Give Freeware and Shareware a Try .

ROLCAM

Give Freeware and Shareware a Try

Do you need a specific computer program but you wince each time you think about its price tag?

For the cost of a little time and research on the Web, you might find just the program you're looking for. And the cost could be minimal - or even free.

It's all because of the shareware phenomenon.

Shareware began in the early days of networking two decades ago. In fact, shareware could be considered the first of many new techno-marketing techniques that have captured the attention of marketers in the post-industrial age.

The early computer programmers who released shareware had no money, or even skills, for marketing what they had created. All they had were computer-programming skills that sometimes rivaled those of programmers in the big software companies.

The programs they assembled were often as good as - or better than - commercial programs. So, they gambled by placing the programs on early computer networks such as CompuServe for downloading by the general public with simple instructions: If you like the program, send the developer a few dollars.

Marketers and Wall Street folks poked fun at the idea. It wouldn't work, they said. But it did. More than one of those early computer programmers made big money distributing programs that way. Some used that money to create traditional software businesses. Others continue to create software and distribute it in much the same way today.

The shareware concept is alive and well on the World Wide Web, where you can find thousands of programs.

Shareware has changed a little since those early days. Today's shareware program is likely to expire after a few days or a few weeks unless you register it online and pay a fee. Some of them allow you to use part of the program's functions for free, but offer you the opportunity to use them all after you register the program online. This type of software is sometimes called "evaluation software," and it's an excellent way to try the software before you buy it to determine if it's really the software you want.

Besides shareware, there's freeware. If you find a freeware program that suits your needs, you're in luck because freeware is exactly what the name implies. It's free for the downloading.

What do programmers get out of offering their programs for free on the Web? Some of them do it to promote their talents. Some, no doubt, feed their egos this way. An increasing number of companies offer free programs to advertise themselves or the other services they provide. That means you'll get a hefty dose of advertising while using this freeware. But if it does the job, who cares?

So, where do you find these programs on the Web? Here are some of the best Web sites that offer collections of shareware and freeware:

The TUCOWS Network at http://www.tucows.com is perhaps the oldest shareware repository on the Web and is still one of the best. Online since 1993, TUCOWS is an acronym for "The Ultimate Collection of Winsock Software." If you're looking for Windows shareware, this site needs to be on your list of places to visit. It claims to have 30,000 software titles in libraries located around the world.

A group that calls itself "shareware junkies," offers Windows, OS/2 and Macintosh shareware and reviews at http://www.sharewarejunkies.com. The folks who operate this site are scattered all over the world and they review what they offer.

ZD Net Downloads at http://www.zdnet.com/downloads is more than a place to download shareware. It's an online shareware/freeware magazine with articles related to the programs you can find on the site. It's a great place to get overviews of what shareware and freeware is available in various categories.
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Roland Camilleri

Moderator

Sydney , Australia.

demo5075 · Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2007 5:41 am Post subject:

thanks for the information.i like freewares and i always try to use freewares which are a good alternative to costly paid softwares.there is another site called freewarefiles.com where you can find free softwares.

haji1985 · Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2007 9:12 pm Post subject:

i am a firm believer in shareware and freeware and i have most of my softwares which are freeware or shareware.this is a good phenomenon and it should continue this way

hotcelebs · Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2008 7:07 am Post subject:

tucows has been very good to me. I will check out some of the others.
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