The PNG example is a case of a well-established standard limiting what you can do - basically, improvement is only possible by breaking compatibility.
But this is not the case for the vast majority of slow software. Nor is there any equivalent problem there. It really is, as the article describes, a case of devs not caring to put the time because the users tolerate the status quo.
But this is not the case for the vast majority of slow software. Nor is there any equivalent problem there. It really is, as the article describes, a case of devs not caring to put the time because the users tolerate the status quo.