@lofty Nevermind abandoned software and hardware, I'm of the view that purchasing software or hardware should include the tools necessary to control every bit of data in every RAM and register and the documentation necessary to do so.

I understand that it's much easier to make the abandonware argument though, and I also support that. It'd be a nice compromise if companies had to submit documentation and programming tools to some kind of agency that timed the public release for a few years after the launch date. That way, millions of products wouldn't become e-waste if a company is suddenly bought out or goes bankrupt.