HyperCard was my main reason for using Macs (it was only for Apple Macintosh computers). It was the first software that I had seen that enabled text hyperlinks and user programmable buttons, text fields; integrating text, pictures and graphics. It provided an easy-to-use object oriented programming environment that could be used for almost any imaginable job a computer might be required to do. Sadly, Apple has abandoned development of the application, but it will still work on any Mac able to run System 9 or earlier, and is still the best answer I found for doing the things most people wanted a computer for in the first place (discount word processors and games machines .... or maybe not). You might still be able to find a copy: the last distributed version was 2.4.1 with an upgrade to 2.4.2 available. As of Sept 2007, HyperCard Player (allows using stacks but not creating them) was still available.

There's a note about HyperCard on Wikipedia.

To give an idea of what HyperCard could be used for, here are some things I have done with it:

• Reading (opening) files for a missing application.
• Graphic creation, including font and icons
• Keeping track of phone bills
• Address books
• General purpose notes
• Demonstrating and explaining optical illusions
• Telephone directory
• Data file reformatting/restructuring (sloshing)

The way I see HyperCard is shown by this poster I created for eHUG, the European HyperCard Users Group. (They didn't use it, so I thought I might as well put it here.)