There are some computer programs that change and improve for the worse. Today it seems as if a lot of computer programs are getting to media centered and loosing their focus on what their main purpose was to begin with. I recently had to do some hunting for an older program that I liked. It turns out there are plenty of websites devoted to hosting old computer applications.

Follow up:

Another reason to keep an old applications is because some companies will create new programs that monitor certain behavior on your computer for marketing purposes. They want to see what websites you visit, what file types you open, and what you search for on the web. Some computer software does this but its all for marketing and money. Many of these old computer software hosts were setup because they are partitioning this fact. That we should choose to use old applications of software companies that decide to integrate spyware into their software. Many companies know not to do this because people will find out and there are legal issues with it but many get away with it.

1 - OldVersion.com -

"Sometimes upgrading to a newer version can be a good thing. Other times, your computer may not be compatible with the new version, the new version is bloated, or all the options you liked are no longer available. OldVersion.com has been supplying the online community with old versions of various programs since 2001. The service is utilized by thousands of users every day and has been featured in newspapers and magazines as well as on radio and television.

OldVersion.com has several objectives. One is to discourage the use of spyware by software companies. Also known as adware, these hidden programs come bundled with certain applications and secretly transmit user information via the Internet to advertisers. It is sometimes possible to avoid spyware by downloading an older version of a program. Use OldVersion.com and show the industry your dissatisfaction with these types of business practices."

2 - OldApps -

"The Idea behind OldApps.com is ingeniously simple. Our mission is to provide our users with a wide assortment of current versions of familiar software, and their predecessors, for free. Our database is maintained up to date with older versions of software as they become readily available. Our users can be assured that this process involves our careful and meticulous screening of each individual program and version listed on OldApps.com. Our pledge is that our users will never end up with any malware, trojans, and/or any other variation of viruses."

3 - Old-Versions.net -

"Updating a program is usually a good thing, but in some cases its not. That is what we're here for! There have been several instances where a new release of a program is not always the better choice, due to several factors.

First,your computer may not be able to handle the new program. Another issue may be spyware. Spyware is the new thing many companies have adapted, which reports information back to the companies, as well as possibly providing an additional income source for the companies by displaying something such as a pop-up ad on your computer. This is a very large deciding factor in program version choice, because many people are beginning to catch on to these detrimental business practices. Whatever

the reason is for wanting an old version, we're here to help!"

If you are looking for software in general, my favorite website is http://www.softpedia.com. The website is like a wikipedia for computer programs.

Where can I find old computer programs?

Finding Old Computer Software.

Finding spyware free software.