As its name implies, academic software  consists of applications, development tools, and systems software that, while no longer in widespread use, are still of interest. These programs are typically available for download on the Web, sometimes with the blessing of the publisher who still owns the rights. Examples include VisiCalc, the first spreadsheet program and, arguably, the world's first "killer application," early versions of Unix, and programming languages both esteemed and vilified, such as BASIC. Software developer David Winer has helped keep alive an entire class of application, outliners, which he worked on in the 1980s.

While formal academic study of software history is still rare, the propagators and collectors of antique software often cite a desire to preserve a heritage that now goes back at least 50 years and includes programs that were written by an earlier generation. The appeal also extends to packaging, which can evoke their era as vividly as an album cover.