Originally Posted by
oneant
...I've always thought of using ancient (a relative term in the world of PC's) software on modern PC's a bit like taking a shower and then putting on the same clothes you were wearing before.
Software written for a system that was marked in Mhz, really flies on a 2.8Ghz system.
Best to do it while the only major hassle is a learning curve
We don't use computers to learn new things, we use computers to get things done. Sometimes the learning curve is a good investment. If it means you get things done using less resources that's a win. At other times it's a waste of time figuring out where the $blank that
this version of the program hid a menu item just so you can do the same thing.
Conversion is another consideration. A complex spreadsheet that's been in continuous daily use since the dawn of the PC, and has grown organically within one software environment, will not convert with software and the manual migration/rewrite will be non-trivial. When the older software can be made to run, I can buy another few years to do the rewrite.
In certain regulatory environments, for records retention you have to have a way to open older data sources for a certain number of years. Depending on your regs, conversion may not be an option, if the file has to be left 'as-is'