# Your favorite obsolete computer program/utility. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 4, 2010, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-obsolete-computer-program-utility/527717 "2010-02-04T21:09:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![gonzoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@gonzoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzoron)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-obsolete-computer-program-utility/527717/41 "2010-02-05T19:40:46Z")
I’d totally forgotten about Xtree, but I did use it quite a bit. Back in the “the internet is only for government scientists and grad students” days, I spent an inordinate amount of time on [BBS](http://en.wikipedia.org/Bulletin_board_system)’s and the lifesaving program there was the bluewave mail reader, which would bundle up all your mail messages, including all the conversations in the Fidonet groups you were following and zip it into a .qwk packet for download so you could get off your phone line (or in my case, your father’s business phone line) and avoid racking up long-distance charges and/or using up allowed time on the BBS. Ah… those were the days… collecting thousands of “taglines” (what we’d call sigs now, I guess) into a huge file and using a separate tagline-adding program to randomly insert one in each outgoing message. (can’t recall the name of the tagline program I used, but whatever it was, it belongs on this list too.) I also wasted a lot of time programming in BASIC. I suppose some of it was useful to apply to real languages later, but for some reason, I was fascinated with the music and drawing functions. So I would spend hours inputting sheet music like this: 10 PLAY “AC2GF#\>C.B-A8\ **Author:** ![fubbleskag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fubbleskag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fubbleskag)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-obsolete-computer-program-utility/527717/42 "2010-02-05T19:46:43Z") > [@Harmonious\_Discord](#): > > The one I appreciated the most was QEMM a memory loading optimizer for DOS and WIN 3.11 operating system. Quarterdeck was one of my favourite software companies back then. I used to also use their Desqview “OS” to run my BBS’. > [@Dragwyr](#): > > Another great program that I used quite a bit was PKZip and PKUnzip, a set of MS-Dos command line zip file utilities. Used to use this more than any other program, although I did find myself using RAR/UNRAR more and more near the end. I still have a copy of pkz204g.exe lying around for some reason? ---
**Author:** ![sich\_hinaufwinden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@sich\_hinaufwinden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sich_hinaufwinden)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-obsolete-computer-program-utility/527717/43 "2010-02-05T19:56:44Z")
MS Photoeditor. Did everything I needed (easily) for simple image manipulation and nothing else. The big things for me are the nothing else part and adjustable jpeg compression. ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-obsolete-computer-program-utility/527717/44 "2010-02-05T19:56:54Z")
> [@Quercus](#): > > …(Is there a file manager for XP with bulk rename?) This might be useful to you: [Bulk Rename Utility - Free File Renaming Software](http://www.bulkrenameutility.co.uk/Main_Intro.php) ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-obsolete-computer-program-utility/527717/45 "2010-02-05T20:15:03Z")
I remember many of these. Currently, I miss Netmeeting most. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-obsolete-computer-program-utility/527717/46 "2010-02-05T20:25:08Z")
I still keep a copy of QBASIC around and use it when I want to write a quick program to do something simple. I have fond memories of Turbo Pascal, but it’s been awhile since I’ve actually done anything with it. ---
**Author:** ![Livardo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/43a26b/32.png) [@Livardo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Livardo)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-obsolete-computer-program-utility/527717/47 "2010-02-05T20:57:50Z")
> [@Dangerosa](#): > > I remember many of these. > > Currently, I miss Netmeeting most. We use Netmeeting often at work and we have XP workstations. It may already be installed in your computer. Look for it here: C:\Program Files\NetMeeting\conf.exe ---
**Author:** ![rivulus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@rivulus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rivulus)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-obsolete-computer-program-utility/527717/48 "2010-02-05T21:10:19Z")
“Reveal codes” in WordPerfect. I don’t know if WP is really obsolete, but in my work environment, it might as well be. Sometimes when working in Word, I long for my beloved “reveal codes” when the formatting gets FUBAR. If anyone knows how to do the same in Word, let me know. You would be a lifesaver! ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-obsolete-computer-program-utility/527717/49 "2010-02-05T21:20:46Z")
> [@rivulus](#): > > “Reveal codes” in WordPerfect. I don’t know if WP is really obsolete, but in my work environment, it might as well be. Sometimes when working in Word, I long for my beloved “reveal codes” when the formatting gets FUBAR. > > If anyone knows how to do the same in Word, let me know. You would be a lifesaver! There’s a button on the standard toolbar that has a paragraph mark (a.k.a. ornate-looking-backward-P) on it. This turns on hidden characters and codes for things like mail merges. ETA: In Word 2007, it’s on the Paragraph section of the ribbon. How apropos. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-obsolete-computer-program-utility/527717/50 "2010-02-05T21:31:25Z")
> [@cmkeller](#): > > What, no votes for After Dark? I miss my flying toasters…and the Mowing Man…and Boris the kitten…and the Mowing Man running over Boris… > [@friedo](#): > > [ResEdit](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ResEdit). That shit was awesome. Agree with both of these. I want to nominate [Cricket Graph](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CricketGraph) for the Mac. That was a great little program that produced fantastic graphs and charts. The learning curve was non-existent and it produced almost anything an engineering student could want, such as best-fit curves (including least squares fits) with the click of a button. And this was back in 1987 or 1988. That 20-year old program was still easier to use than Excel is today. ---
**Author:** ![RoniaBorkason](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9dc877/32.png) [@RoniaBorkason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RoniaBorkason)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-obsolete-computer-program-utility/527717/51 "2010-02-05T21:56:04Z")
OS-9 games - Rogue and Winnie the Pooh in the Hundred Acre Wood. Modern games are all bells and whistles. ASCII illustration was so cool. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-obsolete-computer-program-utility/527717/52 "2010-02-05T22:20:54Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > Used to run ZYCOR on the VAX and submit SAS (Statistical Analysis) programs to the mainframe. I see SAS is still around, although I’m sure in a vastly different architecture. data familiar; input reply $; cards; Sure! ; run; proc print noobs; run; ---
**Author:** ![rivulus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@rivulus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rivulus)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-obsolete-computer-program-utility/527717/53 "2010-02-06T02:36:42Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > There’s a button on the standard toolbar that has a paragraph mark (a.k.a. ornate-looking-backward-P) on it. This turns on hidden characters and codes for things like mail merges. > > ETA: In Word 2007, it’s on the Paragraph section of the ribbon. How apropos. It shows a few codes, and I do use it. But it still keeps a whole lot hidden. Reveal codes makes a doc much more transparent. It looks like the image on [this](http://www.corel.com/servlet/Satellite/us/en/Content/1153321168468) page. ---
**Author:** ![Ignatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@Ignatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignatz)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-obsolete-computer-program-utility/527717/54 "2010-02-06T02:54:35Z")
Lotus 1-2-3 ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-obsolete-computer-program-utility/527717/55 "2010-02-06T03:15:15Z")
Brief for OS/2 - fantastic text manipulator. Open a 20MB text file and column copy-and-paste from the center of it? No problem! FORTRAN. Enough said. Civilization 1 (I still play it about once a month in DOSBOX) and M.U.L.E. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2010, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-obsolete-computer-program-utility/527717/56 "2010-02-06T04:30:33Z")
MacPaint was a lot of fun in the 80s. It was black & white, of course, and about two levels past an Etch-a-Sketch in comparison with Illustrator CS, but it allowed your creativity to go nuts without dozens of hours of training. ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2010, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-obsolete-computer-program-utility/527717/57 "2010-02-07T01:11:55Z")
Adventure A mainframe, text-based interactive game. It opens with “You are standing beside a stream…” Yes, kiddies, there were computer games long before micro computers… p.s. - mainframes also had the first point-and-click technologies - see “light pen”. Never went anywhere - numeris menus and a jump character gets an experienced techie around pretty quick ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2010, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-obsolete-computer-program-utility/527717/58 "2010-02-07T03:06:51Z")
> [@usedtobe](#): > > Adventure > > A mainframe, text-based interactive game. > > It opens with > “You are standing beside a stream…” > > Yes, kiddies, there were computer games long before micro computers… Last time I checked, Adventure had an entry on Wikipedia. This includes a version that runs on current Windows machines. I have vague (but very happy) memories of playing Adventure with Dad when I was about 5 or so. ---
**Author:** ![Perciful](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b38774/32.png) [@Perciful](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Perciful)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2010, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-obsolete-computer-program-utility/527717/59 "2010-02-07T03:22:19Z")
Ms Dos Shell. I spent enough time there. This was my first computer. A 386 with 4 mg ram and a floppy and hard disk drive. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6Ah7lZboDI) ---
**Author:** ![CT\_Damsel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CT\_Damsel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CT_Damsel)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2010, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-obsolete-computer-program-utility/527717/60 "2010-02-07T03:28:57Z")
> [@cmkeller](#): > > What, no votes for After Dark? I miss my flying toasters…and the Mowing Man…and Boris the kitten…and the Mowing Man running over Boris… Absolutely! I miss After Dark. I still have the CD but XP will not run it. I also miss cardfile it looked just like a little rolodex. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-obsolete-computer-program-utility/527717.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-obsolete-computer-program-utility/527717.md?page=4)