Any good reason to keep really old software?

[BCinSC]

I've got MS Windows NT 3.51 Workstation, MS-Office 95, MS-Office 97, etc.

 

[Drakkon]

nope...burn it in effigy

 

[HomerSapien]

ebay it...some one will buy it. or donate it to a church, goodwill, etc.

 

[BlueWeasel]

Office 97 is old? I'm still using it.

 

[spherrod]

Some charities may want it - we've recently given a lot of older software to companies setting up IT equipment in developing countries

 

[BCinSC]

Can I legally sell it or give it away? I know Microsoft is always looking for violations of EULA.

 

[ttown]

i (usually) never do... there's often "good stuff" hidden away in various releases that MS deems too good for the average joe, so it gets eliminated in future versions.
I forget exactly what it was, but 2 years ago I had to hunt down a copy of windows 98 (1st edition) because they took something out in win98se.

I regret throwing away my windows 3.1 software a few years ago. And I also regret throwing away an old 286. My favorite game of all time (688 attack sub) was made in the olden days, and todays lowest-end refurb is too fast to run it
(although when I have time, I'll try to get it running acceptably in dosbox)

I've also been paranoid about the revolution in video(and audio) encryption/copy-protection/DRM, so I've been hoarding some usefull softwares. I suspect there will always be "a way to get it" -- but I've witnessed too many things vanish.

Anyway, if you think I'm crazy, you should donate things that work. Charities can write up flyers in Office-97 as well as anyone else can in whatever the current release is.

 

[alent1234]

use it for future upgrade purchases

having a cd of old software will let you get away with buying an upgrade version instead of the full version

 

[dragonponyboy]

I agree..keep these softwares!!! you never know

I got Word Perfect 5.1 which also has a really long list of printers supported...several apple ones too (makes sense for the orangemicro/etc dos emulator cards too)

that and microsoft office which is for 3.1 but can install on 98se okay if you just keep telling setup to ignore the program manager error (it works fine afterward anyhow!!!!)

hehehe

dragonponyboy

 

[shortylickens]

Keep. Rip the ISO's and join a file-sharing network.

Microsoft can't claim they are losing revenue because they no longer sell those programs.

 

[bersl2]

Originally posted by: shortylickens
Keep. Rip the ISO's and join a file-sharing network.

Microsoft can't claim they are losing revenue because they no longer sell those programs.

Too bad that's still illegal for the lifetime of the longest-living author of the work + 95 years. Until the next time they extend it. F*ck you, Disney, f*ck you, Congress, and f*ck you, WIPO!