I am not saying that bloat is always a good thing and I appreciate how much developers of the past could do so much with so little. When it improves accessibility and functionality, this 'bloat' is a good thing. More features means more code and associated data, while optimization tends to focus upon speed at the expense of size. This virtually always produces a noticeably larger program. Modern software tends to support more languages and regional variations in how data (numbers, time, etc.) are represented. Other aspects of software will also influence its growth. Since people tend to notice the visual quality of software, whether it enhances the software or is pure cosmetics, it is not necessarily a bad thing. We shouldn't be surprised by Photoshop being 310 times larger. Software also tends to incorporate more graphical elements these days, thus adding more bulk. A graphics resource in a modern application can use an additional 4 to 32 times more memory just for colour. Even though Macintosh computers have always been known for their graphical interfaces and use in publishing, user interface elements did not always exploit increased colour depth in the early 1990's. Some of that bloat is legitimate, or at least dictated by consumer expectations.Ĭonsider graphics resources: modern screens typically 9 to 16 times as many pixels per square inch.

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