Why does previously good software go bad?

Having had to ditch the latest SpySweeper for pushing the memory usage of just about every other process through the roof, I've realised that this seems to be part of a pattern where previously good 'slim' apps become either memory hogs or bloatware with each successive incarnation:
A few that come to mind for me and have ended up being removed are:
Zone Alarm (good firewall when it started, version 5 onwards bloatware)
SpySweeper
Acronis TI version 9 onwards bloatware and unstable- / endless 'betas'
Norton (it was good once!)

Some seem to buck the trend:
e.g. jv power tools, NOD32 (so far...), process guard,

My question is which of the existing good (light on resources, small/ efficient) software do people see heading into bloatware territory next...

 

I think the problem is that software developers want to keep up with the other companies. Too many customers want an all-in-one solution that provides firewall, antivirus, antispam, antispyware, and cooks dinner and walks the dog too. Unfortunately, it usually turns out that the company that was very good at one thing isn't even mediocre in the other categories, so the end product fails to come close to the quality of the original application. Also, we see the problem with software suites that try to provide a single interface for all of the applications, making that interface a memory hog as it tries to manage everything.

As far as I'm concerned, the only all-in-ones that I would consider these days are ones where the individual applications just come in a package and can be installed individually rather than as one big product.

C

 

And another nero. The latest I think is 125mb. Couple versions ago twas 16mb.

 

I don't like suites ether, for just for the same reason you site. NOD32 is a very good AV and will be coming out with NOD32 AV V3 and NOD32 Suite V3, the suite is AV + a Firewall. I will stay with NOD32 and my present firewall....outpost Pro.

 

I think the programs that will head into the bloatware category will mostly be a/v programs that turn into suites.

I think too that developers are competing for consumers/sales.Give the consumers more of what they want at the expense of adding bloat and resource usage!

 

I think users are also responsible for this.
If a software has no new version for quite some time, users think the development is dead.
So there MUST be a new version with new functions and/or new gadgets, otherwise users might buy a competing software. Most users don't even see the difference between an usefull function and a gadget.
And of course users want always more and more, people are never satisfied.
So each software gets bigger and bigger.