When the first PC’s came out, the application of choice was spreadsheet software. (Actually, for many it was the application that drove the purchasing of the PCs.)
We are talking VisiCalc and Lotus 1-2-3 on TRS-80, Osbourne ‘luggables’ and the 8086 chip IBM compatible machines now lost in the mists of time. (This was pre-Macintosh by the way, it only arrived in 1984.)
The ability to enter those rows and columns of digits, with easy correction and automatic recalculation was a gift from above to the numbers people. They were so easy to use, what could go wrong?
http://learnaboutgmp.com/pesky-spreadsheets-first-killer-app-still-killing-gxp-compliance/