How Shareware WorksMar 31 '01 Write an essay on this topic.
Popular Products in Software
The Bottom Line Shareware is a way to try software before you buy it. You will find that quite a bit of downloadable software is in this category.
Why Shareware? Why do programmers market their work in this way? Shareware authors quite often cite the "try before you buy" benefit as the main reason for publishing their software as shareware. It gives them an edge over higher-priced software from high-powered companies who can afford to get your attention with expensive advertising--something most shareware authors can't afford to do. Many further cite the success of shareware companies like DataStorm (a commercial software publisher founded on the success of the ProComm communications program), or Nico Mak Computing, whose WinZip is a major success story, as examples of what they're emulating. However, those were generally special cases, companies founded when the personal computer industry was relatively new and conditions were right. For the most part, the conditions that fostered such stunning successes probably aren’t repeatable. All of which is not to say there aren't success stories in contemporary shareware. It's just that the field has matured and it's very crowded with software of all categories. I suspect that most shareware is published as shareware because the authors can't get their programs published by commercial publishers. This is not surprising, in view of the fact that there is so much good software out there--too much, in fact, to be marketed by commercial publishers. (My own opinion is that there is far too much commercial software crowding the market, anyway.) Others don't want to be published by commercial publishers. They may feel they can make more money by publishing their work themselves. Or, they may simply feel they have a better idea and know it isn't a "commercial" product, but are certain of their product's value. Fortunately for such authors, the ease of copying files to disk, and the vast network represented by Web sites and online services providing downloads gives them access to distribution network. All of which by no means implies that shareware is of poor quality. Publishing shareware is somewhat akin to self-publishing a book, although unlike self-published books, the majority of shareware programs are of some quality. Many are of superior quality to their commercial counterparts, and there are no few shareware products for which there are no commercial counterparts. "But," you may ask, "if a shareware product is so good, why can't I find it in computer and software stores?" Shareware authors go the shareware route, rather than trying to publish a commercial product, mainly because of the way the software business is structured. Like the music and book businesses, a few publishers have access to (and in some instances, control of) the major retail distribution channels. Getting into the game requires tremendous resources--advertising to potential end users, wholesalers, and distributors; displaying at trade shows; making contacts; manufacturing and shipping large quantities of product; waiting months and sometimes years to be paid for large orders; and more. How Shareware Works All shareware programs contain or come with information regarding what is expected in the way of a registration or user fees. This may be found in a separate text file (most shareware programs consist of several files, usually in an archive); a screen displayed when you run or exit the program; a file displayed when you select "About..." on a Windows program's Help menu; or some combination of these. Registering a program (a euphemism that means paying the user fee) can have several benefits. In some cases, registered users receive a full manual in hardcopy form. The manual may or may not be nicely printed and bound, but having a hardcopy manual is an advantage--it's easier to flip through an organized manual and find what you need than to open a text file and try to locate a topic within the limited confines of your screen. Other advantages of being a registered user of a shareware program may include: * Receiving updates (newer versions) of the program by mail at no cost, or for a nominal fee, if and as such versions are released. This may or may not be automatic. (Contrast this with commercial software, which requires that you buy updates.) * Support direct from the program's author, in the form of answers to problems with the program via telephone, U.S. Mail, or E-mail. * Reports of bugs discovered in the registered version, and perhaps a new copy of the program, or a file that provides a "fix." * Receiving an enhanced version of the program, with features not available to unregistered users. * Some shareware authors may offer other inducements, like an extra "bonus" program, to those who register.  |
| Write the first comment on this review! |
|
Ads by Google
|
