Software 20 years ago was less capable. But software 20 years ago also didn't expect to keep making money after it was sold to you. So the motivation of the vendors has changed. Formerly: Deliver, once, a product that's good enough so you'll be pleased - and recommend it to others. Now: Suck you into becoming an ongoing revenue source, even (or particularly if) that means a less good user experience (e.g. ad overload, dark patterns, turning "for life" features into "paid subscription" features on upgrade, etc. etc.)

> It's my position that software was almost universally better 20 years ago.

While some things are better now than then (almost entirely because the hardware is better), it does seem clear to me that on the whole, software is generally worse now. Sometimes a whole lot worse.

[delayed]

Neither of those things were ever universally true (I don't remember ever encountering either of those issues, personally). They may have been a problem with the particular program(s) you were using?

Regardless, as I said, some things are better now. But a lot of other things are worse. I suppose that whether software is better or worse overall now depends on which things bother you more.

For me, there's no question that software overall is not as good as it was.

I have literally never once in my life had that happen. It sounds like you had a driver issue or the like -- something that still happens today: https://windowsreport.com/windows-11-freezes-when-printing/

> It also used to be that saving could crash. And that saving could save a file which open could not open.

This situation has improved a lot, but there are still cases when they (Microsoft Office) still don't get it (for example with OneDrive failing to connect)

> Software is better now.

There is an arms race for more features which leads to more code and libraries which has forced developers to be more careful. But, rewrinting the GUI, breaking existing functionality ( i had to search today how to enable the vertical ruler in MS Word, only to find out that it is enabled but Word will not display it, except if i click in this area and only lasts until i move the keyboard cursor), changing the GUI (new xsnow will not start because it ignores the command line parameters and starts a config dialogue), ignoring years of GUI design (Android- status messages obscuring the input field, transient windows with no ok or cancel which last forever, gray on gray, and so on) does not improve anything. On the contrary, today's program are more anti user than programs 5 years ago (or 10, or 15).