Off-Topic : Have any really old software?

[Ross Macintosh]

I noticed that I tend not to dispose of old obsolete software. For instance, still in its box, I have "Microsoft Money - Version 1.0". It dates from 1991 - in computer years that seems like a long time ago. Seeing it on the shelf got me looking to see if I had anything older. I quick two-minute search located "Microsoft Learning DOS" series of disks dating 1988! I probably have a few that are even older.

Throwing away software is probably like throwing away books. I don't do that either. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img] Perhaps it is because it cost so much originally it is so hard to just trash now.

Anyways, I thought it might be interesting if others looked at their stuff and reported on the oldest they could find. Also, why do you still have it if it is obsolete? Is there any significance to it or is just the stuff that clutters our lives? Sould we trash it?

Regards, Ross

<a href=http://www.designstop.com/>DesignStop.Com</a>

[RAMWolff44]

Corel Xara, first one, and I have the thick printed manual with the nice section of clipart pages. Nice and I'm keeping it, kinda like a treasure to me [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

Actually I'm in the process of moving my home right now and am in the middle of going through 16 years of crap that I've accumulated while living here in Redwood City, and that includes about 20 software titles that I'm not taking to the new house. It's just a waste of space and I'm tired of being a pack rat [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img]

RAMWolff [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img]

[Gaussian]

I have Windows 1.01 (1985) and MS Dos 1.10 (1982)

[Wolfgang]

I refuse to go downstairs to cram through all the old boxes for details, only so much:

My first 'computer' was a Sinclair ZX81 (that was around 1979).
Then came a Sinclair Spectrum (~1981) for which I still have tons of software (mostly games but also programming stuff) along with the computer itself.
For the younger ones: The Sinclair Spectrum was a major breakthrough to Home Computers: HiRes Graphics (about the same resolution a Palm Pilot has today ..) with 16 colors, and an unbelievably amount of memory: 48 kB !!! (NOT MB ...kB !!).

After that came an Atari ST and I still have it, along a high pile of software. Above all, the famous "Calamus", a relative of Quark Xpress.
Guess it must have been 1985 ...

From there on, I started working on PCs, the first one being a '286 with DOS and a 20 MB (!!) Harddrive. I remember my preferred 'application' being "Indiana Jones and the fate of Atlantis", an adventure by Lucas Arts.

I don't have those ancient PCs any more, but two boxes with 5.25" disks are still at hand ...

It was a lot of fun to recall the halcyon days of computing once more. Thanks for the input Ross ...

Wolfgang

[dk_art]

Ross ... maybe this site would buy your stuff [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

http://www.oldsoftware.com/

David K ... www.dkingdesign.com http://www.dkingdesign.com/stuff/signature.jpg

[joroho]

My first "computer" was a Timex Sinclair, not sure if this is the same "Sinclair" as everyone else is referring to.

I then upgraded to a portable Kaypro unit with two 5 1/4 floppy drives and a daisy-wheel printer. I stored all that stuff with family at one point, but am not sure if it's still there.

.joroho.

[dk_art]

I've got a copy of test drive 1 on a 3 1/4 drive complete with box in fairly good shape. Must be from about 1988. I also have a box for "gunship" helicoptor game which as I recall had really cool 3d pryamid shaped mountains which seemed so real on my green monitor back then [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

Older than that but not really computer software related .... but I have an original Vectrex gaming system ( http://www.classicgaming.com/museum/vectrex/ ) which still plays from maybe 1984 complete with 4 game cartridges ... see I was even working with vectors back then .... ah memories ... I still recall my 2 million score in Mine Storm which ended with one dot which wouldn't expand into a mine like it should have to go to the next level thus ending my 2 hour marathon game in a stalemate [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_frown.gif[/img] ... I still get riled up thinking about the inhustice of it all [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_mad.gif[/img] ...... hehehe [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

David K ... www.dkingdesign.com http://www.dkingdesign.com/stuff/signature.jpg

[Klaus Nordby]

I still have my archaic QuarkXPress 3.1 for 16-bit Windows 3x, which came out in late 1992. And, almost miraculously, it works just great under W2K! And it's so small and lean by present standards that it really flies on my supercharged Athlon 1800 system. In '92 I had a 20MHz 386 with 16Mb RAM, I think.

I also still have my once-beloved XyWrite III+ DOS word processor, which I bought in 1988. It works, too, though I now prefer its Win version, NotaBene 5.5.

K
www.xaraxone.com/FeaturedArt/kn/
www.klausnordby.com/xara

[juergen]

hehe my wife would love this thread as I am one of those people who keep everything.

Here, some of the old stuff is even in use. My daughter likes the Atari MegaST still for some of the games on it (Onyx).

Me too used the Sinclair Series of Computers with the QL being veeery attractive as QDOS had something Bill Gates had no idea about, Multitasking .... Was one of the OS I liked to write software for. Was pretty interesting that it was Schneider who bought Sinclair and disposed all the computer stuff.

Oldest Software I found which runs on current Hardware is Framework. Complete office package on one 5 1/4 " disk. I checked around on the web and dont laugh: Framework is still available for sale [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]
What I found prettz interesting is that some of the software I currently use is around a long time already like WinZip where I own a floppy from NikoMak Computing and UltraEdit from Ian D. Mead. Both products are pretty old and have the same owners still.

Would have to dig deep though to find out what the first Version of Framemaker is I still use.

Greetings,
juergen

[Ross Macintosh]

Soquili mentions turfing all his computer trash away. I believe he also mentioned in another thread about throwing away his comic book collection that would be valuable now had he saved it. Will old software someday be valuable?

I doubt it. Hardly anyone throws it away so most of it must still be around. I remember reading that old bibles are among the least valuable of old books - because people don't dispose of bibles. The vast majority of bibles ever printed are still around today and the market for old bibles is saturated.

I'm tempted to do some serious spring cleaning. It might be good to relieve myself of some of this useless "stuff" that clutters my life. I came into the world with nothing - I'll be leaving it the same way. Perhaps some of the "stuff" has to go...

Regards, Ross

<a href=http://www.designstop.com/>DesignStop.Com</a>