Ask HN: What's the oldest piece of software still in use?

#1

Post by jgrahamc » Tue, Jul 30, 2013, 1:07 PM UTC

I use a 13 year old copy of Quicken for bank account management. I'm interested in examples of software that are older than that and still being used.

I'm not interested in software that's been patched over the years, but code that's been unchanged for years and is still in active use. Are you using any DOS programs, for example?

Re: Ask HN: What's the oldest piece of software still in use?

#2

Post by buro9 » Tue, Jul 30, 2013, 1:10 PM UTC

WinAmp 2, which I believe is from 1998/1999.

I have a zip of the download, and just keep installing it and moving forward. I never quite made the jump to Winamp 3 and once I stopped moving forward every update to Winamp deterred me some more.

Re: Ask HN: What's the oldest piece of software still in use?

#3

Post by stevekinney » Tue, Jul 30, 2013, 1:11 PM UTC

For a lot of people in non-technical professions it might actually be Windows XP.

That is, of course, if we're putting aside some of the basic UNIX tools that probably haven't changed since the 1970s—which I think is fair.

Re: Ask HN: What's the oldest piece of software still in use?

#4

Post by Peroni » Tue, Jul 30, 2013, 1:13 PM UTC

Does my copy of Asteroids for the Atari 2600 count? It's been locked up in storage in my mothers attic for about 15 years and the last time I was back home it still worked perfectly. I believe the game is close to 30 years old.

Re: Ask HN: What's the oldest piece of software still in use?

#5

Post by Nursie » Tue, Jul 30, 2013, 1:19 PM UTC

Ask a mainframe shop. The back-compat date for mainframes, even just-off-the-line System Z boxes, is 1964.

--edit-- I also play Commodore 64 games in emulators, and they date from the 80s, but I suspect this is not the sort of answer you're looking for.

Re: Ask HN: What's the oldest piece of software still in use?

#6

Post by anywherenotes » Tue, Jul 30, 2013, 1:20 PM UTC

I made a website that's by now obsolete for anyone but me, but I still use it. It went live in late 2002 and hasn't been patched since early/mid 2003. This year 1and1 (my host) disabled MYSQL 4, so I moved database to MYSQL 5, but did not change the code. I have grandiose hopes to update it to look current.

Although now that I look at it, they say my version of php will be phased out August 1'st :( And they are raising the price on August 1'st ...

Re: Ask HN: What's the oldest piece of software still in use?

#7

Post by [deleted] » Tue, Jul 30, 2013, 1:20 PM UTC

stevekinney wrote: post #3

For a lot of people in non-technical professions it might actually be Windows XP. That is, of course, if we're putting aside some of the basic UNIX tools that probably haven't changed since the 1970s—which I think is fair.

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: What's the oldest piece of software still in use?

#8

Post by chewxy » Tue, Jul 30, 2013, 1:21 PM UTC

stevekinney wrote: post #3

For a lot of people in non-technical professions it might actually be Windows XP. That is, of course, if we're putting aside some of the basic UNIX tools that probably haven't changed since the 1970s—which I think is fair.

I believe that honour goes to dc (if you're in linux, you can still use dc).

Re: Ask HN: What's the oldest piece of software still in use?

#9

Post by derefr » Tue, Jul 30, 2013, 1:22 PM UTC

The "running unpatched" part would make me bet on embedded software. Maybe some machine in a factory still usefully following a 50-year-old punch-card to "print out" patterned carpets, for example.

Re: Ask HN: What's the oldest piece of software still in use?

#10

Post by noonespecial » Tue, Jul 30, 2013, 1:22 PM UTC

We use DOS programs within virtual machines to process data that comes in on 1/2" tape from government sources and return it to them on DVD's. The oldest of these would be mid 80's I guess.

Edit: Changed "in-virtuo" to "within virtual machines" for clarity.