30.-+Shareware

= ** What is a Shareware? ** =

** Beginning ** In the mid-1980s Bob Wallace developed a word processor program called PC-Write. To further describe his program, Wallace came up with the term //shareware//. Jim Button, the creator of PC-File (a database program) and Andrew Fluegelman, the author of PC-Talk (a communication program), are considered to be the fathers of the shareware concept. However, the three of them clearly established the shareware model as a viable marketing method for their software. In the early days of software distribution, it was a standard practice to share computer programs across a global bulletin board system. This allowed users to share and exchange them with other users that may have a need for it to accomplish or simplify daily tasks. As the progress of the software industry continued to develop, software authors and vendors started to request small payments for their software in order to help support continued improvements and offer technical support. As the Internet became more popular, so did the use of shareware, trial software, and freeware. In the early '90s, the Internet led to a new software distribution model that revolutionized the software industry and the way software was distributed. Definition So what exactly is shareware? **Shareware** is software that is distributed on a trial basis with the understanding by the users of the software that there may be a small charge by the author to continue to use it. Most shareware is delivered free of charge by downloading it from the Internet either from the author's website or from a software download site. By registering the software and paying the fee, you become registered with the author and can receive technical support and software updates when they become available. You can copy shareware and pass it along to friends and colleagues, as long as it is the trial version of the software and not the registered version. They are also expected to pay a registration fee if they intend on using the software regularly beyond the trial period. The trial period of the computer software is entirely dependent on the software author and can vary a great deal. Typically, the trial period can be anywhere from 10-30 days or even 45-60 days. Some trial periods are based on usage and only allow users to open the program a limited number of times. The functionality of the software can be limited as well. Some authors will release fully functional software, whereas others will offer a limited version of the full program. Examples of shareware: -Antivirus. -Photo or Video editors. -Some Media. -Files compressor Link: []