The case for legacy tech

Despite the speed at which technology comes and goes, some of us still like to hold on to devices and applications when they work for us. For example, I still carry around an Asus Eee PC 701, despite the fact that it's nearly a year old, which makes it pretty much middle-aged in computer years. Even worse, I use an application that was orphaned over ten years ago, called Ecco Pro, to track my projects. Why? Because it works for me. 

So I'm sympathetic toward users who use legacy versions of products because later versions simply don't work for them, for whatever reason. And there are a lot of them out there these days -- how many PC users still have XP on their machines? And several years ago, I knew a formerly loyal Mac user who, unhappy with the way her daughter's favorite apps suddenly became unusable when she upgraded to OS X (following the directions of an Apple support tech), went out and bought a PC.

I can also understand the initial dismay of those Firefox 2.0 users who hear the news that Mozilla plans to retire the browser at the end of 2008. There could be a number of reasons that those users haven't upgraded to version 3.0 -- for example, because their systems had problems with version 3.0; or because a favorite old-time extension doesn't work with 3.0; or because they simply like the older interface better.

What can the more stubborn Firefox 2.0 users do? Well, they can continue to use their current version, despite the fact that they will no longer be receiving patches and other updates. They wouldn't be the only ones -- loyal proponents of legacy products often form users groups that trade tips and upgrades for old and abandoned tech. There's a lot of tech talent out there, and they can often extend the life of a product well beyond what its vendor intended. (For example, Ecco Pro has a very active Yahoo group whose members trade advice and newly coded tools.)

However, the new phenomenon of Web-based apps, with all its advantages, may stymie this ability to hold on to older tech. There isn't a whole lot that you can do if your favorite Web-based application sudden changes in a way you don't like. For example, a minor tweak in Google Maps a couple of months ago made it more difficult to fine-tune trip directions; the problem was fixed soon after, but at the time, what could I do? I couldn't install a previous version.

Those of us who use Web-based apps need to keep this in mind: If our favorite online application permanently changes for the worse, or goes belly-up and disappears, there's not a whole lot to do except find something else to fill the gap.