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Software & Apps
50 posts filed under Software & Apps.
- WinZip Price in 2026: What the $29 Shareware CostsWinZip price in 2026: about $35 a year for Standard, more than the $29 the whole program cost outright in 1991. Corel still sells it, Vector-backed.
- Is Sun Microsystems Still Around? Oracle Owns ItSun Microsystems is gone: Oracle paid $7.4 billion in 2010 and renamed it Oracle America. Java and Solaris survived, the SPARC line did not.
- Is Windows Movie Maker Still Available in 2026?Windows Movie Maker is gone: Microsoft pulled the download on January 10, 2017. Clipchamp replaced it, and a fake version once charged $29.95.
- Is Homestar Runner Still Updating? Yes, 26 Years OnHomestar Runner is still updating in 2026, 26 years on. Mike Chapman and Matt Chapman still own it, and the Flash archive runs on Ruffle.
- Does Yahoo Messenger Still Exist? It Closed in 2018Yahoo Messenger closed on July 17, 2018 and nothing from Yahoo replaced it. Its successor, Yahoo Together, lasted only until April 4, 2019.
- How to Run 90s PC Games on Windows 11 in 202690s PC games do run on Windows 11 in 2026, but never alone: DOSBox Staging, ScummVM or a GOG re-release. Two of the three cost nothing.
- Is Skype Still Around in 2026? Teams Replaced ItSkype is gone. Microsoft retired it on May 5, 2025 and Microsoft Teams Free replaced it. The old chats were deleted after June 15, 2026.
- Who Made the Windows 95 Startup Sound? Brian EnoBrian Eno made the Windows 95 startup sound to a 3.25-second brief: 84 versions, written on a Mac, for $35,000. The Library of Congress took it in 2025.
- Is Netscape Still Around in 2026? What Is LeftIs Netscape still around? No. The browser died on March 1, 2008 and the Netscape ISP closed in November 2025. Bending Spoons owns the brand now.
- Is HyperCard Still Around? Apple Killed It in 2004Apple pulled HyperCard from sale in March 2004, but its stacks still boot in a browser at the Internet Archive. Here is where it went and why.
- Does Excite Still Exist? IAC Closed It in 2026Excite does not still exist. IAC shut excite.com down in August 2026, 27 years after CEO George Bell passed on buying Google for $750,000.
- Is PointCast Still Around? AOL Bought What Was LeftPointCast is gone: the push network stopped in March 2000 and AOL bought the successor in 2003. It had refused $450 million in 1997.
- Is NCSA Mosaic Still Around? The Browser in 2026NCSA Mosaic is not still around: development ended January 7, 1997. The University of Illinois owns the name, and the code is a free download.
- Is Microsoft Bob Still Around? Only as a DownloadMicrosoft Bob shipped in March 1995 at $99, sold about 58,000 copies and died within a year. In 2026 it survives only as free Internet Archive disk images.
- Is Xanga Still Around in 2026? What Is Left of ItXanga still loads as Xanga 2.0, a paid WordPress blog closed to new members since 2013. Peak: 27 million accounts and a $1 million FTC fine.
- Who Owns Counter-Strike Now? Valve Bought the ModValve has owned Counter-Strike since 2000, when it hired the two modders who made it. Counter-Strike 2 peaked at 1,862,531 players in 2025.
- Is LiveJournal Still Around in 2026? Yes, in RussiaLiveJournal is still online in 2026, owned by Russia's Rambler Group after Sber bought it outright in 2020. Most of its traffic now comes from Russia.
- Is Quake Still Playable in 2026? Who Owns It TodayQuake is still sold and still played in 2026. Microsoft owns it through ZeniMax, and id Software shipped a free 19-map episode in August 2026.
- Is IRC Still Around in 2026? Yes, 162,000 UsersIRC still exists in 2026: over 162,000 users across the top 100 networks. Libera.Chat leads at 31,500 after freenode fell from 90,000 to 5,000.
- Is Eudora Still Around? The Email Client in 2026Eudora is gone as a product: Qualcomm shipped the last version on October 11, 2006. The Computer History Museum owns the code and the name now.
- Who Owns RollerCoaster Tycoon Now? Atari Publishes ItChris Sawyer still owns RollerCoaster Tycoon and Atari publishes it under licence. A new game reaches Steam early access in winter 2026 at $24.99.
- Is BonziBuddy Still Around? Gone From PCs in 2004BonziBuddy is gone. Bonzi Software pulled the purple gorilla in 2004 after a $75,000 FTC fine, and Microsoft Defender still flags it as adware.
- Is The Sims 1 Still Playable in 2026? Yes, $19.99The Sims 1 is still playable in 2026. EA's Legacy Collection put the 2000 original and its seven expansions back on sale for $19.99 on Windows 11.
- Does Kazaa Still Exist? The P2P Network in 2026Kazaa does not still exist: the licensed service died in August 2012, six years after a $115 million settlement. Here is who owned it last.
- Do Screensavers Still Exist? Flying Toasters TodayScreensavers still ship in Windows 11 and macOS, but the paid market is gone: Berkeley Systems sold out in 1997 and 3D Pipes died with Vista.
- Is Clippy Still Around in 2026? Microsoft's PaperclipClippy left Microsoft Office in 2007 and never returned as a feature. In 2026 the paperclip is an emoji and a hidden Copilot avatar.
- Windows 95 Launch: The $300 Million Night of 1995The Windows 95 launch on August 24, 1995 cost Microsoft a reported $300 million. It sold 1 million copies in four days and lost support in 2001.
- Who Owns Doom Now, and Can You Still Play It?Microsoft owns Doom through id Software, and the 1993 original still sells as Doom + Doom II for $9.99. It once earned $100,000 a day.
- Is WordPerfect Still Around in 2026? Corel Sells ItWordPerfect is still sold in 2026 by Corel, owned by Vector Capital since May 2026, but the last new version shipped in 2021.
- Is Lotus 1-2-3 Still Around? IBM Killed It in 2013Lotus 1-2-3 is discontinued: IBM stopped selling it on June 11, 2013 and ended support in 2014. It once held 70% of the spreadsheet market.
- Who Owns CompuServe Now? Yahoo Runs the PortalCompuServe survives as a news portal owned by Yahoo. The dial-up service ended in 2009 and the forums closed on December 15, 2017.
- Why Google Reader Died and What Replaced It in 2026Google Reader shut down on July 1, 2013 so Google could push Google+. Feedly and Inoreader took over, and 100,000 petition signatures changed nothing.
- Does AltaVista Still Exist? Yahoo Closed It in 2013AltaVista no longer exists: Yahoo closed the search engine on July 8, 2013. Apollo-owned Yahoo still holds the domain that sold for $140 million in 2003.
- Who Owns LimeWire Now? BabyDoge Bought It in 2026LimeWire's file sharing died by court order in October 2010. The brand survived: BabyDoge bought it in September 2026, 8 million users and all.
- Is ICQ Still Around? VK Shut It Down in June 2024ICQ shut down on June 26, 2024 after 28 years, and VK still owns the name. Free NINA servers now run ICQ 2000 through ICQ 8 clients.
- Is Second Life Still Around in 2026? Yes, 23 Years LaterSecond Life is still running in 2026, 23 years after launch, with daily concurrency in the mid-30,000s and an economy near $650 million a year.
- Are Tamagotchis Still Made in 2026? Yes, by BandaiTamagotchi is still made by Bandai in 2026. Shipments passed 100 million in July 2025, new models cost $44.99, and 1997 originals fetch $40 to $50.
- Is Encarta Still Available in 2026? Why It EndedMicrosoft Encarta is not available in 2026: disc sales ended in June 2009 and MSN Encarta closed October 31, 2009. How to run it now, free.
- Is RealPlayer Still Around? Yes, Free From Real.comRealPlayer still exists: RealNetworks shipped version 25 in 2026 and still gives it away free, with Plus at $39.99. It sells computer vision now.
- Is Adobe Flash Still Around? Flash Player in 2026Adobe Flash Player died on December 31, 2020, but Flash is not fully gone: China still ships version 34 and over 200,000 games survive.
- Is Winamp Still Around in 2026? Yes, and It WorksWinamp still exists in 2026: Winamp Group owns it, and the free 5.9.2 player runs on Windows 11. A Deezer-powered version lands in 2027.
- Why Google+ Failed and When Google Shut It DownGoogle+ shut down on April 2, 2019 and Google Currents followed in 2023. Here is why a $585 million social network sat empty.
- Who Owns MapQuest Now? System1, Debt and a No. 1 AppMapQuest is owned by System1, which bought it from Verizon in 2019. It hit No. 1 free app in 2026 while System1 warned on going concern.
- Does Hotmail Still Exist? Outlook.com Runs It NowHotmail still exists. Microsoft retired the name in May 2013 and moved 300 million accounts to Outlook.com, where old addresses still work.
- Is MSN Messenger Still Around? Yes, on EscargotMSN Messenger died in 2013 and Skype, the thing that replaced it, died in 2025. A free fan server called Escargot still runs it in 2026.
- Is AIM Still Around? AOL Instant Messenger in 2026Is AIM still around? No. AOL Instant Messenger shut down on December 15, 2017, and hobby servers are now the only way to sign on.
- Why Netscape Navigator Lost to Internet ExplorerNetscape Navigator lost to Internet Explorer because Microsoft gave IE away inside Windows. Its usage fell from 76% in 1997 to 19% by 2000.
- Is the Windows XP Bliss Hill Still There in 2026?The Windows XP wallpaper hill is real, on private land off Highway 121 in Sonoma County, and it turned bare and green again on 18 February 2026.
- Y2K Explained: What Really Broke on January 1, 2000The Y2K bug was real and the US spent over $100 billion killing it. Here is what still broke on January 1, 2000, and why 2038 is next.
- Did Napster Kill the Music Industry? The 2026 MathNapster did not kill the music industry. US revenue fell from $14.6 billion in 1999 to $7.69 billion in 2009, then set a record in 2025.