Cray Research focused on hardware but also made system and application software. Customers like to buy “a solution to a problem” and are rarely fussed by the actual technology used to deliver that solution. Alongside the need for developing language and systems software unique to the special Cray Hardware application software was developed.
By having a range of software application packages the value of the Cray systems could be demonstrated. The Cray Channels magazine has lots of details of software application from other vendors.
Application_Software_Minimovies – Starts at 2 min in and runs for 30 minutes.
CrayResearchSGI_SoftwareHandbook General Cray/SGI software handbook
See links below this image:
Application Software Sales documents
CrayMultiPurposeGraphicSystem_OCR
CrayInteractiveStructuralAnalysis
CrayAppSoftwareForSupercomputer-July1988
CrayAppSoftwareForSupercomputer-July1987
CrayAppSoftwareForSupercomputer-Aug1987
See also C90 and T90 mini application movies