subject: Low-Cost and Fast Programs - An Introduction to Shareware [print this page] Low-Cost and Fast Programs - An Introduction to Shareware
Go to any software store these days and you will find what seems like row after row of software for sale. Certainly enticing buys, however, you may encounter a few problems when buying software off the shelves. Off-the shelf software - otherwise known as "commercial software" - may be more costly, not compatible and out of date when compared to what you can download online.
Fortunately, there exists an alternative to commercial programs, and although it isn't new, it is one of the most under-utilized sources in the software industry. We're looking at shareware - programs that you are able to try out before buying. And you can receive it on the WWW, just like getting online PC support.
Shareware possesses a lengthy pedigree and had been insanely popular during the time where BBSes - bulletin board systems - reigned over the Internet-based software business. It hasn't gone anywhere, but its competition from commercial software is tough - so fierce that it tends to get moved to the sidelines among novice PC users. This is unfortunate, since shareware has lots of advantages over commercial software.
One of the advantages is its cost. On average, shareware is most often much cheaper compared to commercial software. But don't misinterpret the price. With shareware, inexpensive does not equal poor-quality, and there are lots of examples which indicate shareware frequently outshines the quality of commercial programs many times. What kind of savings are we talking about? You can purchase a quality word processing, spreadsheet or database program, or a system utility program ranging from only $15 to about $100. This is almost unheard of in stores like Office Depot, Office Max or CompUSA, but the programs available within this price range compete with even Microsoft's Office suite.
One other plus which shareware has in comparison with commercial programs is its compatibility. We're not saying that shareware is suitable for all OSes. What we are saying is that because we may try shareware before you buy it, we are able to decide first if the software is completely compatible with our systems. This way, we can discover whether the software works like we require it to, but should anyone attempt to do this with commercial programs, he'll experience a big shock. Commercial software policy does not even permit returns, not to mention "borrowing" them to try them.
The final advantage that shareware has in comparison with commercial software (but certainly not the least) is its being up-to-date. Put simply, shareware comes out far ahead if you need to stay on top of the most recent edition of a given program. Certainly, computer stores try hard to keep their stock fresh, but when you can download the latest version 5.7062 of a shareware program as opposed to purchasing a commercial 3.0 edition from the nearby computer shop, there is just no comparison.
This up our next point. Just how does one get shareware? Shareware can be found just about everywhere on the Web and it is really difficult not to locate it. The most popular places to find shareware is from 1000s of download libraries, however, the businesses (and even individual developers) producing shareware are more and more often providing shareware from their own websites. A simple search at Google or Yahoo for a certain type of software will yield all sorts of results that direct you to things that you can try before you shell out any money.
Be aware, though, that because shareware is not commercial software, you might not experience the full features of the program in the way you could if you had bought the software in a store. Shareware might or may not be limited - which means that some functions might not be available to you unless the program is paid for. These limitations are usually small and do not interfere with how its paid-for version works. They're actually incorporated just as a way to prompt payment. Remember that shareware is not free. You should not attempt to utilize shareware as a commercial program without purchasing it.
About the only thing that is similar between shareware and commercial programs is the way in which they can be paid for. With a credit card, you can be the new owner of another application in just a few minutes. Even if you don't have a credit card, you may still receive online PC support, yes, over the WWW!
