An
Introduction to Shareware
Visit
any computer store or market place today and you’ll find what seems like miles and miles of
software on sale. Certainly enticing buys, there are a few problems with buying
software off the shelves. On the shelf, software – otherwise known as
“commercial software” - can be expensive, and incompatible, and outdated when
compared to what’s available online. Fortunately, there’s an alternative to
commercial software and although it isn’t new, it’s one of the most under-exploited
opportunities in the computer industry.
We’re
talking about shareware – software that you can try before buying.
Shareware
has a long history and was rather popular in the days where BBS (bulletin board
systems) ruled the online industry. It hasn’t gone anywhere, but its
competition with commercial software is fierce – so fierce that it tends to
fall on the back burner among new computer users. This is unfortunate because
shareware has so many advantages over commercial software.
One of
those advantages is its cost. On the whole, shareware is generally cheaper than
commercial software. But don’t misinterpret the cost. With shareware, cheap
does not equal low-quality and there are plenty of examples that prove
shareware often outperforms the quality of commercial software time and time
again. How much savings are we talking about? You could purchase a quality word
processor, spreadsheet, database program, or system utility anywhere from a
mere $15(our posts will be valued in $ but not to discriminate against the N) to under a hundred. This is almost
unheard of in stores like Best Buy, Circuit City or Egghead yet the shareware
programs offered within this price range rival even Microsoft’s Office suite.
Another
advantage that shareware has over commercial software is its compatibility.
We’re not saying that shareware is compatible with all operating systems. What
we’re saying is that since we can try shareware before paying for it, we can
determine if the software is completely compatible with our systems first. In
other words, we can discover whether the software performs the way we want them
to and should anyone try to do the same with commercial software, they’ll be in
for a big disappointment.
Commercial
software policy doesn’t even allow for returns, let alone “borrowing” to try
them.
The
last advantage that shareware has over commercial software (but certainly not
the least) is its applicability. Plain and simple, shareware is the best bet
when you want to keep on top of the latest release of a particular program.
Sure, computer stores do their best to keep their inventory up to date, but
when you can download version 5.6042 of a shareware program as opposed to
buying a commercial 3.0 version from the local computer shop, there’s just no
comparison.
Which
brings up our next point; just where does one get shareware? Shareware is all
over the Internet and it’s really hard not to bump into it. The most popular
places to find shareware is within thousands of download libraries, however the
companies (and even independent programmers behind shareware) are increasingly
offering shareware from their own websites. A simple Google or Yahoo search for
a particular type of program will yield all sorts of results that point you
toward items that you can try before you buy.
Be
aware however, that because shareware is not commercial software, you may not
experience a full program the way you would if you bought the software out of a
box. Shareware may or may not be limited – meaning that some functions may not
be available to you until the program is paid for. These limitations are often
small and don’t interfere with the way its full version operates. They’re
really just implemented as a way to prompt payment. Remember that shareware is
not freeware. You shouldn’t try to use shareware as commercial software without
paying for it.
About
the only thing that’s similar between shareware and commercial software is the
way in which they may be bought. With a credit card, you can be the new owner
of your own software within minutes.
Contact Depeak Technology Services today for professional
computer services/maintenance
08125338345
08039479877
08099742186
08125338345
08039479877
08099742186
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