About Shareware

Software marketed through normal retail channels forces you to pay for the product before you've even seen it. In contrast, the shareware marketing method lets you try program for a period of time before you buy it. Since you have tried a shareware program, you know whether it will meet your needs before you pay for it. Shareware programs are just like programs you find in major stores, catalogs, and other places where people purchase software--except you get to use them on your own computer, before paying for them.

What happens if I like a shareware program?

You buy it!

You pay for it at the end of a trial period, typically 30 days, by sending the author the license fee she or he has established for the program.

Why should I pay for and register a shareware program?

The same reason you should pay for any program: because it is the honest thing to do. Shareware is commercial software, fully protected by copyright laws. Like other business owners, shareware authors expect to earn money for making their programs available. Paying for ("registering") a program also entitles you to support from the author, and other benefits the author may provide. Moreover, the more consumers who pay an author to use a program, the more likely the author will continue to improve it and to offer new programs.

How do shareware programs compare with other kinds of software?

Consumers who purchase shareware programs receive a level of product support that exceeds what traditional software manufacturers deliver. Shareware users who need support often speak directly to the actual developer of the program, who is intimately familiar with how it operates and therefore can provide excellent technical support. Shareware authors often fix bugs in programs and add features quickly, based on feedback from users. There is a wide price range for shareware, as there is with software distributed through other channels. Many shareware programs cost somewhat less than other kinds of software, while some programs cost about the same as retail counterparts.

What do I receive when I pay for a shareware program, besides the use of the program?

Typically, the same things you receive when you pay for other software: support by telephone, fax, computer bulletin board, and through online services such as the Internet, AOL and CompuServe, and MSN. Many authors also send manuals, reference cards, and other printed materials, and some offer free or reduced-price upgrades. The benefits associated with shareware program is different, so the version you purchase comes with different materials. Documentation files included with the program describe the benefits you receive by paying for and registering a particular shareware program.

What happens if I don't like a shareware program?

You simply stop using the program, and remove it from your computer. You have already tried the program before paying for it. Thus, you lose only the tiny amount of money you spent to download the program or to acquire it from a vendor or other source.

I ordered a shareware program from a catalog and paid for the disk. Why should I pay more now?

Shareware vendors distribute shareware versions of programs, charging a small fee for the costs of disk duplication and advertising, plus a small profit. Most shareware authors allow this type of distribution so you have a chance to try their programs. However, none of the money paid to a shareware vendor goes to the author. If you try a shareware program and continue to use it after the trial period, you must pay for and register the program. Generally, the author will then send you a registered version.  The same principle applies if you buy a shareware disk at a computer show or find a shareware program on a CD-ROM disc or at a store.

What types of shareware are available?

All types, including games, word processing, real estate, personal finance, graphics, education, utilities, and host of others. Chances are that if you're looking for a program to perform a certain task, it's available as shareware. The lower cost of creating and distributing shareware programs allows developers to take risks in creating a wider variety of products than is available through traditional software marketing channels.

Shareware authors offer four types of programs:

• those whose capabilities parallel software available in retail stores, but which are considerably less expensive;
• those which enhance or extend capabilities incorporated in popular software programs;
• those that perform functions that are not present in retail software; and
• those that offer a radical new approach to performing a task.
  

How can I learn more about specific shareware programs?

Try different programs! The beauty of shareware is that you can actually test a program's features before paying for it. Other than trying shareware programs, word of mouth is an excellent source of information. As part of their software copyright, shareware authors encourage users to give copies of their programs to others to evaluate. Friends and colleagues help advertise a particular program when they pass it along to you. Your local computer user's group is also a rich source of information about shareware programs. Many computer magazines also review shareware programs. Many of these programs are the best in their class compared to software available at retail stores.

Does the use of shareware increase the chances of introducing a virus into my computer?

The shareware industry has an excellent track record in providing products that are tested thoroughly for viruses. Shareware authors, bulletin board and online service operators, as well as disk vendors, carefully scan programs for viruses before offering them to consumers. There have indeed been many cases of viruses spread through shrink-wrapped software purchased in stores. So downloading a shareware program from a BBS (bulletin board system) or online service is probably safer than buying a disk in a store.

Where can I find shareware?

Shareware is found on BBSs, online services, here on the internet, and in catalogs published by shareware vendors. Programs can be downloaded directly from different areas (including our web site) on these online services, which include special sections and searching tools to help consumers locate specific shareware programs. For example, CompuServe users can GO PCFF (for PC shareware) to search for programs by keyword. AOL users can use the keyword QUICKFIND to search for programs. Every online service and BBS offers similar tools to help you find the shareware programs you need. On the Internet, World Wide Web sites offer excellent tools for locating and downloading shareware programs. Shareware vendors and professional organizations, in addition to making programs available on BBSs and online services, put together CD-ROMs containing hundreds or thousands of shareware programs. Computer user groups also offer libraries of shareware titles to members. You can even find shareware programs for sale in local computer stores, department stores, discount outlets, and even in supermarkets.

Why do software developers choose to market their programs through the shareware channel?

Shareware is an efficient way to run a software business. Authors do not spend nearly as much money marketing, packaging, and advertising their products as do developers of software sold through traditional channels. Lower cost means shareware authors can concentrate on writing great programs, while often charging users less. Shareware authors also retain complete control over their programs--a powerful incentive to programmers who have developed products from the beginning, and would rather see their fate determined by technical, rather than marketing considerations. Shareware authors recognize that their programs have to be good. If they are not, consumers simply won't buy them. IBM and Microsoft are just two of the software companies that have recognized these benefits of the shareware channel, as both have distributed "try before you buy" versions of products within the last few years.