On Abandonware

Thank you very much for writing this story.1 I used a first version of a molecular biology software system in 1978. It came on a tape and I used it on a remote Cyber70 mainframe computer through a teletype. Over the years, this package got more complicated. The user interface was maybe OK for computer gurus, but not for my lab technicians or my summer students.Software developers at universities and research institutes create brilliant alpha versions and algorithms, but never move beyond this st

| 1 min read

Register for free to listen to this article
Listen with Speechify
0:00
1:00
Share

Thank you very much for writing this story.1 I used a first version of a molecular biology software system in 1978. It came on a tape and I used it on a remote Cyber70 mainframe computer through a teletype. Over the years, this package got more complicated. The user interface was maybe OK for computer gurus, but not for my lab technicians or my summer students.

Software developers at universities and research institutes create brilliant alpha versions and algorithms, but never move beyond this stage. Moreover, they are most probably the only people who test the software and do not care about making the software simple for average students and technicians.

Most commercial molecular biology programs are fun to use, and a summer student can master these programs in no time. Moreover, they run on Windows or Mac and thus do not require training the student on how to use ...

Interested in reading more?

Become a Member of

The Scientist Logo
Receive full access to digital editions of The Scientist, as well as TS Digest, feature stories, more than 35 years of archives, and much more!
Already a member? Login Here

Meet the Author

  • Norman Pieniazek

    This person does not yet have a bio.

Published In

Share
May digest 2025 cover
May 2025, Issue 1

Study Confirms Safety of Genetically Modified T Cells

A long-term study of nearly 800 patients demonstrated a strong safety profile for T cells engineered with viral vectors.

View this Issue
iStock

TaqMan Probe & Assays: Unveil What's Possible Together

Thermo Fisher Logo
Meet Aunty and Tackle Protein Stability Questions in Research and Development

Meet Aunty and Tackle Protein Stability Questions in Research and Development

Unchained Labs
Detecting Residual Cell Line-Derived DNA with Droplet Digital PCR

Detecting Residual Cell Line-Derived DNA with Droplet Digital PCR

Bio-Rad
How technology makes PCR instruments easier to use.

Making Real-Time PCR More Straightforward

Thermo Fisher Logo

Products

fujirebio-square-logo

Fujirebio Receives Marketing Clearance for Lumipulse® G pTau 217/ β-Amyloid 1-42 Plasma Ratio In-Vitro Diagnostic Test

The Scientist Placeholder Image

Biotium Launches New Phalloidin Conjugates with Extended F-actin Staining Stability for Greater Imaging Flexibility

Leica Microsystems Logo

Latest AI software simplifies image analysis and speeds up insights for scientists

BioSkryb Genomics Logo

BioSkryb Genomics and Tecan introduce a single-cell multiomics workflow for sequencing-ready libraries in under ten hours