I ran Sparrow (last release in 2011) until last year. It's weird how software from older eras seems to work fine across a decade of OS changes, but I'm told that modern software is like a delicate flower that wilts with each patch if I don't pay $1.99/mo.
Has software development regressed that far or is this just an excuse?
Yeah but that’s always been the case. If whatever window of updates I’ve purchased for a bit of software has expired and work is required to support a new OS release, I don’t think it’s unreasonable for that to require a new purchase.
I have the option of running it in a VM or simply not updating the OS if it’s really that important. The issue there is really OS vendors breaking stuff between versions (of which Apple is usually the main culprit).
I'm still using an ancient copy of Navionics on a 1st or 2nd gen iPad (that was gifted to me from my mother in law, because it wouldn't run any of her Instagram stuff) on my boat to get around San Francisco Bay. The depth near the shore changes by a foot or two from year to year but otherwise it's fine for charting a course from the marina to the float-up bar.
Cases vary of course but a lot of apps will break at some point if they've been orphaned and there's an OS upgrade (or, as other comments note, an online service has been sunsetted).
I expect the majority of apps I downloaded on my 1G iPad would not work today on a current iPad if not upgraded but if there's no server component, they'll presumably continue to work on the original platform.
Not just OS updates but language/framework updates too.
For something like Rider, .Net releases a new version every year so the Jetbrains deal tastes pretty sour to me at the moment and makes me regret getting tied to a commercial subscription.
Has software development regressed that far or is this just an excuse?