[rexreed]

It's much simpler than all that. Excel is just easy to use and quick to get results and powerful enough to extend, easy to share with others, and is a broadly accepted file format. That's why it works. Everything else is more complicated, more vendor-locked in and takes longer to get results or requires more technical skills than the average Excel user has. Is it the best for everything? No. But it's damn good enough for a LOT of things. Its survival is proof.