shelfware (jargon) /shelfweir/ Software which is never used and so ends up on the shelf. Shelfware may be purchased on a whim by an individual, or in accordance with corporate policy, but not actually required for any particular use. Alternatively, it may be software that has been developed (unlike vaporware), but is never released as a product -- a common occurrence at DEC.
[Jargon File] Last updated: 1997-07-20
