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

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31–40 of 85 posts

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

#31
Let's define "still in use," because that's the heart of the question. Technically speaking, I'm sure someone could dig an Apple IIc out of storage somewhere and successfully run a game on it. Hell, someone out there might be doing that right now. To me, that anecdotal experience doesn't translate into "in use."

I'd define "in use" to mean still in productive service to a group of people or institutions significant enough to represent a niche market.

For that, I'd probably look to things like avionics software in certain airplanes, navigation systems on old ships, firmware in medical devices and diagnostics, or perhaps to inventory management systems in old warehouses.

And who knows what firmware we loaded onto our Cold War-era ICBMs, for that matter? Or what dusty, backwards-compatible systems we would need to maintain control over them? Would anyone like to play a game? :)

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

#33

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 raisi…

Link to the site before time runs out? I love seeing "antique" websites.

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

#34

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.

PC-DOS or DOS/VS? (Intel or /360 architecture DOS)

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

#35

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.

The science lot usually call simulation 'In silico' in their papers. Personally, unnecessary latin makes me cringe.

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

#36
There is an accountant at a company I briefly worked for who still uses an Apple II and some archaic accounting software that he learned to do accounting on. He refuses to change, so they just have a big stack of Apple IIs in a closet to replace them when they wear out. That software probably hasn't been touched since 1980 at the latest.

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

#37
The safe bet would be on corporate/academic mainframe software. While lots have been patched or replaced, I bet there's code from the 70s (perhaps 60s) still running out there somewhere.

Let's put it this way: there's a market for teaching people how to program like it was 1975. Nobody around can do it anymore, and the code base is large enough that both the teaching and skillset are highly valued in some circles.

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

#38
post #2

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.

Try Foobar2000.

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

#39
post #33

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 raisi…

Link to the site before time runs out? I love seeing "antique" websites.

http://orig.anywherenotes.com/

If you click something that goes to page-not-found, make sure the link has 'orig' in front of it, because in some places I went directly to www

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