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| TuneUp Utilities - The
best there is at keeping Windows running fast and smooth.It
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| Anti-Virus - Consumer
Reports rates Norton and Mcafee as #5 and #6 for a reason.
Trend
Micro is rated #1 across the board. PcCillan
or AVAST are beyond a
doubt much better virus protection than Norton or Mc Afee.
They use far less system
resources while keeping up to date hour to hour. AVAST is
rated the number one free thing on the web by PC
Magazine! |
What is shareware?
Shareware is a marketing method, not a type of software or even strictly just
a distribution method. When software is marketed through normal retail channels,
you are forced to pay for the product before you've even seen it. The shareware
marketing method lets you try a program before you buy it. Since you've tried
the program, you know whether it will meet your needs before you pay for it. A
shareware program is just like a program you find in major stores, catalogs, and
other places where software is purchased; except you get to use it, on your own
computer, before paying for it.
Why do authors
use shareware to distribute their programs?
Basically, it's efficient.
Costs are generally less than for software sold through traditional channels.
Lower operating costs mean shareware authors can concentrate on writing great
programs, while often charging users less. Shareware also allows authors to retain
complete control. Microsoft and Netscape are just two software companies that
have recognized benefits of "try-before-you-buy" distribution.
Why pay for software I already have?
Basically, for 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 software
available. In addition, by paying you may then be entitled to additional functions,
removal of time limiting or limits on use, removal of so-called "nag" screens,
and other things as defined in the documentation provided by the program's author.
I bought a CD, a book, or a magazine that contained
the program--didn't I already pay for the program?
No. Shareware vendors
and other publishers distribute shareware evaluation versions of programs. They
charge a small fee for the costs of disk duplication and advertising, plus a
small profit, or they include the costs in the price of the book or magazine.
The money paid to these companies does not go to authors.
What
if I don't like the evaluation version?
That's simple: just stop using
it and remove it from your computer system. Many shareware authors even provide
a simple "uninstall" feature that makes this easy. You've lost nothing
but the small cost of obtaining the evaluation version and the time involved
in the evaluation.
What about viruses in software?
The shareware industry has an excellent track record providing products
that have been checked thoroughly for viruses. Shareware authors, webmasters and
other system operators carefully scan programs for viruses before offering them
to consumers, so a shareware program will often have more checks made on it than
regular commercial software. In recent years, very few shareware websites host
files; most are linking to the shareware files back on the web sites of the authors,
so you're getting files directly from the source. The few sites that do their
own hosting are nearly all quite large, and scan their collections regularly and
carefully. When in doubt, download directly from the authors' web sites. |