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                                                                     EXHIBIT 5.1


                                HALE AND DORR LLP
                               Counsellors at Law
                                 60 State Street
                           Boston, Massachusetts 02109
                       (617) 526-6000 * Fax (617) 526-5000



                                                              May 13, 1997


Applix, Inc.
112 Turnpike Road
Westboro, MA  01581-2831


Ladies and Gentlemen:

         We have assisted in the preparation of a Registration Statement on Form
S-8 (the "Registration Statement") to be filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission relating to 896,660 shares of the Common Stock, $.0025 par value per
share, of Applix, Inc., a Massachusetts corporation (the "Company"), issuable
under the Company's 1994 Equity Incentive Plan (the "1994 Plan).

         We have examined the Articles of Organization and By-laws of the
Company, and all amendments thereto, and originals, or copies certified to our
satisfaction, of all pertinent records of the meetings of the directors and
stockholders of the Company, the Registration Statement and such other documents
relating to the Company as we have deemed material for the purposes of this
opinion.

         In examination of the foregoing documents, we have assumed the
genuineness of all signatures and the authenticity of all documents submitted to
us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted
to us as certified or photostatic copies, and the authenticity of the originals
of such latter documents.

         Based upon the foregoing, we are of the opinion that the Company has
duly authorized for issuance the shares of its Common Stock covered by the
Registration Statement to be issued under the 1994 Plan, as described in the
Registration Statement, and such shares, when issued in accordance with the
terms of the 1994 Plan, will be legally issued, fully paid, and nonassessable.

         We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion with the Securities and
Exchange Commission in connection with the Registration Statement.



                                          Very truly yours,


                                          /s/ Hale and Dorr LLP
                                          -----------------------------
                                          Hale and Dorr LLP