Regardless of it being discontinued and replaced, some users still find the software useful and hold the opinion it is a superior product for some tasks.

[1] ArcView started as a graphical program for spatial data and maps made using ESRI's other software products.

In subsequent versions, more functionality was added to ArcView and it became a true GIS program capable of complex analysis and data management.

ESRI's flagship professional GIS at the time, Arc/INFO, was based on a command line interface and was not accessible to users that only needed view and query capability.

Unfortunately, users found this version to be extremely unstable, frequently crashing with loss of all work in progress.

Independent consultants, small businesses and organizations may not be able to justify the expense of moving to ArcGIS and the need to maintain annual licenses.