Tools: Out-of-print software dealers?

["Hart, Geoff" <Geoff-H -at- MTL -dot- FERIC -dot- CA>]

George Hayhoe wondered: <<Are there software equivalents to out-of-print
book dealers? In the realm of the printed word, there are folks who will
find a copy of just about any book you could want. Is it possible to buy old
technology too? Say you need a copy of Microsoft Word version 3.0 for DOS.
How would you go about finding a source from which to purchase it?>>

There are a few that I know of. Other World Computing (aka MacSales
International) and Shreve Systems used to sell lots of fascinating old
stuff, including software, but no guarantees as to availability of any
particular item. (Don't have their urls handy, but they should turn up
quickly enough via a Web search.) $9.99 software (www.999software.com if
memory serves) has a large but idiosyncratic collection of old stuff, mostly
games but often useful utilities, all for $9.99 or less. I've bought from
OWC and 999 and had good experiences with them; Shreve has been in business
for a long time, so presumably knows what they're doing when it comes to
customer support. I've also had good luck now and then buying old software
direct from the original manufacturer; Microsoft, for example, lets you
purchase older versions, sometimes for not much more than the cost of the
disks plus shipping. They're probably saving money over what it costs to
warehouse the old materials.

Failing that, any of the auction sites would seem to be a good place to post
"software wanted" ads if you don't see what you want.

--Geoff Hart, FERIC, Pointe-Claire, Quebec
geoff-h -at- mtl -dot- feric -dot- ca

"Technical writing... requires understanding the audience, understanding
what activities the user wants to accomplish, and translating the often
idiosyncratic and unplanned design into something that appears to make
sense."--Donald Norman, The Invisible Computer