Outsold by Lotus 1-2-3 for several years, Multiplan was the basis for Microsoft Excel which followed some years later on both the Apple Macintosh (1985) and Microsoft Windows (1987). Bill Gates was repeatedly heard saying that Microsoft makes more money on Multiplan for the Macintosh than any other platform. Multiplan for the Macintosh was in fact one of the only spreadsheets available for the Macintosh Platform. Multiplan for the Mac was proficient at making graphs and charts and was often bundled with some Macs. However, Multiplan only lasted for about a year before being taken over by the more successful Excel.