This volume serves as a comprehensive directory and evaluation of available software applications for Apple microcomputers during the mid-1980s. The authors, Dennis L. Foster and D. L. Foster, utilize their expertise in early personal computing to categorize and critique the burgeoning software market of the era. By providing structured analysis of programs ranging from productivity tools to educational software, the text establishes a framework for users to navigate the complex landscape of early Apple software compatibility and utility.

Experts and historians of computing view this text as a primary source for understanding the software landscape of the mid-1980s. Readers frequently note the technical density of the entries, which provide a snapshot of the limitations and capabilities of early Apple hardware.