@mhoye @mcc yeah software maintenance is expensive, so when you sell for cheap, you certainly plan for shorter lifetime/support, to make the economics work. They could keep making the updates work for these models, but making it harder to develop features for newer ones, that are making money now.
Models being obsolete means code specific to them can be deleted, and newer code don't have to be compatible and tested on them.
Apparently users don't find the free software alternative suitable :/.
@tshirtman @mhoye @mcc We could be running free software as the default. If it's preinstalled, normal users barely bat an eye. Ask me how I know.
Industry giants come in, offer "a good deal". Support agreements get drawn up, often with morsels of regulatory capture thrown in. In exchange, they get another generation trained on their systems.
Community efforts pick up maintenance on many of these old devices. A pittance of federal budget would more than cover it. Instead, we do this.