Goldmine or Fools Gold?

This ties in directly with my thread about abandoned or obsolete software. I could use a lot of the programs from the link provided, but without registration codes these programs are simply wasted storage on a disk.

http://pda.tucows.bih.net.ba/wince/files/

wow how did you find this page on tucows! i've always wanted to have it

of course, as i already said, i agree with you..

Edited by Yoldering 2005-05-21 5:10 PM

Diligent searching

That's why I started the abandoned software thread. I found the tucows link and realized a lot of the stuff is n/a anywhere else, especially from the original developers.

But I'd guess there's at least several useful programs in there for everyone of us hpc users.

I'll further admit to trying keygens I found in order to activate some products, but had no luck

( C:amie, forgive me my sins on the mere mention of my genning action but it proves the concept that we are going further up the software creek each day with no paddle.)

Being one to shun controversy I leave you now with the 2nd tucows treasure trove link, full of potentially useful programs that no developer wants to sell or support.

http://pda.tucows.bih.net.ba/wince/files2/

hmmm

I have had the Tucows repository libraries bookmarked in my browser favourites since the dawn of time nearly. As you say a lot of it is and has been made moot.

Perhaps the community should start looking at making pro-active efforts to track down some of these older and long gone developers and ask about getting the source / freeware release.

Think small, look at the little guy. If we can get some momentum, then look at contacting the larger developers about it. What say you all?

oh yeah i've always known tucows wince section just not this direct link to repository
i'm just sad i can't try any of these old programs. (having an ARM processor, you see) i must get some mips device!

really good idea. we just have to start hah. who's good at tracking down people? certainly not me, but i can try and help.

It does become a moral (even legal) dilemma doesn't it when you find a piece of software that runs, but requires a registration key to make it fully functional, and all the links are broken to contact the authors....

Can one then justify "borrowing" a key from someone in order to make it work? Are there still people around who actually have the keys?

And if you do have a key, how do you share it with others and at the same time reconcile your primary tenets when you don't believe in or support pirating software?

Rich

My answer to that for obvious reasons can only be one thing.
Don't do it.

So my partners in crime. What are the top H/PC abandonware applications from a small developer - so not bSquare, Ilium or Phatware.
Have you in the past licensed an application which has since dried up, if so what was it?



Come, cmonex, come! The game is afoot.

i can't help with this question as i don't know any of the old software, but if someone is interested in a particular application i can try to help in hunting..

where is this quote from? it sounds so familiar to me but i can't recall it.

EDIT: OK, i've got it now.

Edited by cmonex 2005-05-24 3:34 PM

I'm half decent at tracking people down... and I'm a (sometimes) IP attorney... let me know what packages are most desired, and I'll see what I can do.

Hmm, is DeveloperOne a smaller developer? I'd like to have their abandonded hpc stuff working as of course the Ilium/Bsquare stuff.

How about Handmap? And the hpc versions of Navgps? I don't know if maps are even available to work with the older versions but perhaps the maps are something we can scan for ourselves. A working GPS navigation program is really high on my list.

That's it for programs for now. I'm still sorting through the 400mb of stuff I snagged

Addendum.

Let's just say for a variety of reasons I can't use AS and leave it at that. A few of the programs I've installed directly, bypassing AS, run fine without entering any registration info but.... .

The readmes sometimes, not always, mention items like
1. time limits before the program stops without a legit reg code, or,
2. the need to purchase a legit reg code from vapourland.

Some of the programs have nowhere to enter a valid reg code (greyed out or non-existant) yet they continue to work fine no matter how far ahead I set the clock.

What moral - legal ground am I standing on here? In my case have I done enough by emailing a dead address asking to purchase a reg code and also searching net vendors like Handango in an attempt to buy the product? Or should I just shrug my shoulders and use the program anyway?

Is there more compelling due diligence required by the developer to ensure a commercial product times out if not paid for, or won't install without presenting a EULA?

LOL

i don't think you should worry.. they're really abandonware, no one will be offended if you continue using them. on the other hand if you stop using them, it'll do only harm to you (by not being able to use a good application ), and no good to anyone else...
OK, i'm sure it isn't the legal ground what i just told you