We live in an age where most software has versionitis. We constantly receive updates to everything and demand more and better features. It is already normal to see launches of a minimum viable product like Windows 11 with a new version number, but without all the fine-tuned details, and on your mobile there is rarely a day that you are not offered updates to a handful of apps that never seem to stop changing (and not always for the better).
However, there is another extreme in which there are some programs that were created years (even decades) ago to do something and look a certain way, and today little or nothing has changed. They may have been updated to streamline, improve a bit, or fix bugs, but the experience remains almost the same as the first day: a good application that just works and that’s it.
waifu
Within Genbeta it’s almost an inside joke how much I like Waifu and the countless times I’ve recommended it. It’s a simple webapp that is exactly as it was the first day I found it almost eight years ago. It is used to double the size of an image without losing visual quality.
It does it so well that it is capable of putting hundreds of euro professional programs to shame, or devices like the Samsung Galaxy S22 that have been launched with a new special function to ‘remaster’ images. It also has a version for Windows with more and better features. However, the web version is more than enough for most tasks and works great.
astrogrep
AstroGrep is a very complete alternative to Windows file searches. For some it is much more complete, accurate and powerful than using the system explorer. It has many useful features to find exactly the text you are looking for, plus it is free and open source.
Total Commander
Total Commander is a file explorer and manager it comes from the days of Windows 3.1. Although it has been updated, it looks quite old and outdated, but that does not take away from its goodness. It has integrated file compressors and FTP and for some it is more comfortable than Windows Explorer. It is compatible with all versions of Windows from 95 to Windows 11, and it has both 32 and 64 bit versions.
WinSCP
WinSCP is like a FileZilla, but portable, very friendly and also free. It saves you from having to install anything, since you can take the WinSCP folder with you and all the connections with it. It allows from opening ssh sessions through putty, to a connection to Amazon s3.
IrfanView
An old old one, but good good. For many, IrfanView is one of the best image viewers for Windows that exists, and there are those who believe that it is far better than Windows itself. In addition to being free, fast and light, it also offers a good battery of editing options.
Transmission
Honestly, one of the best torrent downloaders out there on this deadly plane. Transmission is extremely simple and lightweight. It has only what is necessary and it is still exactly the same as the first day. You can use it on Linux, macOS, and Windows, or even from the terminal.
qBittorrent
Perhaps one of the most updated on this list, but very little has changed over the years, very different from what happened with the old uTorrent. qBittorrent is one of my favorites because it lets you search for and download torrents without having to visit any external websites.
GifCam
This is probably one of the least known on this list, but it has been one of my favorites for years. GifCam is a mini portable tool for record any segment of your screen in GIF format. It is extremely easy to use, convenient and has many customization options. It is compatible with all versions of Windows, and has received only minimal updates since 2013.
greenshot
Greenshot is another one of my favorite utilities. It is a simple tool to make screenshots on windows. It is very light and easy to use and allows you to annotate or edit parts of your capture. It has hardly been updated in years, but it doesn’t need much else.
winamp
Ah, one that needs no introduction. Winamp had officially died back in 2013, but has been revived multiple times and is still a favorite of many. Now on their official website they tell us that the project will return reformed and with a whole new approach, but I have no idea when, because years have passed. In the meantime, the old classic can still be downloaded thanks to that “new” version 5.8 that was released in 2018.
TrueCrypt
I have left this for last because it will be a bit controversial. TrueCrypt is a powerful encryption application that mysteriously disappeared many years ago and is no longer supported for it. However, although it is said that it is not safe to use anymore because some unpatched vulnerabilities have been discovered in it, your encryption is still unaffected.
This is where VeraCrypt comes in, a project based on the latest version of TrueCrypt that was released and which is kept up to date. You only have to take a look to see that it is practically identical to TrueCrypt but without the vulnerabilities and security problems of the abandoned program.