The idea that software wasn't bloated and slow 20,30+ years ago is just myth. Everything was bloated and slow. MS Word in the 90s and 00s would regularly crash and take your file with you, and it often took minutes to start up. Yes, there were some brilliant counterexamples, just as there are today. But most software today is far more enjoyable and rapid to use than that from previous eras. While the software isn't as snappy as it theoretically could be, that is mostly because the market finds the tradeoff between features and speed. I'd rather have a search take a second or two longer if it is able to handle synonyms and different word forms. VS Code is so much better than Visual Studio from around 2000.
Usually, the truly bloated software (like a lot of edutech) is just because of regulatory capture. Most of edutech isn't judged by the market, but by committees of corrupt idiots, who always exist and for which the open market is the solution for.
Usually, the truly bloated software (like a lot of edutech) is just because of regulatory capture. Most of edutech isn't judged by the market, but by committees of corrupt idiots, who always exist and for which the open market is the solution for.