Computers Reviews

Cheap And Fast Software

Cheap and Fast Software
An Introduction to Shareware

Visit any computer store 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 On the shelf, software - otherwise known through " commercial software " - can be expensive, and incompatible, and outdated when compared to what's available online. Fortunately, there's an alternative to demand 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 fairly popular in the days where BBS ( bulletin board systems ) reigned 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 request software.

One of those advantages is its cost. On the whole, shareware is much 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 demonstrate shareware often outperforms the quality of asking software infinity and time again. How much savings are we talking about? You could purchase a merit word processor, spreadsheet, database program, or system utility anywhere from a mere $15 to under a hundred. This is almost unheard of in stores according to Best Buy, Circuit City, or Egghead, yet the shareware programs offered within this price range rival even Microsoft's Office mess.

Another advantage that shareware has over commercial software is its compatibility. We're not saying that shareware is consistent 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 peculiar words, we can discover whether the software performs the way we want them to and should anyone best shot 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 " them to try them.

The last advantage that shareware has over commercial software ( but certainly not the antecedent ) is its applicability. Plain and simple, shareware is the best bet when you want to keep on top of the late release of a particular program. Sure, computer stores determine their best to keep their inventory up to date, but when you can download version 5. 6042 of a shareware program as contrary to buying a commercial 3. 0 version from the particular computer shop, there's just no comparison.

Which brings up our next point. Just where does sole get shareware? Shareware is all over the Internet and it's really hard not to bump into it. The notably 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 effortless Google or Yahoo search for a particular type of program will yield all sorts of results that point you toward items that you culpability 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 copy 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 operations. 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.