = Apple II Series, AT = Atari, AT&T = AT&T 6300, COM = Commodore, IBM = IBM PC/XT/AT, MAC = Apple Macintosh, ST = Atari ST. The HOT LIST is compiled from Softsel sales to over 15,000 dealers in 50 states and 45 countries. Sales may vary regionally. The names of the products and companies appearing above may be trademarks or registered trademarks. For an annual HOT LIST subscription, send your check for to: Softsel Computer Products, Inc., Attn: Hot List Subscriptions, 546 North Oak Street, P.O. Box 6080, Inglewood California, 90312-6080. For more details, please call Softsel’s Marketing Department at (213) 412-8290. ©1986 Softsel® Computer Products, Inc.