Ask HN: What 1980s/90s-era shareware did you purchase?

Hacker News Discussion ↗

Nostalgia for the 1980s–90s shareware era runs through this thread, with people recalling everything from Doom, Wolfenstein 3D and Commander Keen to utilities like PKZIP, Trumpet Winsock, mIRC, BBS tools and early C compilers they actually paid for. Many describe how hard it was to send money internationally or as teenagers without credit cards, leading to widespread casual piracy but also a strong sense of personal connection to small developers when they did pay. Several note that this shareware culture shaped their careers in programming and influenced today’s funding and distribution models, from open source and Linux CDs to Patreon-style support and app-store shareware.

Most-mentioned games

  • Classic DOS shareware shooters and platformers dominate: Doom, Wolfenstein 3D, Descent, Quake, Hexen, Duke Nukem II, Commander Keen, Jazz Jackrabbit, One Must Fall, Raptor, Halloween Harry, Pharaoh’s Tomb, Castle of the Winds, Death Rally, Slicks ’n’ Slide, VGA Planets, Stars!, Escape Velocity (and sequels), Marathon-related titles, TaskMaker, Legend of the Red Dragon, TradeWars 2002, various door games, and niche titles like Kye, Llamatron, and Jacaranda Jim.
  • Several note that the shareware episodes felt more magical or replayable than the full games.
  • Some recall poor or odd ports (e.g., Ultima V on Amiga, copy-protection quirks, RAM-related bugs) and hunting for patches years later.

Utilities, editors, and productivity tools

  • Heavy nostalgia for core DOS/Windows tools: PKZIP/PKARC/ARJ, WinZip, WinRAR, 4DOS, LIST.COM, ACDSee, XV, Goldwave, Tinyspell, Trumpet Winsock, PowerMenu, Sidekick, SkidKick, DesqView, DesqView/X.
  • Many text/code editors: PC‑Write, QEdit, Telemate’s editor, UltraEdit, TextPad, GoldEd, Kedit, a386/A86, Power C/Mix C, Turbo Pascal, Delphi, DICE C, Small‑C, various OS/2 tools.
  • Image, sound, and graphics utilities: NeoPaint, POV-Ray, Fractint, GraphicConverter, Pre‑Raphaelite art CDs, wallpaper collections.

BBS, networking, and online access

  • Numerous BBS packages and door systems: Wildcat!, Searchlight, BBBS, BinkleyTerm, Procomm/Procomm Plus, Telemate, Telix, ZModem/DSZ, Blue Wave, various QWK readers, FidoNet tools.
  • Early Internet access often depended on Trumpet Winsock and proxy tools like Wingate; some bought offline readers/browsers and connection keep-alives.

Paying, piracy, and logistics

  • Many admit pirating most software as teens, citing lack of money, no credit cards, or difficulty sending payments overseas.
  • Some mailed cash or checks internationally; others bought boxed Linux or BSD CDs as a way to support projects and avoid large downloads.
  • A subset later “made amends” by buying licenses or donating retroactively.
  • Interest is expressed in old DRM schemes and how easily keys were cracked.

Nostalgia and legacy

  • Shareware is remembered as a gateway to programming (e.g., mIRC scripts, cracking exercises, modding tools, ZZT/EV content).
  • Several link today’s Patreon/App Store ecosystems to shareware’s model of directly supporting individual developers.
  • Many still use or fondly recall specific tools decades later, seeing them as formative in careers and computer culture.